Doi Ilish

This Bengali fish recipe is super easy to prepare. It requires minimal ingredients to be prepared. It is a full proof recipe, and nothing can be wrong with it. Bengali spices can create magic and make any fish curry taste WOW. But Doi Ilish is an exceptional recipe. In this recipe, other than a tiny amount of Mustard paste, no whole spices or ground spices are used.

Hilsa fish itself has a unique flavour and is popular for this. So, it is quite important to uphold its original taste while cooking it. Doi Ilish is always served with Steamed Rice because it tastes best when it is served with unflavoured rice.

Doi Ilish step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the dish and Hilsa fish.

How to cook

To marinate the fish

• Ilish mach (Hilsa fish), 4 large pieces

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, whipped

Other ingredients for the Gravy

• 1 Cup Yogurt, whipped

• ½ tablespoon yellow Mustard seeds paste

• 4-5 green Chillies, slit

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

• Salt to taste

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• ½ cup Water

• Mustard oil for cooking

Instructions:

For the Mustard paste

• Soak Mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes.

• Put the Mustard seeds, green Chillies and a little water into a jar of mixer grinder.

• Grind them for a minute and make a smooth paste with them.

• Cut and clean the Ilish mach (Hilsa fish) and marinate them with Salt, Turmeric powder, Yogurt and keep them aside for 10 minutes.

• Add 1 cup of Yogurt into a large mixing bowl and whip it till smooth and silky.

• Add slit green Chillies into it.

• Add Mustard seeds paste into the bowl.

• Add Turmeric powder into it.

• Add salt, sugar, water and mix all the ingredients gently.

• Take a wide pan where all the pieces can be placed.

• Put the pan on flame and let the pan become dry.

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of Mustard oil into the pan and let the oil become hot.

• Put the flame in low and pour the Yogurt mixture into the pan.

• Mix the Yogurt mixture with the oil nicely.

• Add the Hilsa pieces carefully into the pan.

• Put on the lid and cook it for 15 minutes in low flame.

• Flip the tender pieces very carefully and cover the pan again.

• Cook it for another couple of minutes in low flame.

• Switch off the flame and put the pan down.