When I was staying in San Diego I visited a senior of mine and she was one person who reciprocated my love for garlic. I believe she was an even staunch garlic freak because she declared that none of her dishes are without garlic. She is an amazing cook as well. I picked up a few tips of cooking with garlic from her. The day had ended with a yummy meal of hot chicken steaks marinated with garlic and olive oil, penne pasta and a glass of fine red wine.
Today while I was weighing my options for preparing fish curry, I thought of preparing something different. My mother used to prepare this simple garlic fish curry occasionally when I was small. It involves very less effort and yet the end result is quite delectable.
You can prepare this amazingly easy fish curry when you run out of options for fish curry or you simply want to treat your taste buds to something simple and light. If you love garlic then you will surely love this preparation.The garlic combined with spices and mustard blends nicely with these mild flavors of the light and flaky catfish. It is simple but the flavors are amazing.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves:2
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients:
- Asian Catfish (Magur) - 6 medium pieces (the fish can be tilapia, catfish, bass, shad, carp)
- Garlic cloves - 15-20
- Nigella Seeds (Kalonji) - 1 tsp
- Sunrise Mustard Powder/ Fresh Mustard Paste/ Kasundi - 2 tsp
- Green Chilli - 4
- Potato - 1 big
- Sugar - 1/2 tsp
-
Turmeric powder - a small pinch
-
Salt to taste
-
Mustard oil - 3/4 cup
Procedure:
1.
Cut and clean the fish. Drain and place the fish in a large bowl, add 1 tsp of turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt and mix well. Marinate the fish for half an hour.
2. Peel and cut the potato into 6 longitudinal pieces.
3. Heat oil in a wok and fry the potato pieces till its well done. keep it aside.
4. Fry the fish in the same oil. You dont need to deep fry Catfish, shallow frying is enough.
5. Take the mustard powder in a small bowl and add about 2 tsp of water, make an even consistency mix. Note: This should be done at least 10 minutes before you need to add it to the gravy.
If you have some kasundi at home, then you can add a spoon of kasundi to the mustard paste, it enhances the flavour and taste.
6.Skin the garlic cloves and in a mortal pestel grind them coarsly.
If you have some kasundi at home, then you can add a spoon of kasundi to the mustard paste, it enhances the flavour and taste. 6.Skin the garlic cloves and in a mortal pestel grind them coarsly.
7.Take a deep bottomed wok and heat oil. When the oil is heated enough add the Bay leaves and Nigella seeds.
8. Once the spices are fragrant, toss in the coarsely ground garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes stirring occassionally.
9. Add water according to the quantity of gravy you want. Usually this is a thin gravy fish curry, hence enough water should be added.
10. Add the slitted green chillies and fried potatoes into the gravy. Cover and cook on high flame for 5 minutes.
11. Add the fried fish into the gravy, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
12. Once the gravy starts bubbling (fut dhora), add the mustard paste and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and then take the wok out of the flame.
If you have Bori available then frying an adding a few boris totally changes the fish curry into a much more flavorful and tasty preparation.
Serve the fish gravy with piping hot white or brown rice and enjoy!
8. Once the spices are fragrant, toss in the coarsely ground garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes stirring occassionally.
9. Add water according to the quantity of gravy you want. Usually this is a thin gravy fish curry, hence enough water should be added.
10. Add the slitted green chillies and fried potatoes into the gravy. Cover and cook on high flame for 5 minutes.
11. Add the fried fish into the gravy, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
12. Once the gravy starts bubbling (fut dhora), add the mustard paste and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and then take the wok out of the flame.
If you have Bori available then frying an adding a few boris totally changes the fish curry into a much more flavorful and tasty preparation.Serve the fish gravy with piping hot white or brown rice and enjoy!
