Macher Jhol Piyaj, Aloo, Tomato, Dhonepata | Bengali Katla Fish Curry with Onion, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Coriander Leaves
Bengali Macher Jhol Piyaj, Aloo, Tomato, Dhonepata diye- for those who love the flavors of Bengal, here's a simple macher jhol recipe.
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Servings: 6 people
Calories: 287kcal
Cost: Rs 250
Ingredients
- 6 pieces Katla Mach / Katla Fish
- 2 Onions
- 4 Potatoes
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1 bunch of Coriander Leaves
- 3 Green Chilies
- 6 tablespoon Mustard Oil
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
Whole Spices
- 3 dry red chili
- 1 teaspoon panch phoron / Bengali five spices
Instructions
Prep Work
- First, cut potatoes into wedges, leaving the peels on if you like.
- Give the potato wedges a good wash, then drain the water. Now, toss the wedges with all the spices listed.
- Next, peel and slice the onion. If needed, wash it beforehand.
- Chop the tomatoes as well. I used three small ones, but if yours are large, use fewer.
- Slice three green chilies
- Roughly chop the cilantro or coriander leaves.
- For the fish, use any large, bony fish you enjoy. I chose Katla fish.
- Coat the fish pieces with ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder, ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder and 1 tablespoon Mustard Oil.
- Let the fish marinate for 10 minutes. This helps prevent sticking during cooking.
Cooking the fish curry
- Heat 5 tablespoons of mustard oil in a heavy pan until it changes color.
- Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt and turmeric powder to the oil and stir.
- Fry the fish pieces one at a time, making sure the skin gets nice and crispy. Each piece should take about a minute. You can fry two or three pieces together if you prefer.
- Finally, in the remaining oil, add three dried red chilies, along with 1 teaspoon of Panch Phoron (Bengali Five Spices). Cook this for about a minute.
- First, add the potato wedges and fry for about a minute.
- Next, toss in the chopped onion and lightly fry over medium heat for roughly three minutes.
- Now, add the chopped tomatoes, stir everything well, and cook for another minute.
- Throw in the green chili slices, using more or less depending on your spice preference, and cook for one minute.
- Stir in the chopped coriander leaves.
- Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder, then mix well. Reduce the heat to low and cook for three more minutes.
- Now, pour in two cups of water, using the bowl that held the fish to capture any leftover spices.
- Taste and add more salt if needed; I added about ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cover the pan and let it cook on low heat for five minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
- Gently add the fried fish and stir carefully.
- Finally, cook over high heat for three minutes, allowing the curry to bubble and the oil to rise to the top.
Serving suggestion
- This easy Bengali fish curry, made with potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and coriander leaves, is done. This fish curry usually has a thin sauce. But you can make the gravy thicker if you want.
- Serve this Bengali fish curry with onion, potatoes, and coriander leaves with hot rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For this recipe, I've used Katla fish, but feel free to substitute with any large carp you prefer, like Rui, Rohu, Mirgel, or Kalbose. Even salmon works beautifully.
- While traditional macher jhol uses bone-in fish pieces, you can easily use boneless if you prefer.
- Most Bengali fish curry recipes call for mustard oil, but if you don't have any or don't care for the flavor, any other oil will do.
- Traditionally, the fish pieces are deep-fried before being added to the curry. However, for a lighter version, you can air-fry them instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 228g | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 918mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 846IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
