It was just an everyday morning, hubby went to the local market while passing by in front of the fish shop, the fish seller called and told him, ‘dada aapka Hilsha aaya hain, bohut acha le jaon’. And my Bong man couldn’t resist and buy some Ilish once again (3rd time within a month :P). So, here are some Ilsh bhaja, Ilish mach er tel, and Ilish er Begun Jhol, what we devoured on today’s lunch. It was the best Ilish/Hilsa of this season so far.
Ilish er Begun Jhol always tastes better with fresh Ilish. In this curry, the basic spices and mustard oil brings out the unmatchable taste of Hilsa. I’ve learned to cook this dish from my mom, I hope you’ll love to cook it for your near and your dear ones. 🙂
Hilsa Curry with Eggplant/Ilish er Begun Jhol
Ilish er Begun Jhol is a light fish curry cooked with eggplant. Primary ingredients and fresh Hilsa brings out the actual taste of this dish.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces- Hilsa Fish/Ilish
- 1- Eggplant/Begun medium-sized
- 1 tbsp- Cumin powder
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Mustard oil
- ½ tsp- Nigella seeds/Kalojinre/Kalonji
- 4-5 Green chillies (slitted)
Instructions
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Cut the eggplant in halves lengthwise, then cut each half into wedges about 1" thick. Wash and keep aside.
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Add 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp of turmeric powder to the freshly washed pieces of Ilish/Hilsa. Mix and keep aside.
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Heat ½ cup oil in a kadai/deep frying pan over medium heat, and fry the fish pieces lightly. Remove and keep aside.
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In the remaining oil (5-6 tbsp oil should be there in the kadai, otherwise, add some more oil), temper with nigella seeds, add the eggplants, shallow fry for 1-2 minutes.
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Add ½ tsp turmeric powder and cumin powder. Mix well and sauté over medium heat for a few seconds.
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Add 1 cup of water, green chillies, and salt. Mix. Cover and give this a quick boil over high heat.
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Lower the heat. Now add the fish pieces. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. The Hilsa Curry with Eggplant/Ilish er Begun Jhol is ready to serve.
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Pair it with steamed rice. Enjoy!
