Aloo Fulkopi Die Macher Jhol / Bengali Fish Curry with Potato and Cauliflower

Some foods have their hidden talent. With them comes a trail of long stories and events to be reminded of whenever we see them or hear about them. Unfortunately, today’s recipe has no such thing behind its back...except the fact that whenever cauliflower is available this simple fish curry gets herself cooked up in almost all the Bengali kitchens.

And it’s not that particular Bengali fish curry that every other people talks about.  I hate this idea. What is this Bengali fish curry?? Is it the simple cumin flavoured curry or the nigella seeds flavoured tomato curry or rosha or kalia or malaikari??? Which one they really want to specify in this case?? I am tired of explaining this simple fact to everyone who asks me this question. This year Emirates served us god knows what fish curry as the Bengali fish curry.  Booyahhh!!!

Cut the potato and cauliflower.

Sprinke turmeric powder and potatoes over them and mix well.

Marinate the fishes with turmeric powder and salt. Then fry them until golden.

Temper the remaining oil with oanch foron, hing and then add the spices and water.

Add the fried vegetables to them after the water comes to a boil.

Add the fried fishes and simmer until the potatoes and cauliflowers are almost cooked. Then add the green peas and cook till done.

Finish off with slitted green chillies and chopped coriander leaves.

Well...let’s come to my story. This fish curry is rather simple and has neither onions nor tomatoes. Just simple spices are used to make this jhol / thin curry. Potatoes and cauliflower give this curry its essential flavours and the fishes are the cherry on the top, which makes a simple vegetable curry into a light yet yummilicious fish curry.

Alu Phulkopi die Macher Jhol / Bengali Fish Curry with Potatoes and Cauliflower

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pieces of fish

1 medium potato – cut into thick wedges

1 small cauliflower – cut into medium florets

1 tsp panch foron / Bengali five spices

A pinch of hing / asafoetida

2-3 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

A handful of green peas

A little chopped fresh coriander leaves

Sugar

1 tsp sugar

½ cup mustard oil to fry the fishes

Method:

Rub 1 tsp turmeric powder and some salt on the pieces of fish and let the marinade for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a kadai and fry the fishes one by one, until they turn golden. We don’t not need the fishes to turn crispy and brown since they are to added to the curry, so further cooking will ensure that the fishes are properly cooked.

Once the fishes are fried transfer them to a bowl and keep aside.

Sprinkle 1 tsp turmeric powder and some salt over the cut potatoes and cauliflower florets. Mix in with hand so that each and every piece of them are well coated with them.

And then in the same oil shallow fry the potatoes and cauliflower in small batches until they turn a little golden.

Once done take them out of the pan / kadai and put in a bowl.

Temper the remaining oil with the panch foron / Bengali five spices and hing / asafoetida and let them splutter.

Into that oil add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Add 2 tbsp of water to prevent the spices from burning and keep stirring until the water tends to dry.

When you will see the oil separating at the edges of the kadai, pour in 2 and ½ cups of water.

Add salt, sugar and let it come to a boil.

Then add the potatoes, cauliflower and the fishes.

The potatoes and cauliflowers are already fried so they will not take too much time to cook.

When the vegetables are almost done add the green peas to the curry and put cover.

Simmer on medium flame until the potatoes, peas and cauliflowers are soft from inside.

Taste and adjust the seasonings and put off the flame.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and slitted chillies over them and serve hot with rice.