Growing up, a special lunch at home would never be complete without a bowl of fish mustard curry kept beside the rice pot. My mother would often grind mustard seeds on a traditional “silbata” while telling me that the flavor gets entirely altered when they are ground in a machine. Bata fish is tender and has a sweetish flavor that is enhanced to great heights by the pungent mustard gravy. This is the recipe that I make for multiple occasions in my kitchen. I recreate my mother’s recipe to perfection every time.
Recipe Snapshot:
- Fish mustard curry, or Shorshe Maach, is a traditional gem of Bengali kitchens.
- The bold and distinct taste comes from the pungent mustard flavor and freshness of the fish.
- Bengali fish mustard is often enjoyed with steamed rice and can be accompanied by side dishes like mustard-infused potatoes.
- Fish mustard curry tastes, bold, pungent, tangy, earthy, and distinct, perfectly balanced with fresh green chilies and mustard oil.
- From marination to plating, it takes me around 35 minutes to cook this dish.
- You may try fish coconut curry, fish curry with tamarind, fish curry with tomato gravy, fish curry with yogurt, fish curry with kokum, and fish curry with green masala as close alternatives.
The Ingredients:
- Bata Fish (8 small pieces cut and cleaned)
- Mustard Paste: 4 tbsp (made with mustard seeds, three green chilies, and a little bit of salt)
- Green Chilies: 5-6
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp
- Black Cumin: ½ tsp
- Salt – As required
- Mustard Oil – 3 tsp
How to Cook Fish Mustard Curry (Step by Step Images)?
1. Marinate fish with salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the mustard paste.
(Pro Tip: I always use small bata fish pieces because it tastes better in the curry).
2. Place a cooking pan on the gas stove and turn it on. Pour oil into it.
3. Once the oil become hot, reduce the flame, add black cumin, and stir.
4. Add two green chilies and stir again for a few seconds.
5. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder (½ tsp of each) to the pan.
6. Stir for a few seconds and add a cup of water.
7. Add the mustard paste which is made with mustard seeds, three green chilies, and a little bit of salt. Salt and green chilies overpower the bitter taste of black mustard. Stir for 5 minutes and add more water. Add salt.
(Pro Tip: Strain the paste twice through a fine cloth. This will reduce bitterness).
8. Once the water starts boiling, gently add the fish to the cooking pan. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
9. Add more green chilies.
10. Add two teaspoons of mustard oil for a strong aromatic flavor.
(Pro Tip: Never skip the raw mustard oil finish. This is what gives shorshe maach its real punch).
11. Cover the cooking pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.
12. Turn off the gas stove. Pour the fish mustard curry onto a bowl. Serve it alongside steamed rice or shorshe bata diye alu (mustard-infused potatoes).
Give It a Twist
- If it is not available, I sometimes substitute bata for Rui or Pomfret.
- To make it tangier, sometimes I add a pinch of nigella seeds while tempering.
- I sometimes add a spoon of poppy seed paste along with the mustard to make it creamier.
- For guests who find raw mustard paste too strong, I temper it for a longer time to bring down its strong flavor.
Fish Mustard Curry Smart Solutions
Q: The fish broke into pieces while cooking. How to prevent it?
A: Add the fish only when the water started to boil, as mentioned in Step 8. I would also suggest you avoid stirring the curry after adding fish in it.
Q: My curry is very runny even after 10 minutes of cooking. What should I do?
A: I would let it cook for a few more minutes without a lid before covering it as mentioned in Step 11.
Q: Is there any solution for making a curry which has a raw or pungent flavor?
A: This happened to me once when the mustard was not cooked for long enough in Step 7. I suggest you give it an additional minute or two on a low flame the next time.
Q: I added extra red chili powder by mistake. What should I do?
A: I also did this in my early days of cooking. Add a bit of extra water while boiling as mentioned in Step 6 and skip adding the extra green chilies mentioned in Step 9.
Q: My curry does not have the strong aroma of raw mustard oil at the end. What should I do?
A: Sometimes, it happens to me as well. I learnt this the hard way. Simply add a bit more raw mustard oil while cooking as mentioned in Step 10.
Recipe Card:
Fish Mustard Curry (Shorshe Maach)
Ingredients
- 800 grams Bata Fish (8 medium size pieces cut and cleaned)
- 4 tablespoons Mustard Paste (made with mustard seeds, three green chilies, and a little bit of salt)
- 6 pieces Green Chilies
- ½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Black Cumin
- 3 tablespoons Mustard Oil
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Marinate fish with salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the mustard paste. (Pro Tip: I always use small bata fish pieces because it tastes better in the curry).
- Place a cooking pan on the gas stove and turn it on. Pour oil into it.
- Once the oil become hot, reduce the flame, add black cumin, and stir.
- Add two green chilies and stir again for a few seconds.
- Add turmeric powder and red chili powder (½ tsp of each) to the pan.
- Stir for a few seconds and add a cup of water.
- Add the mustard paste which is made with mustard seeds, three green chilies, and a little bit of salt. Salt and green chilies overpower the bitter taste of black mustard. Stir for 5 minutes and add more water. Add salt. (Pro Tip: Strain the paste twice through a fine cloth. This is my trick against bitterness).
- Once the water starts boiling, gently add the fish to the cooking pan. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Add more green chilies.
- Add two teaspoons of mustard oil for a strong aromatic flavor. (Pro Tip: Never skip the raw mustard oil finish. This is what gives shorshe maach its real punch).
- Cover the cooking pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the gas stove. Pour the fish mustard curry onto a bowl. Serve it alongside steamed rice or shorshe bata diye alu (mustard-infused potatoes).
