Bhetki Mach er Kalia is a traditional, popular and age old Bengali style fish curry. I grew up eating this and it has been a family favourite. So this time sharing my mother’s Spcl. ‘Kalia’ recipe with all of you.
Bhetki Mach er Kalia/Spicy Barramundi Fish Curry
Ingredients
- Bhetki/Barramundi Fish- 6 pieces
- Onion- 2 medium sized (peel and cut into halves lengthwise)
- Tomato- 1 big sized (roughly chopped)
- Garlic- 8-9 cloves
- Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
- Dry red chilli- 2 (broken)
- Bay leaf- 1
- Salt
- Sugar- 1 tsp
- Kashmiri mirch powder- 1tbsp
- Green Chillies- 5-6 (slitted)
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin powder- 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder- 1 tsp
- Green cardamom- 4 (lightly crushed)
- Cloves- 3-4
- Cinnamon- 1” (two pieces)
- Mustard oil
Method
In a mixer/grinder add onion, garlic, green chillies and tomato. Grind until a smooth paste forms. Keep aside.
Rub salt and a 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder on the freshly washed pieces of Bhetki. Heat oil in a kadai/deep frying pan and shallow fry the fish. Remove and keep aside. In the remaining oil (5-6 tbsp oil should be there in the kadai, otherwise add some more oil) temper with red chilli, bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for few seconds, add the onion-chilli-garlic-tomato paste. Mix and fry for 1 minute. Add ginger paste, cumin powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri mirch powder and salt. Mix well and fry till the oil separates from the masala (1-2 minutes max). Add 1 cup of water. Mix and give this a quick boil on high flame. Next to add the fish pieces. Mix, cover and cook on low flame until the raw smell of the masala goes (15-20 minutes max). Add sugar. Mix gently. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Your spicy and delicious ‘Bhetki Mach er Kalia’ is done. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Note:
- Adjust the gravy according to your desired consistency. Add more water if you like. I prefer my kalia on the thicker side.
- You can make this ‘Kalia’ using Katla and Rohu/Rui fish also.
