Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak Recipe is a Bengali traditional dish that combines the flavors of hilsa fish head and seasonal vegetables. To me, it is something special cooked with spinach, snow peas, potato and eggplant that absorb the spices to make it a delicious treat with panch phoron and mustard oil, preserving the taste of traditional Bengali cooking. It is a wonderful way to cook fish head with vegetables any time Bengali food is desired.
Before You Start:
- Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak is a traditional Bengali dish.
- The Hilsa fish head is marinated with specific spices and fried to render the unique taste to the dish.
- The dish is usually enjoyed with steamed rice. Few people also like to have it with traditional Bengali bread, such as paratha.
- It takes 20 minutes to cook this dish besides 15 minutes prep time and 10 minutes for marination.
- If you are looking for alternatives or variations to Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak, you can try Ilish Macher Matha Diye Lau Shak, Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak, Ilish Macher Matha Diye Bori Diye Jute Shak, and Ilish Macher Matha Diye Kalmi Shak.
The Ingredients:
- Hilsa Fish Head – 2 Nos (cleaned properly)
- Spinach – 500 gms (cut and cleaned)
- Snow Pea – 200 gms (cut and cleaned)
- Eggplant – 1 piece (cut and cleaned)
- Potato – 1 piece (peeled, cut and cleaned)
- Ginger, Garlic and Onion Paste – 4 Tablespoons
- Onion – 1 piece (chopped)
- Turmeric Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Red Chili Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Coriander Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Cumin Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Bay Leaf – 2 Nos
- Dry Red Chilies – 2 Nos
- Panch Phoron (Indian Blend of Five Spices) – Half Tablespoon
- Mustard Oil – 3 Tablespoons
- Salt – As required
How to Cook Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak (Step by Step Images)?
1. First, marinate the Hilsa fish heads with a pinch of salt and turmeric using your bare hands. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Fire up the Chulha or your gas stove and heat a pan. Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to it.
3. Start by frying the Hilsa fish heads when the oil is hot. Fry them by flipping them on all sides.
4. Take them out when they are fried.
5. Add a little 1 tbsp of mustard oil more to the pan and then add the bay leaf, dry chilies, and Panch Phoron (Indian blend of five spices). Stir it and add the onions when the aroma comes out from the spices.
(Pro tip: Keep the heat moderate while tempering panch phoron to prevent them from burning.)
6. Lightly fry them, and then add the vegetables such as potato, eggplant and snow pea. Stir-fry them for 5 minutes and add salt to taste.
(Pro tip: Cut the veggies into similar-sized pieces so they cook more evenly.)
7. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion paste and sauté it. When the vegetables are half cooked, add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
8. Mix it well and add a little water. Sauté it again.
9. Add water and salt to taste.
10. Add the fish heads and spinach or Palong Shak. The color of the spinach also remains vibrant when it is added at the end. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
11. After 10 minutes, Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak gets dried up, the veggies look properly cooked, and the masalas are perfectly blended with the fish heads and the rest of the dish.
12. Pour Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak into a bowl.
Make It Your Way
- I sometimes substitute snow peas with tender flat beans if they are not available.
- I have used white onions a couple of times in place of red onions to add a bit of sweetness to my dish.
- In case there are not enough spinach leaves to add, I use fewer leaves with extra tender snow peas.
- Sometimes, I reduce the heat for my kids by reducing the amount of red chili powder or even skipping it entirely and replacing it with a few slit and fresh green chilies.
Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak Recipe Handy Hacks
Q: Why does the masala taste bitter?
A: The panch phoron or the dry red chilies must have caught fire in the hot oil. I would suggest that you add the onions in Step 5 before adding the spices so they do not turn dark.
Q: Why are my Hilsa heads breaking up when added in Step 10?
A: Add them gently and do not stir much, as the fried bits are very delicate and likely to break.
Q: My potatoes are still hard after Step 6. What to do?
A: Check with a fork and let them cook for longer if required.
Q: How can I avoid the eggplant from turning mushy during Step 7?
A: Stir them gently as they are more delicate than the potatoes, and therefore will become mushy if you stir roughly.
Recipe Card:
Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak (Hilsa Fish Head With Spinach)
Ingredients
- Hilsa Fish Head – 2 Nos cleaned properly
- Spinach – 500 gms cut and cleaned
- Snow Pea – 200 gms cut and cleaned
- Eggplant – 1 piece cut and cleaned
- Potato – 1 piece peeled, cut and cleaned
- Ginger Garlic and Onion Paste – 4 Tablespoons
- Onion – 1 piece chopped
- Turmeric Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Red Chili Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Coriander Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Cumin Powder – Half Tablespoon
- Bay Leaf - 2 Nos
- Dry Red Chilies – 2 Nos
- Panch Phoron Indian Blend of Five Spices – Half Tablespoon
- Mustard Oil - 3 Tablespoons
- Salt – As required
Instructions
- First, marinate the Hilsa fish heads with a pinch of salt and turmeric using your bare hands. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Fire up the Chulha or your gas stove and heat a pan. Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to it.
- Start by frying the Hilsa fish heads when the oil is hot. Fry them by flipping them on all sides.
- Take them out when they are fried.
- Add a little 1 tbsp of mustard oil more to the pan and then add the bay leaf, dry chilies, and Panch Phoron (Indian blend of five spices). Stir it and add the onions when the aroma comes out from the spices. (Pro tip: Keep the heat moderate while tempering panch phoron to prevent them from burning.)
- Lightly fry them, and then add the vegetables such as potato, eggplant and snow pea. Stir-fry them for 5 minutes and add salt to taste. (Pro tip: Cut the veggies into similar-sized pieces so they cook more evenly.)
- Add the ginger, garlic, and onion paste and sauté it. When the vegetables are half cooked, add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
- Mix it well and add a little water. Sauté it again.
- Add water and salt to taste.
- Add the fish heads and spinach or Palong Shak. The color of the spinach also remains vibrant when it is added at the end. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak gets dried up, the veggies look properly cooked, and the masalas are perfectly blended with the fish heads and the rest of the dish.
- Pour Ilish Macher Matha Diye Palong Shak into a bowl.
