CHITOL MACHHER PETI JHOL IN CUMIN AND GINGER

CHITOL MACHHER PETI JHOL IN CUMIN AND GINGER (fish in cumin and ginger)

Well after a heavy dose of vege dishes, now comes the fish. Remember my earlier blog “STORY OF "CHITOL MACHH ER GADA" AND THE BEAUTIFULLADY AT CR PARK FISH MARKET”? (Gada = the top portion of a fish above the belly)

The Chitol fish 

Chitol is a very tasty and bony fish. However the belly portion is boneless, barring the big rib bones and very fatty. It is cooked in numerous ways ;  rich kalia, with onion, extra virgin raw mustard oil, with curd and fried onion paste, with mustard paste and lemon jest, green chili etc etc . Here I will be cooking my most favourite recipe for this fish. The fish is too expensive and very heavy ( high density) so I can’t buy for the 2^nd recipe.

The chitol peti are in the center and the gada pieces are along the side

THE RECIPE ; 

This is a simple , down market recipe , cooked with mainly cumin and ginger paste, with tempering of tej pata, cumin, dry red chili, black pepper . Potato is optional. The medium aroma spice ( the cumin) , boosts the natural taste and aroma of the fish and the fish aroma is not masked by the strong spice like garam masala, fennel, methi, onion etc

The great thing about this recipe is,, you can use any other fish, and may put vegetables also

INGREDIENTS

Chitol fish (peti )..4 pieces about 700 gram

Potato 2 cut to 8 pieces (lengthwise)

Tomato 1 small, cut to 4 pieces

Cumin powder 1 level tsp

Coriander powder 1 heapped tsp (double of cumin gegerally).. Absolutely optional)

Red chili powder ( 1 level tsp)

Turmeric 11/2 level tsp ( don’t reduce)

Mustard oil 2 tbsp ( for the curry, extra needed for sallow frying the fish)  

Ginger paste 1 tsp and 1 tsp (heaped)

Sugar 1/3 tsp ( sugar to taste , not to sweeten)

Salt

For tempering

Bay leaf 1,

cumin 1 level tsp,

dry red  chili whole 2

black pepper 5

PROCESS

Clean fish and marinate with turmeric and salt (this turmeric and salt is in addition to what mentioned above) . Keep aside for 1 hr

Take the cumin, coriander, chili, turmeric powder and 1 heap tsp ginger paste  and soak in water for ½ hr and make a thick slurry.

take oil in a flat pan, heat and sallow fry the fish on high heat for 3 minutes for each side. Remove .

In the pan take fresh oil and make it up to 2 -3 tbsp . ( you may discard the used oil and take all fresh)

Heat the oil to smoking, remove from heat and add the tempering. Return to reduced heat and put the potato,

Sauté for 4-5 minutes, and add the spice paste. Fry on high heat for 2 minutes or when just the oil starts separating. Add the tomato and stir for 2 minutes

Add 2 cups water, salt and sugar, bring to boil.

Boil vigorously for 5 minutes with cover. (this is important to disperse the oil and turmeric to get that uniform emulsion and rich colour.

Remove cover and add the fish, reduce heat to medium put cover.

Turn the fish and boil for another 3 minutes.

Add more water or expel water by boiling under full heat to get the consistency of the jhol ( it will be runny)

Eat with rice and may be with a dash of lemon.