Nona Ilish Bhorta is a flavorful Bangladeshi dish. It's a fish mash made with Nona Ilish, which is dried Hilsa fish preserved in salt.
My recent trip to Tripura led me to a unique discovery: Nona Ilish, a preserved version of the famous Hilsa fish! You might be wondering why I'm focusing on preserved fish instead of fresh. Well, Nona Ilish is a delightful preparation with a character all its own.
While this post includes a recipe for Nona Ilish Bhorta, I also want to share some interesting facts about this special ingredient.
Nona Ilish and the history of preservation
Hilsa is not only a prized fish but also the national fish of Bangladesh. In fact, it contributes significantly to Bangladesh's economy, accounting for 1.15% of its GDP. Over 400,000 people in Bangladesh depend on Hilsa for their living. Impressively, Bangladesh produces more than 65% of the world's Hilsa each year. (source Wikipedia).
Nona Ilish is essentially Hilsa that has been dried and preserved with salt. This salted, dried Hilsa is a much-loved delicacy in Bangladesh and is also very popular in the North-Eastern states of India, particularly in Tripura.
One way to preserve fish, especially Hilsa when it's plentiful, is by making a type of dry fish called Sutki Maach.
This age-old method of storing Hilsa, also known as Ilish Mach, involves packing the fish in large amounts of salt inside earthen pots. Bangladesh, famous for its abundant Ilish, developed this natural preservation technique long ago. I've heard stories of people storing multiple pots of Hilsa during the monsoon season to enjoy throughout the year.
Interestingly, this method wasn't common in West Bengal, either before or after India's independence. Hilsa wasn't as readily available there, so preservation wasn't a priority. However, when people migrated from Bangladesh to India, particularly to Tripura, a neighboring state, they began preserving the fish. This is likely why you can find Nona Ilish in Tripura today.
The dishes prepared with Nona Ilish
Nona Ilish Bhorta, made with dried Hilsa fish, is a much-loved dish. This fish bhorta, specifically the Nona Ilish version, is essentially fish paste cooked with flavorful spices. Other popular ways to enjoy Nona Ilish include bhuna and curry, often prepared with potatoes or eggplant.
My take on Nona Ilish and The First Dish I cooked with it!
I picked up three Nona Ilish during the business trip to Tripura I have mentioned above. Although I had little time for sightseeing, I asked my colleagues to help me find some. Carrying those three fish throughout my trip was quite the adventure! My journey took me from Tripura to Assam and Meghalaya, all with the Hilsa in tow. Thankfully, airport security didn't ask about my unusual cargo!
Finally, back in Kolkata, I decided to cook one of them last Sunday. Nona Ilish Bhorta was the first dish I made. It was my first attempt at cooking it myself, even though I'd tasted Nona Ilish Bhorta and Nona Ilish Bhuna before.
Nona Ilish FAQ
Soak the fish chunks in water for around 30 minutes! Nona Ilish is preserved with salt and hence the extra salt must be discarded before cooking!
This type of fish (dry fish) calls for a good chunk of Onion and garlic to cover the raw smell.
It is better to use Mustard Oil as a cooking agent. The pungent smell of Mustard oil goes perfectly with dry fish. Do try to use extra oil! Well, You must not think about calories while having Nona Ilish.
Recipe Card
Nona Ilish Bhorta Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pieces Nona Ilish / Dried Hilsa Fish around 500g
- 5 Onion
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
- 2 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon Chopped Garlic optional
- 6 Green Chili
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice optional
Instructions
- If using a whole fish, cut it into medium-sized pieces.
- Soak* the Nona Ilish pieces in a bowl full of water for around 30 minutes.
- Remove the fish scales.
- Wash the fish again in fresh water.
- Chop the Onion roughly.
- Heat the Mustard oil in a pan.
- Fry the onions till they turn brown.
- Add Ginger and Garlic paste and cook till oil comes out from the mixture.
- Now add chopped Garlic and chopped Green chili, followed by Coriander powder, Turmeric Powder, and Red Chili powder.
- Add three Cups of water and wait till the mixture starts boiling.
- Now add fish chunks and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook on a low flame till the liquid evaporates and the fish turns mushy.
- Adjust the salt and cook till the oil comes out of the mixture.
- Finish the dish with 1 teaspoon of Mustard Oil.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice before serving the Nona Ilish Bhorta.
Notes
- You must soak the fish in water for around 30 minutes. Nona Ilish is preserved with salt, and hence soaking is the option to discard excess Salt.
- Check the salt level before adding salt while cooking.
Nutrition
Ilish Maach recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar apart from Nona Ilish Bhorta or Nona Ilish Bhuna:
- Mawa Ghater Ilish Macher Lejar Bhorta
- Ilish Macher Korma
- Bori Begun Diye Ilish Macher Jhol
- Ilish Pulao
- Ilish Macher Shorshe bata diye Jhal
- Bhapa Ilish
- Doi Ilish
Related Bhorta Recipes
Have you tried the Nona Ilish Bhuna Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Do let me know how it came out. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. On Instagram, you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar or can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
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About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
Srabani Bose says
excellent!!