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

1. Marinade the fish with 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp salt, and all the turmeric and lemon juice for 30 minutes
2. Meanwhile cook the rice and let cool for 30 minutes
3. In a large pan, heat the cooking oil and lightly sauté the fish steaks and set aside
4. In the same oil add the chillies, cardamom, clove, bay leaf and stir fry over medium heat for 5 minutes
5. Add the previously cooked rice to the pan and stir fry until the rice coated with the spices.
6. Turn off the heat and remove the rice from the pan.
7. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1/3 of the remaining ghee and add ½ the fish in a flat layer.
8. 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.
9. Repeat with the process with the remaining fish, rice and spices.
10. Pour ½ cup of water over the rice.
11. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes.

Shorshe Ilish - Hilsa in mustard sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Ilish (Hilsha) fish, cut into steaks
• 1 tablespoon mustard (or ground mustard paste)
• 6 green chilis
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil, mustard oil preferred
• Salt to taste

Steps

• Rub some salt and turmeric on the fish steaks and set aside
• If you use whole mustard seeds, ground them into a paste along with the green chili and a tablespoon of water
• Heat the oil in a flat bottomed pan
• Saute the onions until light brown
• Add the mustard/chili paste and rest of the spices and striy fry 2-3 minutes
• Add 1/2 cup of water, making sure you scrape any spices that are stuck to the bottom of the pan
• Add the fish steak and cook covered over medium heat for about 10-minutes
• Flip over the fish and cook covered another 5 minutes until excess water has evaporated
• Check for salt and sprinkle additional salt if necessary