Amudi Fish Chorchori is my comfort food. I grew up in Bengali households where a certain smell of mustard oil would waft through the house as a signal for lunch. This recipe is a variation of that comfort food. It is simple to make and uses a handful of readily available ingredients. It is also quick to prepare. The dish is made with small fish, tomato-onion masala and green chilies. The masala is thick and rich in flavor. It is slightly spicy but not overwhelming. The fish is fried on a clay stove and adds a unique flavor that is usually absent when cooking with gas.
Recipe Highlights:
- The dish features small Amudi fish, widely consumed in Bengal.
- It tastes delicious and flavorful, spicy and tangy, umami and aromatic.
- The dish is best enjoyed with steamed rice.
- From marinating to plating the dish, I take less than an hour.
- You can also try Bengali fish curry, fish kalia, fish paturi, and fish bharta as alternatives.
The Ingredients:
- Amudi Fish – 400 gm (head removed and cleaned)
- Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tablespoons (pasted with 2 green chilis)
- Onion – 1 big size (chopped)
- Tomato – 1 big size (chopped)
- Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Kashmiri Chili Powder – half tablespoon
- Red Chili powder – half tsp
- Green Chili – 2 pieces (slit)
- Coriander Leaves – 1 tablespoon
- Mustard Oil – 3 tablespoons
- Salt – As required
- Water – Half a cup
How to Cook Amudi Fish Chorchori (Step by Step Images)?
1. Light up clay stove and heat the pan.
2. Marinate the Amudi fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric.
3. Add 2 tbsp mustard oil to the hot pan or kadai, and then add the Amudi fish when the oil is hot.
(Pro tip: Pat the fish dry first. Wet fish spatters in mustard oil and will not be crisp.)
4. Lightly fry Amudi fish, ensuring both sides are cooked well.
5. Add 1 tbsp mustard oil again to the same pan and heat it.
6. Add the chopped onions and fry them lightly, then add the chopped tomatoes and half a spoonful of salt.
7. Add the Ginger Garlic Green Chili Paste and fry it for 5 minutes.
8. Add Cumin, Turmeric, Kashmiri Chili & Red Chili powder, and fry it with a little water.
9. When the oil separates from the masala, add half a cup of water. When the water starts boiling, add all the fried Amudi fish pieces.
(Pro tip: Add the fish gently and do not stir hard. Amudi fish is delicate and breaks easily. Just swirl the pan.)
10. Cover it with a lid and add the slitted green chilies, then let it cook for 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cover it.
11. Finally, add the coriander leaves, cover it with the lid, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
12. Amudi Fish Chorchori is ready.
Different Ways to Make It
- At times, when I want to make the dish more substantial and heartier, I add a few thin potato sticks before adding the fried fish.
- I swap tomato with raw mango when available in summer. My kids love the extra tang.
- Sometimes, mustard paste stirred in with the water gives my batch a sharp, nose-tingling kick.
- When I added fried brinjal wedges along with the fish, they soaked up the masala better than I expected.
- Though by accident, I learned that a dash of lemon juice over the plated fish balances the richness of the dish.
Amudi Fish Chorchori Recipe Common Mistakes & Solutions
Q: There is a raw taste lingering in my masala. Why?
A: You have rushed the steps. Add water in Step 9 only when you see the oil has separated. This indicates perfect cooking of the masala.
Q: What should I do to mend a thin gravy?
A: When I faced this situation earlier, I cooked the dish for a couple of more minutes in the end.
Q: I ruined my dish with too much salt. Any way to fix it?
A: Ideally, there isn’t. That is why I always taste it before adding salt at any stage.
Q: Is it mandatory to add green chilies in Step 10? I have kids at home.
A: Not really. You may skip one of them or entirely. The masala itself is already slightly spicy.
Q: My dish looks bland and less spicy. What can I do?
A: You may increase the amount of Kashmiri and red chili powder in Step 8.
Recipe Card:
Amudi Fish Chorchori (Amudi Macher Chorchori)
Ingredients
- 400 gm Amudi Fish head removed and cleaned
- 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste pasted with 2 green chilis
- 1 piece Onion chopped
- 1 piece Tomato chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
- 2 pieces Green Chili slit
- 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil
- Salt – As required
- 1/2 cup Water
Instructions
- Light up clay stove and heat the pan.
- Marinate the Amudi fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric.
- Add 2 tbsp mustard oil to the hot pan or kadai, and then add the Amudi fish when the oil is hot. (Pro tip: Pat the fish dry first. Wet fish spatters in mustard oil and will not be crisp.)
- Lightly fry Amudi fish, ensuring both sides are cooked well.
- Add 1 tbsp mustard oil again to the same pan and heat it.
- Add the chopped onions and fry them lightly, then add the chopped tomatoes and half a spoonful of salt.
- Add the Ginger Garlic Green Chili Paste and fry it for 5 minutes.
- Add Cumin, Turmeric, Kashmiri Chili & Red Chili powder, and fry it with a little water.
- When the oil separates from the masala, add half a cup of water. When the water starts boiling, add all the fried Amudi fish pieces. (Pro tip: Add the fish gently and do not stir hard. Amudi fish is delicate and breaks easily. Just swirl the pan.)
- Cover it with a lid and add the slitted green chilies, then let it cook for 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cover it.
- Finally, add the coriander leaves, cover it with the lid, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Amudi Fish Chorchori is ready.
