Butterfish in mustard gravy - Sorshe diye pabda macher jhal

It’s my Baby S’ birthday, how can I not prepare something that she loves. Though she is a picky eater, she is a foodie after all. So, for my picky eater, pre-teen young lady, I made sorshe pabda, one of her favorite dishes.

Baby S was very specific about the way she wants the dish to be prepared, thanks to our cook aunty back at my Dad’s place in Kolkata. Our cook aunty is not just a cook, she is more than that…but that is a different story…

Baby S was very clear that she wants the dish to be like how “Alu bhaja Didu” makes it. “Alu bhaja Didu” is our cook aunty and she spoils Baby S like anything whenever Baby S visits Kolkata, and she will make sure Alu bhaja (fried potato) is there for lunch every day, that too in a very specific way, thinly sliced crispy potato fries 😊.

Coming back to sorshe pabda (butterfish in mustard gravy)…it is a very simple and easy dish but mouth wateringly delicious and goes very well with piping hot steamed white rice.

 

Ingredients

·  4 medium-sized pabda fish

·  2 tsp mustard seeds, I mixed white and black mustard seeds in equal proportion, but you can use any one as well

·  1 tsp poppy seeds

·  4 green chilies, you can adjust as per your taste

·  1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced

·  ¼ tbsp salt, adding salt while grinding mustard seeds reduces the chance of the paste getting bitter

·  ½ tsp turmeric powder

·  ½ tsp kalonji or nigella seeds

·  Salt as per your taste for making the curry

·  Mustard oil

 Method

• Wash and clean the fish thoroughly and drain the water. Marinate the fish with turmeric powder and pinch of salt and keep aside for 10 minutes. Add few drops of oil on the fish, to prevent the skin from bursting while frying
• Now, add mustard oil in a non-stick pan and a pinch of salt, this will prevent the oil from spattering. 
• Heat the oil sufficiently.
• Carefully place the fishes one by one to the oil for frying. Lower the heat and let them fry a little bit on one side for 2 mins and then turn and fry the other side as well.
• Transfer the fish on a plate and keep aside
• Now, in the same oil add kalonji seeds and let it saute for a few seconds
• Add thinly sliced onion and let them fry till the onions turn little brownish
• Add mustard and poppy seeds paste and mix it with little water add turmeric powder. Add this mixture in the pan
• Cook it for few minute and add little warm water, bring the water to boil
• Add the Pabda fishes one by one and allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes or until reach the desire consistency.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and with steam rice.

B'day lunch is sorted, Baby S is happy, so are we 😃