Bengali Dry Cabbage Curry With Fish Head / Macher Matha Die Bandhakopir Torkari

We Bengalis love our fish. And every bit of it. Fish heads have a unique place in Bengali Cuisine. They make labra, chochchori, jhal and much more. Fish heads are also main ingredients in making rosa and muri ghonto. Well there are other dishes too where we the fish head as an addition just to bring an extra taste.
This Cabbage with Fish head is unique in its taste and is an important item in the winter when cabbage is available.

Finely cooked cabbage with subtle spices and little pieces of fish and also little pieces of fish heads makes it wonderful. But I get cabbage here in Abidjan anytime. And often I make this Cabbage with Fish Head / Macher Matha Die Badha Kopir Tarkari. It goes so well with daal and plain rice or just even with plain rice. I do not leave a single grain on my plate when I make this. Lol!!

Cooking Badha Kopir Tarkari is very easy and it needs as little spices as you can imagine, but still it imparts a lovely aroma all over the house and a rich taste. When cooking Badha Kopir tarkari with Fish Head / Cabbage with Fish Head you must give an importance in choosing a big fish head i.e. a big fish's head, beacuse it will be rich in its fat and big fishes are more tasty than the smaller ones. The richer the fish head will be the tastier will your badha kopir tarkari will turn out.

So come lets cook Cabbage With Fish Head / Macher Matha Die Badha Kopir Tarkari. Here is a step by step guide towards making badha kopir tarkari with fish head.

• Arrange your ingredients. Slice your onion and chop the tomato and potato and peel off your garlic and ginger and make a paste.

• Shred your cabbage and boil them for 10-15 minutes with salt.
• Marinate the fish heads with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Mix the cubed potatoes with salt and turmeric powder too.

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish heads until both of the sides of the fish heads have turned golden-brown. Make sure they are properly cooked.

• Now in the remaining oil fry the potatoes until they are a little brown from both the sides.

• Add a little more oil in the remaining pan and put the cumin seeds. You can add bay leaf too.

• Add the sliced onion and sauté until its translucent.

• Now add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until the rawness of the flavor is gone, they are cooked and the onion have become golden - brown.

• Add the tomatoes now and cook until its cooked and mashed. Its very important because if its not cooked properly the raw taste will some how alter the taste of the dish.

• Add the fried potatoes now. Sprinkle salt now. It will quicken the cooking as well.

• Now add your boiled cabbage. Mix evenly with the tomatoes and onion.

• Now add your green peas.

• When they are mixed with everything add the fish heads and mash them. After mashing removing the strong parts of the fish heads which will be hard to eat.

• Do not add water because the cabbage itself will release water  in the process of cooking.
• Cover and let it cook for 12-15minutes until the cabbage and potatoes are properly cooked.
• If they start sticking to the bottom add a little water and stir in between.
• After 15 minutes add the garam masala powder and mix well with everything.

• Now simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until the waters are fully evaporated.

Cabbage With Fish Head / Macher Matha Die Badha Kopir Tarkari

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a big cabbage / 1 medium cabbage - shredded
• 2 medium fish head /1 large fish head
• 1 potato - cubed
• 1 tomato - chopped
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 3 garlics - paste
• 2 inch ginger - paste
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• Any unflavored oil - quantity is up to you. 

Method:

• Shred the cabbage and boil with water and salt for 12-15 minutes.
• Then drain the water and keep aside.
• Marinate the fish heads and cubed potatoes with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish heads and potatoes separately, so that they become properly cooked and both the sides become golden and keep them aside.
• Add some more oil in the pan and put the cumin seeds and bay leaves. When the start to sizzle put the sliced onions.
• When they start being translucent add the ginger - garlic paste. Sauté now until their rawness of flavor is gone and the onions become soft and golden brown. Do not make them black.
• Now add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft and cooked and mashed. Now add the fried potatoes.
• Add the boiled cabbage and mix everything properly. 
• Now add the green peas and mix again.
• Now put the fish heads and mash them and remove the hard bones and hard parts of the fish heads. Mix them fish pieces with everything and cover and cook.
• Stir occasionally and if they start sticking to the bottom a little water. Simmer in this way for approx. 15 minutes or until the cabbage and potatoes are properly cooked.
• After 15 minutes add the garam masala powder and mix the powder evenly with everything.
• Simmer now for just 4-5 minutes and put the flame off.