Borishali Rohu/Rui

This is a simple recipe used for making Hilsa in Bangladesh. While chatting with my Mashi over phone she told me that she was making it for lunch. I didn’t have Hilsa at home and so I decided to try the same recipe with Rohu.

Even though simple spices are used, the distinct taste of coconut milk with kalonji (nigella) paste gives it an unique flavor.

Ingredients

1. 4 pieces of fish cut into steaks
2. 1tsp. kalonji ( Nigella Seeds )
3. Few green chilies slit lengthwise
4. 1tbsp. green chili paste
5. 1tsp. ginger paste
6. 1tsp. nigella seeds paste ( Kalonji paste )
7. 2tsp. turmeric powder
8. 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
9. 1/2 cup milk
10. Salt to taste
11. Mustard oil

Procedure

Smear fish steaks with salt and half turmeric powder.Keep them marinated for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok(Kadai) and fry the fish steaks till both surfaces turn golden yellow. Remove with a slotted soon and keep them aside.

In a small bowl mix all wet paste and keep handy. Now temper the same oil with kalonji and when they stop sputtering add the wet spice mixture to it. Lower the flame and sauté for a while. Sprinkle turmeric powder to it and fry little more.

Once you are sure that all the raw smell has subsided, add coconut milk to it. Gently slide in the fish steaks and crank up the heat. When the gravy start boiling, lower the heat and add little warm milk to it. Cook it uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add green chilies and turn off the heat. Drizzle some mustard oil over it and serve with a plate of hot steaming rice.