Parshe Mach or Mullet Fish is a soft and flavourful freshwater fish. The very recipe, Parshe Macher Tel Jhaal, is a Bengali delight. Parshe mach can be cooked in various ways and this tel jhaal (spicy) curry is among the most famous dishes. This is a traditional Bengali dish which is spicy, vibrant in colour and rich in taste. With minimal effort and just a few ingredients you can prepare this curry and serve to your guests – I am sure they will relish it to the fullest 🙂
For me, fish is a mood booster. I love fish and that is an understatement and Parshe is one of my favourites. As we don’t get very good parshe mach easily in local shops, so when I got some online, I knew I had to prepare the tel jhaal curry – I was craving for that. Parshe is a very delicate fish and thus need special care while frying and cooking – we don’t want the fish to break. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 6 mullet fish (parshe mach), cut and cleaned properly.
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 4 green chillies, slitted
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1/2 tea-spoon nigella seeds (kalo jeera/kalonji)
- 1 table-spoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 and 1/2 tea-spoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 tea-spoon cumin powder (jeera)
- 1/2 tea-spoon red chilli powder (or as per your tolerance)
- 1/2 tea-spoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tea-spoon sugar
- 4-5 table-spoon mustard oil
- salt (according to taste)
- a handful of chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Method:
- Rub the fishes with turmeric powder and little salt.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the fishes one by one till they are light brown in colour and the skin gets wrinkled. Remove from the oil and keep the fishes aside.
- Heat oil again and add nigella seeds and dried red chillies. Stir for few seconds and add the green chillies and stir until they splutter.
- Now, add the chopped tomato, 1/2 tea-spoon turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt and stir until the tomato becomes mushy and the spices gets fried on low to medium flame.
- Add 2-3 cups of water and give a quick mix. Cover the lid and bring it to boil.
- Now, slowly and carefully add the fried fishes, lower the flame and cover the lid. Cook for around 15 minutes or till the fishes are well cooked. Don’t overcook as the fishes are delicate and prone to break.
- Also, check the consistency of the gravy, there should be enough gravy in the curry.
- Once the fishes are well cooked, sprinkle sugar and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Turn off the flame and remove to a serving bowl. Your Parshe Macher Tel Jhaal is ready to be served now.
- If you want you can garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Some people like it. Though, I don’t prefer to add coriander leaves as this kills the aroma of the fish. Parshe has is own aroma and that is amazing 🙂
Serve this dish hot with hot steamed rice and enjoy this Bengali delicacy with your friends and family.
Do drop me a comment telling how you like this dish. Happy eating to you all!