Patrani Machchi

Adapted this recipe from the site of Sanjeev Kapoor, a very popular parsi preparation where fish is marinated in a green chutney, then wrapped in banana leaves and cooked. This is very similar to Bengali fish paturi. The process is same, the only difference is, bengalis use mustard paste as the main ingredients of the marination.

Ingredients

• Bhetki Fish - 6 fillets
• Coriander leaves - a bunch
• Coconut - half, scraped
• Green chilli - as per taste
• Garlic - 8 cloves
• Lemon juice
• salt
• Banana leaves

Grind together coconut, coriander leaves, salt, green chillies, garlic and lemon juice to a smooth chutney.

Marinate the fish pieces in this chutney for about fifteen minutes. 

Cut banana leaves into smaller pieces. Roast the banana leaves to make them soft and foldable. Place the marinated fish in the center of each banana leaf piece and smear some of the chutney on them.

Fold in the ends to make a parcel. To cook on a tawa, heat oil and place the parcels on it.

Cook turning the parcels from time to time so that they get cooked on both the sides. When the banana leaves turn light brown take them off the tawa. Do not open the parcels while serving. Let the person eating them open.

Bhetki Fulcopy Ghonto

A 'Ghonto' is a typical Bengali dry vegetable dish where specific types of firm vegetables are cooked by contantly stirring them in the Wok with masalas. Though I am saying, it is a vegetable dish, that does not mean it is a vegetarian dish, we bengalis have invented the non-vegetarian way of enjoying our vegetable by mixing  fishes or prawns to the dish. Ghonto is an important weapon for leftover management too. When you donot have a particular raw material in plenty to make a full fledged dish out of it, ghonto is the option to help you clean vegetable drawer of your fridge. Just remember to use firm vegetables, softer ones like okra donot do justice to the dish.
I have some 4/5 bhetki fillets and a small fulcopi / cauliflower with fresh and soft stems. So I cleaned the stems with water first, then peel them and removed the hard part of it. Steamed the stems lightly before starting the preparation. Goes well with your rice and dal.

Ingredients

• Fish fillet - 4-5
• Cauliflower - cut into small florets
• Cauliflower stem - 1 cup 
• Corn kernels - a handful (Optional, I have some, so used it.)
• Leafy vegetable - a handful ( again optional)
• Onion -1, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Mustard paste - 1 tsp
• Green chilli - as per taste
• Salt, Turmeric, Red chilli powder, Sugar
• Mustard Oil, Ghee

Fry the fish fillets with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Break into pieces and keep aside.

In a pan, add mustard oil. When it is hot, add cumin seeds and let it splutter.

Add chopped onion and slitted green chilli and fry till golden brown. Then add the ginger paste and fry well.

Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and fry the masala mixture till oil comes out.

In the mean time, steam the stems and keep aside.

Add the stems with cauliflower florets and green leafs,if using. Mix well with the masalas. Add little water and cook covered. Add the fried fish pieces and cover it again after giving it a good stir.

When vegetables are almost done, add the corns, if using.

When vegetables are cooked and water is evaporated, add the mustard paste and give it a good stir.

Sprinkle some sugar. Remove from heat and add a spoonful of ghee. Give it a final stir and keep covered for 10 minutes.

Serve this wonderful dish with your loved ones and enjoy !!!

Bhetki Macher Paturi

Paturi is a very popular recipe in Bengal, mostly done with Bhetki or Hilsa. The fresh fish pieces are marinated with spices, then wrapped in banana leaf. Finally the wraps are steamed / smoked on a tawa. 
It can be done using aluminium foil too, but the smell imparted by smoky banana leaves are the unique to this recipe.

Ingredients

• Bhetki Fillet - 6-8 pieces
• Mustard paste - 2 tbsp
• Poppy seed paste - 1 tbsp
• Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp
• Salt
• Turmeric
• Lemon juice
• Green chilli paste
• Banana leaves

Marinate the fishes with salt, turmeric and lemon juice for 15 minutes. Then add all the masala paste with a spoonful of mustard oil and mix thoroughly.

Keep aside for 30 minutes. Cut the banana leaves into 6X6 inch size and roast in microwave for a minute. The leaves will become soft and managable and you will be able to fold it. 
Place one banana leaf on to a plate. Place one piece of fish onto it with the masalas..

Fold the leaf properly and tie with a string so that the parcel does not open up while cooking. Do it for all the pieces.

Place a tawa on the heat, and smear some oil. Now place the fish parcels onto the tawa and cook over low heat with the lid on.

After 10 minutes, flip the parcels to the other side and cook again for 10 minutes over low heat. The banana leaves should be burnt by then.

Remove from heat and keep warm. Donot remove the wrap. Let the person unwrap the parcel while eating.

Dhonepata Kasundi Bhetki

This is the 3rd week of KFB 'Know Your Bloggers' event and the star of this week is Priyadarshini Chatterjee. She blogs from "allthatsdelicious.blogspot.in" where you wil get "All that's delicious" with a pleasant writeup, which itself is a good read. I envy her photographic sense too, because of all those tempting images, just looking at them will make you salivate. I have tried her other delicacies too, like this 'Dutch Buttermilk Pudding' which I have served to a small get together at home and got huge praise for its richness and mild sweet taste. I have tried her version of 'Bori r Jhaal with Kasundi' too which is quite different from our family version of 'Bori r Jhaal' and it was equally good, if not better. 
While browsing through her blog, I have shortlisted three of her recipes and end up making all three of them. So here I am presenting the easy and delicious "Dhonepata Kasundi Bhetki" or Bhetki fish cooked in a Coriander and Kasundi ( a kind of Bengali mustard  sauce ). You may find the original recipe here.

Ingredients 

• Bekti Pieces - 6-7
• Corinder leaves paste - 4 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Kasundi (Bengal's legendary pungent mustard sauce) - 1 tbsp
• Vinegar - 2-3 tbsp  
• Green chilli paste - as per taste
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil - 2 tbsp  

Marinate the fish with vinegar, salt, coriander leaves paste, garlic paste and ginger paste.

Turn after 15 minutes and continue marination for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Heat mustard oil in a flat bottomed nonstick pan. Carefully place the marinated fish. Cook on low heat. 

The fish will take about 4-5 minutes to cook. Midway turn the fillets over. Once the fish is cooked, water reduces and oil separates from the masala, add the kasundi and carefully mix it. You have to be very careful not to break the fish.

If you like the kick of mustard, you can add a spill of raw mustard oil just before removing it from heat. Serve with plain rice.

Sending this Entry to 'Know Your Bloggers 2014'  event organised by 'Kolkata Food Bloggers'.

Bhetki Fish Dumpukht

This post is dedicated to my online friend Kamalika, whom I did not meet yet, but being a part of Kolkata Food Bloggers group, we exchange recipes and thoughts online. She blogs from Silence Sings, where she posts interesting recipes along with lovely photographs. I have tried her Fish Dumpukht recipe from her blog and friends, I tell you,,  it is worth a try. She has used Rui / Rohu fish, however, I have replicated the same using Vekti / Calcutta Bekti fish and it is awesome. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• Bhetki Fish - 12 pieces
• Onion - 4, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp.
• Cashew paste - 1 tbsp.
• Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
• Curd - 1 tbsp.
• Green chilli - 4
• Whole Red Chilli - 2
• Bay leaf - 2
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt, Sugar, Turmeric - as required
• Whole Garam Masala - 2 each

Marinate the fishes with salt and turmeric for 15 minutes. Add oil to the pan and lightly fry the fishes.

Fry the onions in the same oil till brown. Remove from heat.

Make a paste of fried onions, cashew, sesame seeds, green chilli and ginger. Churn the curd with a pinch of salt and sugar and mix turmeric powder and Kashmiri chilli powder and keep aside.

In the same pan, add some more oil. Then add the bayleaf and whole garam masala along with whole red chilli and stir for 30 seconds till it releases the aroma.

Add the onion paste and stir fry till oil comes out of it. Add the beaten curd and continue frying.

Once oil comes out of the masalas, add 2 cups of water. When it starts to bubble, add the fried fish pieces and mix carefully so that all fish pieces are coated with the masala water. Add salt as required.

Cover with a heavy lid and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. ( cooking on Dum..that's why it is Dumpukht ).

Remove the lid and check the gravy. It should be thickened by now. Check the seasoning. You may have to sprinkle a pinch or two of sugar since the dish demands a sweet note. Be careful, it should be too sweet, so adjust the sugar accordingly. Once the fishes are cooked, and gravy thickens, switch off the heat. Add a spoonful of ghee and keep covered for 10 more minutes to let the ghee infused into the gravy.

Serve hot with plain rice. For original recipe, please visit Silence Sings and let her know your feedback as well.