Puti maach or Swamp Barb, a tiny- sized variety of fish, was never welcomed at our home. Reason, my father never liked it. Infact only a selected variety of fish were cooked at our home. Except a few new additions, the same practice is still being carried on.
Though mom had rarely cooked Puti maach, yet she provided me a lip- smacking recipe. ❤
The only bit of a hassle with tiny variety of fish, is the cleaning. It is time consuming !
‘Chorchori’, to us, Bengalis is a melange of vegetables, commonly cooked and relished with steamed rice. Can be vegetarian or non -vegetarian.
Here’s what I did………….
INGREDIENTS
250 gms – maach/ fish
2 pods – garlic, finely chopped
1 nos – small sized onion. Chopped
1 nos – small sized potato, cut into thin wedges
1 nos – small sized brinjal, cubed
6-7nos – cauliflower florets
1/4 cup – freshly shelled peas
1 nos – medium sized tomato. Chopped
1 tsp + 1 tsp – tumeric powder
2-3 nos – green chillies, halved
2 -3 tbsp – mustard oil (preferably)
1/4 tsp – nigella seeds /kalonji
Salt to taste
METHOD
Clean and wash the fish thoroughly. Apply 1 tsp tumeric and some salt and keep aside for 10 mins.
Heat oil in a wok and shallow fry the cauliflower florets and brinjal. Keep aside. Saute the potato wedges for a couple of mins. Keep aside.
In the remaining oil ( add more oil if needed) shallow fry the fish to golden brown. Drain on a kitchen paper.
Leaving around 1/2 tbsp of the oil in the wok, drainout the rest of the oil.
Season the oil in the wok with nigella seeds/ kalonji. Tip in the chopped garlic. Once it stats browning, add the chopped onion. Fry till translucent.
Add the fried vegetables, peas and green chillies.
Add the tumeric powder and salt. Lower the heat. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins.
Add the chopped tomato and 1/2 cup water. Adjust salt.
Add the fried fish/ maach to the vegetables. Cover and cook on low heat till vegetables are done.
Increase the flame and dry out any remaining moisture.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander ( optional).
Serve with steamed rice with a wedge of lime to add a little extra zing !
Happy cooking ! 🙂
Cheers !! 😄
acbistro 