Doi Illish – Hilsa in mustard and yogurt sauce/gravy

When did i last blogged ? Good question 😜 Must be a decade ! 

So here i am once again, no excuses, just been lazy 😉

Durga Puja, a ten day duration festival, and all Bengalis of the world unites for five days of food, fashion and festivities ❤️ and i am no different !! Pandal hopping gets professional 😀😜

Today is eight day of the ten day festival, with the Puja graph at it’s peak. Celebrating ‘ashtami’ or the eighth day with one of the Bengali’s traditional and signature recipe – ‘Doi Illish’ 

Illish or Hilsa, is from the deltaic regions of Ganga- Brahmaputra rivers. Today they are under commercial breeding to feed the ever increasing demand in the market. 

Mention of Illish/Hilsa to a Bengali and watch them get all dreamy, salivating and euphoric ❤️

We define Illish/Hilsa as exoticism. ❤️ 

Now, now don’t read that ‘excorcism’ 😉

Here’s what i did………….

INGREDIENTS

5-6 nos – illish/hilsa steaks

2-3 nos – green chillies

2 1/2 tsp – mustard paste

1/2 cup – yogurt

1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp – tumeric powder

1/2 tsp – nigella seeds/ kalonji

2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp – mustard oil

1 tsp – finely chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

METHOD

Marinate the fish steaks with 1/2 tsp tumeric powder and some salt for 10 mins. 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the steaks. Drain them on a kitchen paper. 

Temper the remaining oil with nigella/kalonji and pour in the mustard paste, tumeric powder and add some water (1/2 cup). Add the green chillies. Season with salt. 

Lower the heat as the sauce comes to boil. Slide in the fish steaks, gently, one by one. Let the sauce simmer till the steaks are done. 

Beat the yogurt and add it to the sauce and immediately take it off fire. Pour 1/2 tbsp of raw mustard oil.

Serve hot on a bed of steaming rice.

Happy Durga Puja to all !! 
Happy cooking !! 😊

Cheers !! 😄

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