Description
Chitol Macher Muitha is a traditional Bengali fishball curry cooked with choto mach and selected spices. Potato in the gravy is optional.
Ingredients
Scale
To make Muitha
- 1kg Chitol Macher Gada (entire big chunk with bone; not small pieces)
- 2 Boiled Potato (small) or 1 (big)
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 3 Green Chilies (chopped)
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 2 Tsp. Salt (half will be used while boiling the fish)
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Bengali Garam Masala
- Mustard Oil for deep frying
To make the Chitol Macher Muitha Gravy
- 2 Onion
- 4 Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 3 Green Chilies
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 1 Tsp. Coriander Powder
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Bengali Garam Masala
- 1/2 Tsp. Hing (Asafoetida)
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 3 Dry Red Chillies
- 1/2 Tsp. whole Cumin
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3 cups fish stock (to be reserved after boiling muitha)
- 2 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee
Instructions
To separate fish mince from Chitol Macher Gada
- Take the big chunk of Macher Gada and remove the scale and skin.
- Now take a spoon and scoop out fish mince. Start this from the center to the outer side of the bone.
- Once completely removed from one side; remove the fish from the other side as well.
- You will get around 750g of Fish mince from a piece of around 1kg.
To make Muitha aka Chitol Fishball
- Take 2 liters of water in a vessel and bring it to a boil after adding ½ tsp. Each of turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- Take the fish mince on a plate.
- Lightly mash it using your finger.
- Now add boiled potatoes, chopped onion and also green chili, and half of the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- Also, add juice extracted from ginger and garlic paste.
- Add Sugar, Cumin Powder, and Garam Masala Powder as well.
- Now mash and make the dough.
- While mashing try to incorporate the onion at the end to avoid moisture.
- Once done, using your palm make Muitha.
- Each muitha should be the size of your fist; you should hold it within.
- Add half of the muithas to the boiling water in one go.
- Keep the flame high and boil the fishballs for 2-3 minutes.
- You will see the muitha floating on the top of the water after 2-3 minutes.
- Immediately, strain those from the water.
- Following the same method boil the remaining muithas.
- Do not over boil the Muithas; that will result in rubbery and chewy Chitoler Muitha.
- Once done, receive the stock for cooking the curry.
- Heat Mustard Oil in a pan and fry the muithas till those turn golden brown.
- Strain from the oil.
- I use 2 Tbsp. Mustard Oil that has been used for frying to make the curry for added flavor.
- Check below for frying the potatoes.*
To make Chitol Macher Muitha
- In a bowl take Garlic Paste, Ginger Paste, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, and also sugar.
- Add half of the salt and Garam Masala as well.
- Mix those to make a thick paste.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 8 pieces (or 4 pieces) each.
- *I use the oil (mentioned in the previous step) for frying the fry the potatoes as well.
- Fry the potatoes for 2 minutes.
- After frying the potatoes, the pan should have 2 Tbsp. Oil.
- You do not need to remove the potatoes.
- Temper the Oil with Hing, Bay Leaves, Dry Red Chillies, whole Cumin, Green Cardamom, and also Cinnamon Stick.
- Now add chopped onion and start frying the onion along with the potatoes.
- Once done (potato golden brown and onion pink); add chopped tomatoes and the already prepared thick curry paste.
- Mix properly and cook on low flame for 5 minutes or till the tomatoes soften completely.
- You need to stir continuously.
- Once done, add the fish stock and mix well.
- Now bring it to a boil and check the spices and adjust if needed.
- Once the potatoes are well cooked and soft and the gravy thickens a bit add fried fishballs.
- On a low flame cook for 2 minutes and add Ghee and Garam Masala before switching off the flame.
- Serve Chitol Macher Muitha hot with steamed rice.
- Prep Time: 30min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 150g
- Calories: 694
- Sugar: 5.5g
- Sodium: 2043mg
- Fat: 25.7g
- Saturated Fat: 5.4g
- Carbohydrates: 41.3g
- Fiber: 6.5g
- Protein: 73.1g
- Cholesterol: 126mg
Keywords: Chitol Macher muitha