Sobji Die Macher Jhol / Bengali thin Fish Curry with Vegetables

In my opinion there are various types of comfort food. I am strongly against the fact that one dish can be someone's comfort food i every situation. For me musrir dal and alu sedho (red lentils and mashed potato) is the comfort food for a normal day, I will fo with a messy khichri for the rainy days and biriyani for a self indulgent day. Does comfort food has to easy and quick????I don't think so....Then again....each season has their own comfort food. You can not enjoy ghee bhat on a hot summer day as you can enjot them on a sunny winter morning. Soups are always meant for winter and chilled drinks and sukto is meant for summer. Some times I wonder how our eating habits change with the time and season!!!

Today I am sharing such a comfort food which can change its alter with the availability of seasonal vegetables. This fish curry is very much affected by the vegetables you add into it. In winter add cauliflower and carrots and in summer add pointed gourd(potol), broad beans (sim)...anything that you can find in the market. Its very adaptable.

My mother used to make this curry in summer because it is very easy to make and also it was a very good way to feed vegetables to us....who were never seen in their vicinity. As a kid I used to mash up all the vegetable with rice, and gobbled up everything quickly leaving the fish to eat in the end. :(
I found frozen cauliflower last week in the frozen section of Cash Centre and also found pumpkin...so I have added aubergine, pumpkin, cauliflower and potato in this curry. This gave this curry a very beautiful flavor and a simple taste. I have added Kashmiri red chili powder to give its red color but if you don't have that its perfectly okay. The color will be a little different in that case without changing its taste.

Sobji Die Macher Jhol / Bengali Thin Fish Curry with Vegetables
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of fish - Rohu preferably
• 1 potato
• a few pumpkin cubes - I couldn't measure its amount, just make sure the amount of the pumpkin should be a little less than the potato. Just don't crowd the curry with vegetables
• a small cauliflower - cut into medium florets
• 1 small aubergine - cut into small lengthwise pieces
• 1 tsp panchforon (mixture of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, fenel seeds and fenugreek seeds - the amount of fenugreek seeds should be very less, or otherwise it can make the curry bitter.)
• 1tbsp + 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt
• a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 of a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• oil to fry the fish (preferably mustard oil)
• 2 tbsp oil to cook the curry (preferably mustard oil)

Method:

• Marinate the fishes with some salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• In the mean time prepare the vegetables. 
• Cut the potato in half in length. Then half those pieces in lengthwise too. You will have now four long pieces of potato now. You can cut them again lengthwise.
• Mix some salt and turmeric to potatoes and cauliflower florets.
• Heat oil to fry. First fry the elongated potatoes. Put them out of the kadai when it starts to become golden.
• Next fry the cauliflower florets and get them out of the kadai when they become a little golden in color.
• Finally fry the fishes until they become golden from both the sides. Take them out of the kadai and keep aside.
• Next put the flame on low and temper the oil with panchforon. As they start to sizzle and splutter add in the cubed pumpkin pieces.
• Sauté for 2 minutes and add in the aubergine. Sauté for 2 minutes more.
• Next add the fried potatoes and cauliflower florets.
• Add 2 cups of water, 2 silted green chilies and right away put the spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
• Add in salt and a pinch of sugar.
• Put cover and let it cook. Cook until the potatoes become tender. Check by breaking a piece of potato.
• If the potatoes are cooked add the fishes now. The other vegetables will be cooked in between this time. Again put cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes more.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Add the chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame.
• Serve with steamed hot rice and a piece of lime.