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My doi shorshe pabda with rice Don’t know if I can call this an innovation Not sure if others make it |
Big fish
My observation is based on what I have seen among my social circle. I am not generalising for the entire Bengali community so please do not burn buses or march to the Brigade Grounds if you don’t agree with what I said.
Mixed marriages: A seafood lover takes to freshwater fish
Tales from the fish market
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This is the pabda that I got from the Khar market |
The mercurial nature of yogurt in curries
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For a Bengali, fish curry HAS to be had with rice |
The argument for cooking at home
Ingredients:
3 pabda fish, 1 tablespoon whole black or yellow mustard, 1.5 tablespoon mustard oil, 2 green chillies, 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin and red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander, 50 to 75 g yogurt, dahi
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Grind 1 tablespoon whole mustard with 1 green chilli. You can add coriader leaves too |
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The dry mustard paste |
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Adding curd and spices to make the sauce base |
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Smearing the pabda with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder |
- Grind 1 tablespoon of whole black mustard, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaves (done pata, coriander leaves) and 1 green chilli in a mixer grinder or mortal and pestle
- Add 75 g of yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, red chilli and cumin (jeere) powder, 1 teaspoon salt to the dry mix and blend together, ideally in a food processor
- Marinate the pabda in red chilli, turmeric and salt. Just enough to smear on the body
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Heat mustard oil and then season with ginger, chilli and nigella seeds |
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Put in the pabda and shallow fry in the oil |
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Gently turn the fish around |
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Reduce heat and add the sauce |
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Gently turn the fish around |
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Add coriander leaves, mustard oil and turn off the gas, cover with lid and let it cook in its steam |
- Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil. Use any other refined oil if you can’t access some
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of nigella seeds (kalo jeere, kalonji), 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger (or paste) and 1 green chilli to season the oil
- Add the fish gently into the pan. After 30 seconds or so, turn the fish over very gently. It’s delicate fish and could break otherwise.
- After 30 seconds, lower the flame to minimum and add the yogurt mix
- Turn the gas off after about 30 seconds. The sauce might curdle otherwise. Add some fresh coriander and a teaspoon of mustard oil for the aroma.
- Turn the fish over very gently and then cover the pan with a lid and let it cook in steam for about 5 minutes
Tip: To save time, you can dry grind the mustard seeds and keep it in the fridge and use it as and when required.
Could be of interest:
- This is the link to a Periscope video that I did from the Khar Fish Market the day before Holi
- My doi maachh recipe using kitchen hacks shared by a friend
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My sort of Holi colours |