Maachher Jhol

Ingredients

• White  fish, scaled and gutted and cut into 2 1/2 cm/1"
• thick slices, diagonally 500 g (you can use fillets too if you like)
• sarson (mustard seeds), powdered                        2 tbsp
• Turmeric  (haldi) 1 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil (sarson ka tel) ½ cup (120 ml)
• Onions, roughly chopped 1 ½ cups (250 g) ]
• Garlic, chopped 2 tsp ]
• Ginger, chopped 2 tsp ] grind to a paste
• Dried red chillies (Sabut lal Mirch) 2-3 ]
• Salt 1 tsp ]
• Turmeric (haldi) ½ tsp ]
• Nigella/Onion seeds (kalonji) ½ tsp
• Cinnamon (Dalchini), broken small ¼ tsp
• Cloves (Laung) 4
• Cardamoms (chhoti elaichi) 4
• Bay leaf (tej patta) 1
• Green chillies, slit lengthwise 2
• Water 3 cups
• Coriander leaves (hara dhania) for garnish

Preparation

• Wash the fish, pat dry and apply the mustard powder, ½ tsp salt and the 1 tsp turmeric over all the pieces.

• Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, and fry the fish in it, first on one side, then the other, over high heat, till a golden colour.

• Lift the fish out of the oil, and keep aside.

• In the same oil, add the onion seeds, cinamom, cloves cardamom and bay leaf, stir fry 2-3 times, and add the ground paste.

• Saute till the fat separates then add the green chillies and stir fry a few times. Add the water and bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes,uncovered.

• Add the fish just before serving, bring to a boil (by which time the fish should be cooked through, otherwise simmer till done), and serve hot garnished with the coriander leaves.