After Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in a Mustard Sauce), the Ilish Pulau is my favorite Ilish preparation. There are many variants and each person will attest to the superiority of their recipe. This particular one, while it does requires a little bit of an effort, is light and flavorful – enhancing the fish and not overpowering it.
Ilish Polau
Ingredients
- 6-8 ilish (hilsa) pieces
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 1 large bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamoms
- 1 tsp kalojieera (nigella)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 3 dried red chillies
- 3 green chillies
Steps
- Marinade the fish with 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp salt, and all the turmeric and lemon juice for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile cook the rice and let cool for 30 minutes
- In a large pan, heat the cooking oil and lightly sauté the fish steaks and set aside
- In the same oil add the chillies, cardamom, clove, bay leaf and stir fry over medium heat for 5 minutes
- Add the previously cooked rice to the pan and stir fry until the rice coated with the spices.
- Turn off the heat and remove the rice from the pan.
- Coat the bottom of the pan with 1/3 of the remaining ghee and add ½ the fish in a flat layer.
- Layer ½ the cooked rice over the fish, and drizzle ½ of the remaining ghee and ½ of the remaining salt on top of the rice.
- Repeat with the process with the remaining fish, rice and spices.
- Pour ½ cup of water over the rice.
- Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes.
Ilish without a doubt has to be the best tasting fish ever. Your dish looks very appetising but too fatty. there’s no need to add all these ingredients – its such a flavorsome fish just simple onions, garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric & chilli powder (bay leaf, cloves – optional)does the trick. Try it its absolutely gorgeous!
Nia
I LOVE ILISHHHHHHHHHHHHH…………
I am a Bengali Person live in Tripura , India I very much like Hilsha fish which is exported from your Country. I tried my label best to cook this item.
Thank you for your cordial service
yes Hilsha polau is my favourite food.
ILISH is my favourite fish and ilish polau is just gorgeous.I just love to have this dish.
I live in America but I am a origanal 13 year Bangali and I love Bangali food I am already hungry for Ilish Polau.
Ilish Fish is my favourite fish that I could not find here so much, even though I have tried to cook them but could not get much result or tasty as much as Dhaka’s cooking style….cause here people used to cook most of them used garlic and that, did not taste that much. From your site I got that recipes. Inshallah I will cook in your style. Thanks
Ahsan,
Karachi
oho.. I can’t hold my tongue.:) Ilish fry and hot rice and the the oil of fried Ilish this is favorite dish for me. When I go to Mawa Ferighat its on the way of Barisal. I always used to have Hilsha fish.
Thanks for this great article