The king of Bangladeshi fish, the silvery hilsa, slow-cooked in a rich, deeply spiced onion and tomato gravy infused with turmeric and fiery green chilies. The hilsa's uniquely oily, flavorful flesh melts into the sauce, creating a curry of extraordinary depth that is nothing short of a national obsession.
Ingredients
4 pieces hilsa fish (ilish), about 600g total
3 large onions, finely sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
4 green chilies, slit lengthwise
3 tablespoons mustard oil
1 teaspoon panch phoron (Bengali five-spice)
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
1Clean the hilsa pieces and rub with turmeric and salt. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Lightly fry the fish pieces in mustard oil until just golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.
2In the same pan, heat more mustard oil until it reaches smoking point, then let it cool slightly. This removes the raw pungency and brings out mustard oil's unique nutty flavor.
3Add panch phoron to the oil and let it splutter. Add sliced onions and fry for 10-12 minutes until deeply golden brown and caramelized.
4Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes. Then add turmeric, chili powder, cumin, salt, and sugar. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes until the oil separates from the masala.
5Add about 200ml warm water to create a medium-thick gravy. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6Carefully place the fried hilsa pieces into the simmering gravy. Add slit green chilies, cover, and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Do not stir vigorously as hilsa is delicate.
7Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice. The rich, oily gravy is meant to be mixed into the rice for maximum flavor.
Did You Know?
Hilsa (ilish) is so revered in Bangladesh that it accounts for about 12% of the country's total fish production. During hilsa season, the fish can sell for extraordinary prices, and the government has declared certain breeding periods as fishing holidays to protect the species.