Pabda Machher Jhal

We bengalis can cook fish in thousand and one or may be even more ways. Bengalis are ardent food lovers and fish and sweets tops their list of favourite food. Bengal is a part of India with hundreds of ponds and rivers where you get hundreds of types of fishes. There is also a saying in Bengali " Machhe Bhaate bangali" which means a bengali is by fish and rice.
English name for pabda is pabo catfish. It is a sweet water fish and is found in rivers. It is a one bone fish with slightly slippery body but firm to touch. This is one fish curry which is often prepared when family comes together for an occassion. I love this fish curry and hope rest of the world will also like the traditional tastes of bengal.

Ingredients:

- Pabda Fish (4 washed and cleaned)
- Onion paste and ginger paste (2 tbsp)
- Green chilli (2 slit from the middle)
- Salt (acc to taste)
- Kalo Jeera / Nigella (1/2 tsp)
- Bori (6-7)
- Red chilli powder (1/2 tsp)
- Coriander Powder (1 tsp)
- Cumin powder ( 1 tsp)
- Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
- Mustard oil ( 1 cup)

Bori is nothing but small lentil paste cakes that we get in Bengal.

Method:
- Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder for half a hour.
- In a wok fry the fishes and keep aside.
- In the same oil add bori and fry it till it turns brown.
- In the same oil add the nigella seeds and green chillies.

- When they splutter add the onion ginger paste.
- Fry the paste till golden and then add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder.If the masala sticks to the wok add little water about 1 tbsp.
- When the masala is fried add 1 cup water and let it come to boil.
- Add the fish and bori to it and let it cook in low flame for another 2-3 mins.
- Serve hot with rice.
You can garnish with coriander leaves.