
Posto Pabda is a flavourful Bengali fish curry, where Pabda fishes cooked in a creamy poppy seeds based gravy. Easy to cook, enjoy with steamed rice.
In a strainer add the poppy seeds, wash under running water. Now grind the poppy seeds in a food processor with green chilies, and water. The paste will be thick, not watery. So, stop the food processor in between, and keep adding a little amount of water. At the end, you’ll get will a smooth thick paste, keep aside.
Peel the potatoes, cut into halves. Then slice each half into half-moon sizes.
Rub 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of turmeric powder on the freshly washed pieces of Pabda, keep aside.
Heat ¾ cup oil in a deep frying pan/kadai and shallow fry the fishes over medium heat. Use a lid to cover the deep frying pan/kadai at the time of frying, as Pabda spits a lot of hot oil, so do it carefully. Keep aside the fried fishes.
Now fry the sliced potatoes, let the potatoes turn golden in colour, remove and keep aside.
There should be 3-4 tbsp oil left in the kadai to make the curry, if not add some more oil at this stage.
Temper with nigella seeds, once it splutters add the onions and sauté them until light brown in colour.
Now add poppy seeds paste, kashmiri mirch powder, salt, and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Fry over medium heat for 1 minute.
Now add 1 cup of water. Mix and give this a quick boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, add fishes and potatoes into this. Mix well, cover and cook until the potatoes are done and the curry thickens.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Your delicious Posto Pabda is ready to devour.
Serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Don't crisp fry the Pabda fish for this curry. Shallow frying will be just perfect.