Tilapia Mach Shorshe Bata Diye Jhal.. / Telapia Fish cooked in Mustard Gravy......

Tilapia Mach Shorshe Bata Diye Jhal.. / Telapia Fish cooked in Mustard Gravy...... 

I have a small pond next to my house, where the villagers come and fish sometimes. It's a bliss to have that pond as so many small birds comes and catches their feed. You can see the fishes playing in water. I can just spend some hours sitting in the balcony, just seeing the movements of the water. The sound of the birds that come to fish takes you to a different world, way from the urban life. Life away from the city is indeed a bliss. Some times the villagers sell their catch for the day. Fresh catch taste so different from the market fish, the fish just melts in your mouth, the taste is simply divine. The other day my husband got some tilapias from the villagers. I was thrilled as I love cleaning them. As he got the fish home, the high command order too followed... "Today please make Shorshe Bata Mach".... I said ok, but will keep some fish back for the fish roast.. We both agreed upon and here is the recipe for Sorshe Bata... 

Here I have used Sunrise Mustard for the paste. This is a rich gravy and hence any dish with mustard paste is called Jhal. You can make it just with mustard paste, but  I have added ginger, garlic, coconut, chillies and curd to enhance the taste.. Little poppy seeds too can be added. It can be had with hot steaming rice. 

For the Mustard Paste..

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Sunrise Mustard powder

1 big Garlic clove

1 small piece of Ginger 

4 to 5 Green Chillies as required 

3 tbsp Curd

2 tbsp fresh Coconut grated or Desiccated Coconut

Salt to taste 

Method

Add all the above ingredients in the grinder and blend it well. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. 

For the Macher Jhal.. 

2 Telapia Fish cleaned and cut into 2 pieces or can be kept whole

2 to 3 Green Chillies slit lengthwise 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Mustard paste 

1 Tomato cut into 4 pieces lengthwise 

1/4 tsp Kalonji /Nigella seeds 

1/2 tsp Turmeric paste

Salt to taste 

1/4 cup Mustard oil for fry the fish 

1/2 tsp Raw Mustard oil for garnishing 

Method

Take the fish and apply 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder and salt. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. Take oil in a wok, heat it up till smoking point. Reduce the heat, add the fish and fry till brown on both the sides. Remove the excess oil and leave 3 tbsp oil back in the wok, add kalonji and green chillies in the oil, let it crackle. Add the tomato and sauté it for a minute. Add the mustard paste and the remaining turmeric powder, stir it and cook it for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add 1 cup of water. Stir and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and mustard oil. Serve it with hot steaming Rice...