Bele macher gravy with Mustard paste

Bela Mach (বেলে) is named as Scribbled Goby Fish in English. The recipe which I,m going to share with you is "Bele macher gravy with Mustard paste", which is a very tasty, low spicy fish dish from Bengal. Bengalis are very much affectionate on fish and rice and this is why a proverb has become very much famous for them – "Mache Bhate Bangali" and they are very much expert and master in cooking fish in different ways. In Bengal, you will find lot of varieties of fish in any market you visit, such as Rahu, Katla, Tangra, Parse, Chingri, Ilish, Puti and many more. Bele Mach is also one of the most common available fish in the market. Basically the size of the fish starts from small to medium with small fine scales on their body and they are sweet water fish, but it is also found in sea water. The tasty one is which comes from sweet water. This recipe is being prepared with the use of very less ingredients - mustard seed paste, green chilli, chopped onions and little bit of turmeric powder.

I would like you to try this recipe at your home and have it with steamed rice. I bet you will love the taste of it and please do share with me how you feel about this recipe.

BELE MACHER GRAVY WITH MUSTARD PASTE

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Bele Fish – 8

Onion – 1 medium, chopped

Slit Green Chilli – 4 to 5

Green Chilli – 2 to 3

Black Cumin seeds – 1/4th tbsp.

Turmeric powder – ½ tbsp.

Salt – as per taste

Black Mustard seed paste – 4 tbsp

Mustard oil

Preparation:

Wash the mustard seeds with cold water and drain the water. Keep aside.

Wash and clean the fishes. Marinate them with salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes.

During this time, make the smooth mustard seeds paste adding green chilli (2 to 3).

Take a pan, heat oil (5 to 6 tbsp), shallow fry the fish pieces. Keep them aside. Here I must give you a small tips – if the fishes are fresh, then don’t fry tem too much as they will become hard and the spices what you use, will not enter properly inside the fishes.

Now, in the same pan, add some more mustard oil (3 tbsp) and heat the oil.

Add black cumin seeds, then after few seconds add chopped onion, fry them till the onions become golden brown.

Add turmeric powder, slit green chilli, fry for a minute.

Add water (1/2 cup), and then add mustard seed/green chilli paste. Mix them all.

Allow the mixture to boil.

Then place the fried fished very slowly one by one in the pan, as this fishes are very soft.

Put the flame in low and the lid of the pan, keep cooking for 10 to 12 minutes, so that the gravy goes well inside the fishes.

So, your effort making “Bele Macher Gravy with Mustard paste” ends here.

Serve this with steamed rice.