Liven up rainy days with these out-of-the-box ‘ilish’ recipes
POOJA MITRA: Like all good things, the hilsa season too will come to an end — and it’ll happen rather fast! So make haste and explore every possibility this delicious Bengali mainstay has to offer.
From quick work-day recipes to elegant party options — these four exotic hilsa recipes will not let you down:
1. Hilsa biryani: The hilsa biryani retains the regal taste notes of a quintessential biryani, but adds distinct and unique flavours, making it an umami-rich delicacy. Ring in a monsoon weekend with this ilish biryani recipe that is pairable with potatoes and eggs in true Kolkata tradition.
Ingredients-
Hilsa pieces: 7-8
Basmati rice: 1 cup
Bay leaves: 2 large
Cinnamon stick: 1
Whole biryani garam masala: 1 tablespoon
Whole biryani garam masala paste: 1 tablespoon
Onion beresta (fried onion): 1 small cup
Onion-ginger-green chilli paste: 6 tablespoon
Milk: 1 cup
Kesar (saffron) strands: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 2 tablespoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 tablespoon
Potato: 4 (cut into halves)
Eggs: 4-5 boiled and peeled
Salt
Sugar
Mustard oil
Vegetable oil
Ghee
Recipe
-Make a potli of ½ tablespoon whole garam masala
-Soak the rice grains in water for 15-20 minutes. Cook with a teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of vegetable oil and garam masala potli till the rice is 70-80 per cent done
-Drain the water and let it air dry on a flat surface
-Take out the boiled garam masala from the potli and keep it in a small bowl
-Take enough mustard oil in the kadhai so the fish pieces are submerged and you have enough hilsa-flavoured oil to add to the biryani
-Marinate the hilsa pieces in salt and turmeric powder and fry till golden brown
-Remove excess oil from the frying pan and keep about enough to make a spice paste with the bay leaves, remaining whole garam masala and onion-ginger-green chilli paste. Add a pinch of turmeric and the red chilli powder while making the paste
-Marinate the fried fish with the spice paste and keep it aside. Keep the residual paste to add to the layered rice while making the biryani
-Make small pin-sized holes in the potatoes with a fork or toothpick. Marinate the potatoes with turmeric powder and salt, and deep fry
-Shallow fry the boiled eggs too, adding a pinch of salt and turmeric powder before frying
-Add the kesar strands to the milk and stir well. Keep aside
-Take your biryani cooking container and grease it well with vegetable oil and ghee
In one layer each, add:
-Cooked rice
– A small amount of whole garam masala paste
– Fried onion
– Fried potatoes
– One fried egg
– A few boiled whole garam masala pieces
– A pinch of whole garam masala paste
– Salt
– A small pinch of sugar
– A small pinch of turmeric powder
– Some milk with kesar strands
– Marinated fish
– A little fish marination paste
– Ghee
– Repeat the layer combination till the rice is used up
– Cover cook for 10-15 minutes in low flame
– Check the status and seasoning and serve hot
Tip
– You can seal the lid with atta dough or aluminium wrap (optional)
– Use full-fat milk for the best results
– Using potato and eggs is optional
2. Ilisher tok: Maacher tok is a popular delicacy in several Bengali households. But, how about taking it a notch higher and exploring a hilsa variant of the same? This flavourful recipe makes sure your meal ends on a high.
Ingredients-
Hilsa: 3 steak pieces, 1 head cut into half, 1 tail slit
Whole dry red chilli: 2
Red achari chilli: 2-3 cut into halves
Paanchforon (Bengali 5-spice mix): 1 tablespoon
Ripe tamarind paste: 3 tablespoon
Jaggery: 100-120 gm
Green chillies: 2-3 slit
Mustard oil
Turmeric powder: 1 tablespoon
Salt
Recipe-
-Marinate fish with salt and turmeric powder
-Add enough oil to the frying pan so the main dish has fish-flavoured oil
-Shallow fry the fish pieces will golden brown. Set aside
-In the same frying pan, add dry red chillies and the 5 spices. Temper till aroma fills the air (be mindful because panchforon burns faster than you think)
-Add the ripe tamarind paste, turmeric powder, a pinch of salt and cook on low to medium flame for 7-10 minutes
-Add the jaggery powder/liquid jaggery/grated jaggery and slowly stir in low flame to mix it well with the tamarind paste.
-Cook for 7-10 minutes and wait for the jaggery to leave the water and assimilate well into a rich, brown paste
-Add warm water (enough to make a tok). Add a pinch of salt, the achari chillies, green chillies and bring to a boil in low to medium flame
-Add the fish pieces and cook for another 5-7 minutes
-Check the seasoning and serve hot with warm rice
Tip
-If you don’t like your tok too sweet, move the jaggery and tamarind quantity around for the desired taste
-You can have this dish cold too. Just can batch cook and store for 2-3 days in the refrigerator
3. Ilish korma: A badshahi korma with the flavours of hilsa — if this is not perfect, what is? Rich gravy and thick hilsa pieces on a bed of white rice is the unfailing recipe for a weekend well done.
Ingredients-
Hilsa pieces: 7-8
Fried onion: 1 small cup
Onion paste: 1 large onion boiled and turned into a fine paste
Ginger-green chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
Green chilli: 4-5, slit
Hung card: 8-10 tablespoon
Cashew nuts: 10-15 pieces soaked in lukewarm water and turned into a fine taste
Raisins soaked in milk: 8-10 pieces, made into a fine paste
Full fat milk: ½ cup
Bay leaf: 1
Whole dry chillies: 2
Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
Garam masala paste: ½ teaspoon
Red chilli powder: 1 tablespoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 1 tablespoon
Mustard oil
Salt
Sugar
Ghee
Recipe-
-Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder, and shallow fry till golden brown. Don’t forget to take enough oil so you have fish-flavoured oil for the recipe
-Add a dollop of ghee to the fish-flavoured oil and heat well
-Add the bay leaf, whole red chillies and garam masala and temper well
-Next comes the onion paste, ginger-green chilli paste and garlic paste, at a gap of 3-4 minutes each. Mix well and cook till the pastes have come together
-Add the fried onions, red chilli powders, a pinch of salt and sugar, turmeric powder and cook well in low to medium flame
-Once the spice base is ready, add the hung curd and mix well. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until oil leaves the surface, in low to medium flame
-Add the cashew and raisin paste and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes or till the raw nutty flavour subsides
-Add milk and stir well, mixing the spice base. Bring to one full boil before adding the fish pieces
-Cook for 7-8 minutes, check seasoning
-Add the garam masala paste and ghee, and cook for another 15-20 seconds
-Top it off with some leftover fried onions and serve hot with rice or Indian bread of your choice.