Macher Matha Diye Lau Ghonto / Bengali Bottle Gourd Curry with Fish Head

Lau Dal is what I remember most from my childhood, whenever I think of lau or bottle gourd. Solid big transparent chunks of bottle gourd floating on top of the moong dal are simplicity with health at its best. But if you are a tad bid bored of adding bottle gourds to your lentils and then you have had enough of lau-chingri...then it’s time that you must taste Macher Matha Diye Lau Ghonto.

Why throw away the fish heads...if you can make a delicious meal with them?? I have seen lots of people throwing away the tail part of the fish which we call “lyaja” and the head which we call “muro”. But seriously...I hate throwing away foods in any form...so I make curries with the tail parts and ghonto or chorchori with the head parts.

While cooking bottle gourd with fish heads...don’t be a miser with the oil. Be generous because that extra capful of mustard oil is what’s going to multiply the taste. So just sit back and enjoy. With this recipe...it’s one fine tongue tickling experience.

Macher Matha Diye Lau Ghonto / Bengali Bottle Gourd Curry with Fish Head

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 big bottle gourd

1 large fish head

½ inch ginger – paste

2 green chillies – slit

½ tsp panch foron / Bengali five spices

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp whole cumin seeds paste (make a paste of the whole cumin seeds with a little water)

1 medium bay leaf

½ tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp pure virgin mustard oil

Salt

Method:

Sprinkle some turmeric powder and salt on the fish heads and rub well. Keep aside for 10-12 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish heads until they become nicely golden. Take them out of the pan and keep in a separate bowl.

Peel the bottle gourd and grate it. You can also chop them finely into very small pieces.

Put all the grated bottle gourd in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and some salt. Pressure cook until the cooker blows 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and let the pressure vent naturally. Then open the lid and drain the water keeping ½ a cup of that water separately.

Temper the remaining oil with the panch foron / Bengali five spices, slit green chillies and bay leaves.

Sauté for half a minute and add the ginger and cumin seeds paste.

Saute for just some seconds and then add the boiled bottle gourd to them.

Add the turmeric powder and salt and mix well.

Cook for a minute.

Add the kept aside bottle gourd water and cook until the curry starts to become thick.

Add the fried and kept aside fish heads to the curry.

Stir to mix everything properly and with the back of the spoon press a little to break the fish heads.

Simmer on medium flame until you see the oil separating at the edges.

Add the sugar.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with some crushed bori / Bengali Sundried Dumplings and steamed hot rice.