The first time I had this was in Kalyani, West Bengal, a small sleepy town where my Father In Law was based. His cook was an awesome cook and she made this bengali delicacy and my father in law taught us how to make this dish.

While Hilsa is the fish of choice, we have tried this with Tilapia Filet and Milk Fish with good results.

Ingredients:

Fish – Hilsa/Milk Fish cut in round slices or Tilapia Filet. We recently used the Milk Fish (medium size 8 pieces)

Eggplant – 8 Pieces cut lengthwise

Potatoes – 8 Pieces cut lengthwise

Onion Seed (Kala Jeera)- 1/2 Teaspoon or more depending on quantity of fish

Water 2 cups to start with and then based on consistency needed

Oil – Mustard or Vegetable, Start with 2 tablespoons and add later as needed

Green Chilli – slit lengthwise, 1 per piece of fish

Ginger Paste 1/2 Teaspoon

Garlic Pasted 1/2 Teaspoon

Onion Paste 2 Tablespoon

Chilli Powder (just for the marinade)

Turmeric Powder (for marinade 1/4th teaspoon and while cooking 1/4 teasopoon)

Steps:

• Mix oil and turmeric powder with the fish and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Cut Potatoes and Egg plant in long pieces and mix with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and set aside for 15 minutes.
• First heat the oil in a high flame, add the fish and immediately change to medium flame. You need to light fry the fish so only for a short while and it should not turn red.
• After removing the lightly fried fish and in medium flame, fry the eggplant and potato in the same oil till it is red in color. Preferably separately but can do together keeping in mind that potatoes will take more time so remove the eggplant when done.
• In low flame, in the remaining oil add onion seed (kala jeera), garlic paste, ginger paste, onion paste, turmeric powder and chilli powder and saute till the oil separates.
• Add 2 cups water and increase flame to medium, bring to a boil and add the fried potatoe and let it boil till potatoes are cooked. Add the eggplant after potatoes are cooked as eggplant is already done when it was fried.
• Reduce flame to medium low and add the fish along with any oil that may have come out. Let it come boil. Add salt to taste, a pinch of sugar and green chillies.
• Use a knife and press down on a fish, if it goes down softly, the fish is done.

Tastes great with steamed plain rice.

Tips:

• Make sure fish is light fried and if you have mustard oil use that. Don’t waste the oil that seeps out of the fish or vegetables that you fried. Put it all back when you add these.
• Put the egg plant right at the end else it will get mashed.
• You can make one paste for the Ginger, Garlic and Onion