Stir-fried Potatoes and Eggplants in this Aloo Begun Macher Jhol remind me of the simple Bengali lunches, where a humble fish curry at lunch is enough to satisfy one’s hunger. When preparing this curry myself, I like to let the potatoes cook until they can be crushed with the side of a spoon. My favorite part of this recipe is unique combination of taste due to fish, potatoes, and brinjals. The brinjals soak in the spices, providing different consistencies for every spoonful. This is how I like to have my homemade Bengali cuisine, straight from the pan, before the curry has cooled down.
Why Love This Recipe:
- Aloo Begun Macher Jhol is a Bengali dish of fish curry with potatoes and eggplant.
- It is a dish of different spices, onions, garlic, ginger, which creates a dish full of flavors and makes it one of the best dishes in Bengal.
- It is traditionally eaten with steam-cooked rice, which makes it even better and more complete.
- It is a dish that has a variety of flavors, from salty and spicy to more mild ones, combined with the taste of fish, potatoes, eggplant.
- It takes me 25 minutes to prepare and marinate the fish before I can plate this scrumptious dish in 45 minutes.
- If you want to try more Bengali dishes, I recommend you to try Macher Jhol, Shorshe Bata Maach and Lau Chingri.
The Ingredients:
- Bata Fish – 500 gms (cut and cleaned)
- Brinjal – 3 Nos (cut and cleaned)
- Potato – 2 Nos (cut and cleaned)
- Salt – As required
- Mustard Oil – 3 Tablespoons
- Ginger Garlic & Onion Paste – 3 Tablespoons
- Turmeric – 1.5 Tablespoons
- Red Chili Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Coriander Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Green Chilies – 5 Nos
- Kalonji – 1 Tablespoon
- Water as much as required
How to Cook Aloo Begun Macher Jhol (Step by Step Images)?
1. First, marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric, using your bare hands. Allow it to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Next, heat a pan. Pour in the mustard oil and heat it up, then carefully add the fish to the pan.
(Pro tip: Ensure that you heat the mustard oil properly before adding the fish to reduce its raw smell.)
3. Fry the fish on both sides by flipping it to the other side, ensuring it is lightly fried.
4. Take out fried fish and keep them on a separate plate.
5. Similarly, lightly fry the eggplants and add a pinch of salt and turmeric while frying. Take out the lightly fried eggplants.
6. Add the cut potatoes to the cooking pan and then the kalonji. Stir well.
7. Incorporate the ginger-garlic and onion paste and fry it. Then, add the powdered masalas such as turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and roasted cumin powder. Add half a teaspoon of salt.
(Pro tip: Fry the masala until its raw smell disappears, but avoid letting it stick to the pan.)
8. Sauté it well for 5 minutes and then add water.
9. Once the oil separates from the masalas, add more water to make the curry. Adjust the amount of water to achieve the desired soupy consistency.
10. Add the fried fish and eggplants to the curry and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Finally, add the green chilies and roasted cumin powder as a garnish.
(Pro tip: I always add green chilies and coriander in the end as it helps retain their natural flavor and enhance the taste of my dish).
12. Aloo Begun Macher Jhol is ready.
Give It a Twist
- I sometimes substitute bata fish with rohu when the former is not available.
- To enhance the mustard flavor, I sometimes add a bit more of the raw mustard oil at the end.
- I chop the brinjal into little bigger pieces in case it is too soft.
- I sometimes add some extra green chilies while cooking for our family members and guests who like their food spicy.
- On occasions when I feel like having a milder curry, I temper with a lesser quantity of the powdered masala and let the fish flavor dominate.
Aloo Begun Macher Jhol Recipe Simple Solutions
What is to be done if the potatoes get cooked unevenly in step 6?
Cook them for a longer time. Cut them into smaller, equal-sized pieces so that they get softened well while cooking.
How to avoid breaking of fried brinjal into pieces in step 10?
I would suggest you remove them gently and also not stir them in the curry after adding them.
What to do if the curry prepared is less spicy than expected?
I will slit the green chilies and add them to the curry to get more heat.
How to avoid breaking or crumbling of cooked potatoes before serving?
I always test the softness of the potatoes with a fork and handle them gently while removing and after adding them to the curry.
How to avoid the raw taste of the fish from within?
In step 1, make sure that each piece of fish is well coated with salt and turmeric.
Recipe Card:
Aloo Begun Macher Jhol (Fish Curry With Potato & Eggplant)
Ingredients
- Bata Fish – 500 gms cut and cleaned
- Brinjal – 3 Nos cut and cleaned
- Potato – 2 Nos cut and cleaned
- Salt – As required
- Mustard Oil – 3 Tablespoons
- Ginger Garlic & Onion Paste – 3 Tablespoons
- Turmeric – 1.5 Tablespoons
- Red Chili Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Coriander Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 Tablespoon
- Green Chilies – 5 Nos
- Kalonji – 1 Tablespoon
- Water as much as required
Instructions
- First, marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric, using your bare hands. Allow it to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Next, heat a pan. Pour in the mustard oil and heat it up, then carefully add the fish to the pan. (Pro tip: Ensure that you heat the mustard oil properly before adding the fish to reduce its raw smell.)
- Fry the fish on both sides by flipping it to the other side, ensuring it is lightly fried.
- Take out fried fish and keep them on a separate plate.
- Similarly, lightly fry the eggplants and add a pinch of salt and turmeric while frying. Take out the lightly fried eggplants.
- Add the cut potatoes to the cooking pan and then the kalonji. Stir well.
- Incorporate the ginger-garlic and onion paste and fry it. Then, add the powdered masalas such as turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and roasted cumin powder. Add half a teaspoon of salt. (Pro tip: Fry the masala until its raw smell disappears, but avoid letting it stick to the pan.)
- Sauté it well for 5 minutes and then add water.
- Once the oil separates from the masalas, add more water to make the curry. Adjust the amount of water to achieve the desired soupy consistency.
- Add the fried fish and eggplants to the curry and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finally, add the green chilies and roasted cumin powder as a garnish. (Pro tip: I always add green chilies and coriander in the end as it helps retain their natural flavor and enhance the taste of my dish).
- Aloo Begun Macher Jhol is ready.
