If there's one dish that can make any Bengali's heart skip a beat, it's Ilish Mach Bhaja. The mere mention of it evokes a wave of nostalgia, reminding us of home, family gatherings, and the monsoon rains tapping against the windows. Ilish, or Hilsa, isn't just a fish; it's a sentiment deeply ingrained in Bengali culture. And when it comes to Ilish Mach Bhaja, it's more than just a dish—it's an experience.

Growing up, the first heavy downpour of the season was always met with a buzz of excitement at home. The rain meant that the Ilish season was officially upon us, and soon the markets would be brimming with fresh, glistening Hilsa. The weekend morning would start with a trip to the local fish market, where my father would haggle with the fishmonger to get the freshest Ilish and other fishes.

Not every Hilsa makes the cut for that perfect Ilish Mach Bhaja. There are certain nuances that every Bengali knows, passed down through stories and experiences. A good Hilsa has to be just the right size—not too small, not too big, but just enough to give you those luscious cuts with that perfect marbling of fat. Yes, fat—because a good Hilsa is oily, and that’s where half the flavor comes from.

As a kid, I would sit around the kitchen, impatiently waiting for that moment when the first piece of Ilish would hit the hot mustard oil in the pan. The aroma would fill the entire house, making it impossible to wait until lunch. 

The Art of Frying Ilish

Making Ilish Mach Bhaja isn't just about tossing the fish into the pan and hoping for the best. There's a certain finesse to it, a delicate balance that needs to be achieved to get that perfect golden crust while keeping the fish tender and juicy inside.

First, the fish is marinated lightly with turmeric and salt, allowing the natural flavors to shine through. Mustard oil is a must here—no other oil can give you that sharp, pungent flavor that complements the richness of the Ilish. The oil is heated until it's just shy of smoking, and then the fish is gently lowered into the pan. The key is to resist the urge to flip the fish too soon. Let it develop that beautiful crust before turning it over. And once it's done, you let it rest for a minute, allowing the oil to drain off, and then you're ready to dig in.

View from my home in rains

Rains, Ilish & a Sense of Comfort

There’s something almost poetic about enjoying Ilish Mach Bhaja on a rainy day. The pitter-patter of raindrops, the cool breeze that carries the smell of wet earth, and the sizzle of Hilsa frying in mustard oil—all these elements come together to create an experience that’s nothing short of magical.

Rainy days are also when Ilish tastes the best. Some say it’s the freshness of the fish, others say it’s the chill in the air, but I believe it’s the nostalgia. It’s the memories of sitting by the window, watching the rain, while the aroma of frying Ilish wafts through the house. It’s the stories shared around the dining table, the laughter, the love, and the sense of togetherness that make the experience complete.

For many Bengalis, the monsoon isn’t just a season—it’s a ritual, and at the heart of that ritual is Ilish Mach Bhaja. It’s comfort food in its truest sense, a dish that warms you from the inside out. The crispy, golden exterior of the fish contrasts beautifully with the soft, delicate flesh inside, creating a texture that’s as comforting as it is satisfying.

On those rainy afternoons, when the world outside is a blur of grey and green, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a plate of steaming hot rice, a piece of perfectly fried Ilish, and maybe a drizzle of ghee. Add a side of mashed potatoes or some mustard greens, and you’ve got yourself a meal that’s simple yet profoundly fulfilling.

The First Bite: A Symphony of Flavors

There’s something almost magical about the first bite of Ilish Mach Bhaja. The crisp exterior gives way to the tender, flaky flesh inside. The flavor is rich, with a slight bitterness from the mustard oil that perfectly complements the sweetness of the fish. And then there’s the subtle heat from the turmeric, which rounds out the dish beautifully.

Pair it with some hot, steaming rice and a drizzle of ghee, and you have a meal that’s nothing short of divine. It's the kind of food that makes you close your eyes and sigh with contentment.

For me, Ilish Mach Bhaja is more than just a dish. It's a connection to my roots, a bond with my past. Every time I make it, I’m transported back to those lazy Sunday afternoons, the sound of the rain outside, and the warmth of my family around the dining table. It’s a dish that tells a story—a story of tradition, of love, and of the simple joys of life.

So, if you ever get the chance to taste Ilish Mach Bhaja, take a moment to savor it—not just the flavors, but the history and the emotions that come with it. Trust me, it’s an experience you won’t forget.

The art of slowing down with Ilish

In a world that’s always rushing, the ritual of preparing and enjoying Ilish Mach Bhaja during the monsoon is a reminder to slow down. It’s about taking the time to appreciate the little things—the smell of rain, the taste of fresh fish, the company of loved ones. It’s about celebrating the moment, the season, and the traditions that make us who we are.

So the next time it rains, and you find yourself craving something special, think of Ilish Mach Bhaja. Whether you’re a seasoned Ilish lover or someone trying it for the first time, let the rain and the fish create a moment of joy and connection, just as they have for countless generations before. Because, after all, there’s nothing quite like the taste of Ilish on a rainy day.

1. Cut and wash the hilsa pieces, pat dry
2. Now marinate the fish with salt, turmeric powder and 1 tsp mustard oil for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan, when the oil is smoking carefully slide in the marinated fish pieces. Fry evenly till the edges turn slightly brown and crispy. Flip over the fish and repeat. 
4. Don't throw away the leftover oil in the pan, because that oil has a lot of flavor from the fish. You can pour it over steamed rice and have it along with the fish for the best flavors. 

Serve it with steamed rice, the leftover mustard oil from frying the hilsa fish, some fried green chilis, mash everything and enjoy. That's the most traditional way of enjoying a hilsa fish fry. You can also pair it with mashed potato and dal if you want.

30 October

The Durga Pujos are just over and today it is Laxmi Pujo in Bengal. Sharad Purnima is observed as Kojagari Lokkhi Pujo or Kojagari Lakshmi Puja in eastern states such as Bengal, Assam, Odisha, eastern Bihar. Yes in the eastern states instead of Diwali, Laxmi Puja is celebrated a few days after Durga Puja. I did my usual puja today for Lakshmiji, nothing special for Lakshmi puja. Its difficult to arrange everything on a working day when you do not have a helping hand as such. However on Diwali I will be doing it.

Finally the rains have bade farewell and it feels like the winters are knocking on the door. The mornings are cold. yesterday it said the temperature was around 16.7 degrees in Pune. I don't know how many of you feel it, but the smell in the air changes with the onset of the Diwali week. It is much crisp now and under the sun it feels good. Finally it feels like the festive season.

I have been again reading a lot these days. Finished two mystery novels in 3 weeks. Currently devouring the Pujobarshiki Anandamela. I have also got my hands on a few culinary books of late. Mostly from the suggestions of the bloggers I follow. Most of the interest pivots around cook books with recipes from the past. Most of the times now due to lack of time and resource we tend to concoct things which are easy to make and hassle-free. Due to this many a time we end up tweaking the original recipe. It is no more a word of mouth legacy that's passed on through the generation , it is more like word of google mixed with personal improvisation. I am guilty of the same many a times too. i cannot say that is a bad thing. Because unless we try something new, how will we know whether a thing works or not. At the same time it feels good to know how was the same recipe made in older days when folks didn't tamper with traditional recipes usually.

One such books I got is - "Thakur Barir Ranna" by Purnima Thakur. Purnima Devi also known as Sudakshina Devi, was the youngest child of noted Brahmo Hemendranath Tagore, and niece of Rabindranath Tagore, thus part of the larger Tagore family.  The preface of the book talks about Indira Debi Choudhurani's ( Naw Ma) collection of recipes. She was the daughter of Rabindranath tagore's brother. Indira Debi herself didn't cook but was a food enthusiast and had a knack to collect recipes from around the world in her recipe book. That is the reason at times this book doesn't talk about the exact measurements of the ingredients. But still it is a Pandora's box of recipes from the bygone era. The most fascinating thing about this book I felt was that it has many recipes across Indian cuisines - like Puran Poli, Mysore pak etc in the recipe list. I never had an idea that during those days as well the ladies in home had exposure to such a  varied range of cuisines. But then the Thakur bari was known to have been much ahead of their times in everything. Also one more thing I noticed in particular was the usage of coconut in the recipes.  Usual Bengali recipes do not incorporate coconuts so frequently, but Thakur baris cuisine has them in most of the recipes. Which makes me think, it was probably influenced by many cultures to which the household was exposed to in those days. Later on Indira debi had gifted her recipe book to Purnima Thakur and she wrote this book to mainly preserve all those legacy recipes. Purnima Debi's mother Nalini Debi was also a great cook. Thus this book also has some of Nalini Debi's recipes and Purnima Debi's recipes as well. It feels kind of a time wrap when you read the book. I have bookmarked many of the recipes which sounded quite intriguing to me. One of those recipes is Mach diye shukto or shukto made with fish. This is one of the lost recipes of Bengal. Never had I heard before that Shukto (bitter medley of vegetables), can also be made with fish. I rechecked the recipe to see if I was reading right. Indeed I was. She had used Katla Fish to make the recipe. The recipe got me thinking, can I make it with just any fish?

If you have any Bengali friends you would know how crazy the Bengalis are about Ilish or Hilsa. Its different that they are anyway crazy about fish, but the craze for Hilsa tops everything. Monsoon delicacy means Ilish. They may sound illegally expensive to others but the Bengali is ready to shell out anything for a good Ilish on their plate. This year due to the covid situation it was impossible to go to supermarket in search of Hilsa. Usually I would get it from the nearby Big Bazar. It almost seemed like this would be a Ilishless year for me when it was already past September. But miraculously I found a fish vendor in facebook [thus you see social media is not always that bad] who delivered in my area and best thing - he had Ilish in stock! It was like a God gifted opportunity! I didnt waste time in ordering my stock of Hilsa. The prices were definitely much more than what we get in Kolkata but then a good Hilsa is worth the price you pay. As scheduled it was delivered by the owner himself. What I best liked was the packaging and the cuts. It was perfect Bengali ring pieces. He also made sure that he packed the fish head and oil in separate bags so that it was easy to use. And best thing yet, the fish tasted lovely and fresh. And I was raring to go ahead and make it into a lovely fish curry.

Now, the problem is whenever we Bengalis think of Ilish only a handful of recipes come to our mind - patui, jhal, bhapa and sorshebata mainly. I wanted to try something different for once. And then I remembered Purnima Debi's recipe of Mach diye shukto. That's it, I had the best fish at hand to try out the recipe because you can never go wrong with Ilish.

Note: This recipe can also be tried with other fishes like the Katla. 

Ingredients:

• Ilish / Hilsa - 6 - 7 pieces (ring cut)
• Bitter Gourd (Karela) - 1 big (cut into thick matchsticks/ batonnet cut)
• Potato (Aloo) - 2 medium (wedges)
• Pointed Gourd (Parwal) - 4 (wedges)
• Brinjal (Begun)- 2 medium (wedges)
• Red Pumpkin (Kumro) - 200 gm (cubed)
• Broad Beans (Shim) - 10 small (remove the tip and the tail)
• Raw Papaya (Pepe) - 200 gm (cubed)
• Raw Banana (Kacha Kola) - 1 (cubed) 
• Mustard Whole (Sorshe) - 1 tsbp (coarsely ground) + 1 tbsp (paste)
• Poppy Seeds (Poshto) - 3 tbsp (paste)
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Dried Red Chilli - 4
• Ginger - 2 inch grated
• Five Spices (5 Phoran) - 1 tsp
• Mustard Oil
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1 cup
• Salt and Sugar as per taste

Procedure: 

1.  Wash all the vegetables and cut it as mentioned above.

2. Fry all the vegetables and keep aside. All the vegetables must be cooked till 3/4th done. The order I follow is hard veggies first - potato, parwal, banana, papaya. Followed by the softer ones - pumpkin, broad beans etc. Followed by karela and brinjals fried standalone. 

Tip: Frying them in batches is time consuming but it really helps in controlling the color and texture of the vegetables with different textures.

Fry The Karela

Fry The Brinjals

Fry the hard Vegetables - Potato, papaya, Parwal , Banana

Add the fried Karela and the Pumpkin

3. Clean and wash the Ilish pieces. Marinate it with salt and turmeric for about 30 minutes. Now fry them in mustard oil and keep aside. I usually shallow fry them.

Tip: Always prefer the ring cut portions of Hilsa for this.

4. Make a fine paste of poppy seeds and 1 tbsp mustard seeds with water.  

Tip: Soak the poppy seeds and mustard seeds in water for about 1 hour. The more the better it will soak up water and easy to make into a paste.

5. Grind 1 tbsp of mustard seeds with a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Keep it aside

6. Take mustard oil in a deep bottomed wok and when oil is smoking temper it with bay leaves, dry red chilli, panch foron and ground mustard seeds. Give it a good toss to fry everything. Make sure not to burn the spices.

Note : Pach foron is a mixture of five spices. Typically it consists of Methi dana (fenugreek seeds), Kalonji (nigella seeds), radhuni (celery seeds), sauf (fennel seeds) and jeera (cumin). Radhuni is many a times substituted with mustard seeds. It is a very versatile spice mix and in Bengal it is extensively used to add flavour to different Dals and Vegetarian preparations.

7. When the spices are fragrant toss in the fried vegetables apart from karela into the wok and fold in. Adjust the salt and sugar at this stage. 

Tip: Try not to cover and cook, then the color of the vegetables with remain as it is. Which in turn means you have to take care the vegetables do not burn, because water will evaporate fast when cooked uncovered.

Note: Turmeric is not added to shukto, that is one of the ground rule of this preparation. The preparation will have all the natural flavours of the vegetables in tact as turmeric is not added. PS: the picture looks yellowish though because of the mustard seed paste.

8. Add the grated ginger at this stage. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

9. Add the poppy seeds + mustard seeds paste now. Fold in. Let it cook for about 5 minutes on medium flame.

10. Add the fried karela and give it a good toss to mix everything. 

Note: karela is the last thing to be added before fish

11. Add the milk and water and stir in. The flame should be medium

Pro tip: I usually warm the milk for about 50 seconds in the microwave before adding to the the shukto.

12. When the shukto is almost done, lay the fish pieces carefully on top and put a cover. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it sit covered. This will ensure the flavour of the fish gets incorporated into the shukto.

Note: Handle the fish with care and do not shove it inside the gravy, else it may break and the fish bones can get mixed with the gravy.

Serve it with steamed rice. Usually Shukto is had directly with rice without any other accompaniment like dal. So that each flavour of the seasonal vegetables can be relished fully.