Tel Katla

In Bengali cuisine, fish and Mustard oil is a combination made in heaven ( 'Tel' is oil in Bengali). If you get some good quality fresh Katla or Carp, then donot forget to try this never fail recipe. Tastes best if you cook the fat belly portion of the fish, however, the other portion will also be delicious.
**Warning - Not for the dieters.

Ingredients

• Katla Fish - 6 Pieces
• Onion - 1, big - chopped
• Onion -2, medium, make a paste
• Mustard Paste - 1 heaped tbsp
• Green chilli paste - 5 chillies
• Methi / fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil - as required, ( be generous, it is Tel Katla )
• Salt, Turmeric
• Sugar - a small pinch, you  may omit this

Smear salt and turmeric to the fish and fry lightly in mustard oil. If the fish is fresh, you may skip this step.

Mix the onion paste, green chilli paste, mustard paste, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and 2 tbsp mustard oil with the fried fish.

Marinate the fish for 30 minutes. Keep covered.

Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a flat pan. When heated, add the methi / fenugreek seeds and stir till they are blackened. Remove and discard the seeds from the pan and heat the flavored oil again.

  
Add the chopped onion to the pan and fry a little. 

Carefully place the marinated fish into the pan over the fried onions, preferably in a single layer. Lower the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.

Add little water to the remaining marinade and pour it onto the fish. Carefully turn the fish pieces once, then cover the pan again, and cook over low heat till the fish is cooked through and oil comes out.

Adjust the seasoning and enjoy with plain rice.

Katla Makkhanwala - Buttery Fish

You need some really fresh, big fatty fish to get the real flavor of this dish. Ask your fish monger to cut the belly portion a bit thick. Make sure, it didnot get bitter.  It tastes best when cooked completely in butter. I could not dare that and fried the fish in a mixture of butter and white oil.

Ingredients

• Katla Fish Pieces - 6-8
• Onion Paste - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Green chilli paste - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Grated Cheese - 2 tbsp
• Butter, White oil
• Salt, Turmeric
• Sugar - a pinch

You need really fresh 'Machh er Peti' for this. Mine one is from a 5.5 kg Katla fish. 
Smear salt and turmeric onto the fish and keep aside for 15 minutes. Add white oil and a tbsp of butter in a frying pan and fry the fish carefully till golden brown.
Add one more tbsp of butter on the same pan. Then add the onion paste and fry one low heat for 2 minutes.

Add green chilli paste and ginger paste with a pinch of salt and mix well with the onion paste. fry for 30 seconds.

Mix the red chilli paste, turmeric and salt with a pinch of sugar in 1/2 cup of water and add the masala water to the pan. Mix well. Let it  boil till oil separates out. Add the curd too.

Now add the fried fishes carefully and cover the fish with the masala mix. Sprinkle a little water if necessary. This is a dry preparation, so adjust the amount of water. Check the seasoning too.

Cover and cook over low heat till the fishes are cooked and gravy thickens. Add grated cheese and cover with a heavy lid. The cheese will melt soon.

Serve as a side dish.

Aam Katla - Fish with raw Mango

With mercury almost  touching 42 degree C in Kolkata, it is impossible to stay calm and cook something fancy. Made this fish curry with raw mango.. the sweet and tangy taste of the 'jhol' or thin curry is a delight on this hot and humid day.

Ingredients

• Katla Fish - 6 pieces
• Raw Mango - 1
• Mustard Powder - 1 tbsp
• Salt,Turmeric
• Panchforon / Bengali 5 spice - 1/2 tsp
• Whole Red Chilli - 1
• Green Chilli - as per taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp / as per taste
• Mustard Oil

Rub the fish pieces with salt and turmeric and fry till golden brown. Remove from oil and keep aside. Mix the mustard powder in 1/2 cup of water with a pinch of salt and keep it for 15 minutes. Remove the peel of the mango and slice it.

In the same pan, add some more oil, then add the panchforon / Bengali five spice and red chilli. Add one slit green chilli too.

When it splutters, add the sliced mango and stir fry with a pinch of salt and turmeric.

Add water and let it boil. When the mango softens, add the mustard paste.

Add the fried fish and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes till fishes are cooked.

Adjust the salt. Now add the sugar according to your taste. I like to have the curry a bit sweet and tangy so added almost 2 tsp of sugar. 

Add slit green chilli and keep covered for 10 minutes. Serve with plain rice. I prefer to mash the green chillis onto my rice while eating, the smell of green chilli, the sweetness of the sugar and the tangy taste of the mango creates a perfect harmony on my tastebuds.

Katla Fish Dumpukht

 You should have lot of patience to cook this since that is the basic ingredient to any Dum recipe. You need really fresh Katla machh for this. it can be made with Rui machh as well but the recipe comes out much better when Katla machh is used.

Ingredients

• Katla Fish - 8 pieces              
• 
• Potato - 2, sliced horizontally
• Onion - 2, sliced horizontally
• kismis - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Garlic - chopped. 2 tbsp
• whole garam masala
• green chilli - 6
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• salt, turmeric, sugar
• Mustard oil - 6 tbsp

Marinate the fish pieces with all ingredients and half of the mustard oil for half an hour.

Heat remaining mustard oil in a frying pan. Add the marinated fish pieces along with potato and onion slices. Stir lightly, then lower the heat to the minimum and keep covered for 10 minutes.

Pour the remaining marination with some water to the fishes and continue cooking. Lot of water should be released from the fishes and fish will be cooked in its own juices. Stir occasionally to avoid the fishes sticking  to the pan.

Check whether potatoes are cooked thoroughly. Serve garnished with green chillies.