This is a simple fish curry made with minimal ingredients that is made in all Bengali households.

Lightly fried fish in a spicy thin gravy that pairs perfectly with some steamed white rice. Serve it with some Begun Bhaja, Daal, Bhortas (like my aloo or begun bhorta), or just some wedges of lime on the side for the Perfect Bangladeshi lunch!

This curry is originally made with Bangladeshi Ilish (Hilsa) or Catfish

But you can also use any white fish like tilapia, cod or haddock. You can also make this with other seafood like shrimp.

I also love adding vegetables to these dishes!

Easy way to pack them up with nutrition. The veggies also taste amazing in this curry base with the flavors from the fish.

My favorite vegetables to add are green tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, potatoes, or sheem (hyacinth beans). Just throw them in with the fish or according to how long they’ll take to cook in the curry, adjust salt, and you’re good to go!

The main part about making this dish is being careful not to break your fish fillets/steaks while frying/cooking.

Use a good non stick pan to fry your fish so they do not stick to the bottom and is easy to take out. When adding the fish into the curry, make sure that your heat is on low or else any rapid boiling might break your fish apart and it will disintegrate into the sauce. You also don’t want to use a soon to mix the curry as that may break the fish, once you slide them into the gravy, just swirl your pan around gently to cover all the fish pieces and then let it simmer gently until ready.

You can watch the full process in this video!

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb white fish (catfish/tilapia/cod etc.)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the curry

• 1/4 cup mustard/vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium onion (about 1/2 cup – finely sliced)
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 3-5 green chilis split
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Clean and wash your fish steaks/fillets. Then drain all the water, and season with turmeric, red chili, and salt. Gently massage onto the fish, making sure to cover all sides/pieces.

Heat your oil on high on a nonstick pan, then gently slide in the fish and fry for just a minute, flipping midway through until both sides are nice and golden. Make sure to be gentle when flipping so you don’t break the fish, and fry in two batches to make it easier and not overcrowd the pan so they get a nice fry.

Take the fish out of the pan once golden. Turn your heat down to medium, and add in your onions.

Stir occassionally and fry until they start to change color, then add in your bay leaf. Frying for bit.

Add in the ginger garlic paste. Stir and fry for a few minutes until the raw smells are gone, adding a splash of water to keep it from burning if needed.

Then add in your tomato and ground spices. Stir and fry until the oils come out, making sure not to burn the spices.

Add in a 1/4 cup of water, stir and reduce until the oils come out, fry for a minute then add more water and repeat this process 3-4 times.The longer you do this the better your curry will taste.

Once done, mash your tomatoes and onions in the pan with your spatula to make it into a nice paste like consistency. Then add in 1 1/2 cups of water, bring up to a simmer, and turn the heat down to medium low.

Carefully slide in your fried fish, and swirl your pan a little to cover all the pieces. You don’t want to stir with utensils as it will break the fish.

Let it simmer (boiling at a higher temp will break the fish) until the gravy gets to the consistency you want, adding in the split green chilis a few minutes before it’s done.

Then taste and salt your gravy. Swirling the pan around carefully to mix it in without breaking the fish.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and take it off the heat after a minute. Serve hot.