Pabda Machher Jhal

Ingredients:

Pabda Machh – 4-6 medium size or 2-3 big (cutting into halves)

Whole mustard – 2 tablespoons

Green chilies – 4

Capsicum – ¼

Tomato – 4 pieces of 1 inch square

Curry leaves – 4

Nigella seed (kalonji / onion seed) – ¼ teaspoon

Mustard oil – 4 table spoons

Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Method:

Soak whole mustard into half cup water (adding little salt) for 15 minutes. Then add 1 green chili and make paste.

Rub salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder to the fish and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Cut capsicum length-wise into ¼ inch wide pieces.

Heat 3.5 tablespoons of mustard oil and fry fishes (both sides) until they are golden brown. Drain excess oil and keep aside.

Then add Nigella seeds and curry leaves to the oil. Now add capsicum and tomato and fry for a while (until skin of capsicum and tomato changes texture).

Now add mustard paste (if you wish you can strain it), salt and remaining turmeric powder. If you wish add very little water now.

When the gravy starts boiling add fried fish and remaining 3 silted green chilies to it and cook covering it for 10 minutes (turning the fishes very carefully once after 5 minutes).

Remove from the heat and add remaining 0.5 tablespoon mustard oil to it and cover. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with plain white rice.