Growing up, I would not have considered a Bengali monsoon complete without Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak simmering on the stove. This recipe comes from my own kitchen as I make pui shak, five vegetables, and hilsa heads slowly cooked together to create something that tastes like home. Simple ingredients come together to make a dish that I find myself returning to again and again.
At a Glance:
- Simple spices like ginger, garlic, turmeric, and fresh green chilies add to the taste and flavor.
- It is usually served with steamed rice but you may also have it with roti or paratha.
- Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak tastes exotic, savory, and rich with a hint of tanginess and earthy touch. The balanced heat and aroma offer a harmonious umami.
- From frying to simmering, it takes me about forty minutes to make this dish.
- If you want an alternative, you can try Ilish Macher Matha Diye Chorchori, Muri Ghonto, and Aloo Potol Posto.
The Ingredients:
- Hilsa Head: 4 Pieces (cleaned properly)
- Malabar Spinach: 500 grams (cut and cleaned)
- Potato 150 grams (peeled, cut and cleaned)
- Pumpkin 150 grams (peeled, cut and cleaned)
- Radish 150 grams (peeled, cut and cleaned)
- Eggplants 150 grams (cut and cleaned)
- Onion: 1 piece (finely sliced)
- Panch phoron half tbsp
- Bay Leaf 3 pieces
- Dry Red Chilis 3 pieces
- Turmeric Powder: 1 tbsp
- Red Chili Powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
- Ginger-Garlic Paste Made with 3 Red Chilies 2 tbsp (or freshly minced ginger and garlic along with ground green chilies)
- Mustard Oil 3 tbsp
- Salt to Taste
How to Cook Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak (Step by Step Images)?
1. Marinate the hilsa heads with salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. Pour oil into the wok.
3. Slide the hilsa heads one by one into the smoking oil.
4. After the heads are fried, take them out on a plate.
5. Fry potatoes and pumpkin in the same pan. Add some salt to the vegetables and continue stirring.
6. Take out the half-fried vegetables on a separate plate.
7. Add eggplants to the oil. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder.
8. Take out the lightly fried eggplants on a plate.
9. Add radish and stir for a few minutes before taking them out on the plate.
10. Add some oil to the wok.
11. Add bay leaf, dry chilis and panch phoran.
(Pro Tip: Pull the pan off heat the second they crackle because burnt panch phoron turns bitter fast.)
12. When they start spluttering, add Malabar spinach stems and sliced onions and cook till they turn light brown. Add some salt. Mix well.
13. After a few minutes, add ginger-garlic-chili paste and give it a good stir.
14. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix well. Add some water so that the spices are not overcooked.
15. Add all the lightly fried vegetables and give it a good stir.
16. Cover the wok with a lid.
17. When the vegetables are half done, add the fried hilsa heads, water and some salt.
18. Spread the Malabar spinach over the curry in a layer. Spinach will release water and will get cooked in its own juice. Let it cook for a few minutes.
(Pro tip: Make sure to add spinach later as doing so will help retain its colour.)
19. Cover it with the lid. Let it cook for sometimes. Open the lid and stir lightly.
20. Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak is ready and transfer it to a bowl. Serve it hot along with plain steamed rice.
Variations to Try
- Sometimes I substitute eggplant with green banana in season.
- I have used rohu heads instead of hilsa when it is not available.
- I avoid radish altogether in winter and add more pumpkin to sweeten the dish.
- I once added a handful of moong dal fritters to the dish. It made the dish richer and more wholesome than usual.
Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak Recipe Easy Remedies
Q: Going to step 2, the mustard oil had a harsh taste. How can I resolve this?
A: Simmer the oil till it reaches a smoking point and cool the oil for a second before putting the fish heads.
Q: The heads of hilsa gets stuck to the bottom of the wok when frying in step 3. Any fix for this?
A: I remember doing this in the beginning. Once again, allow the oil to warm before frying the heads.
Q: How might one avoid the bitter note in spinach?
A: I do it by adding the spinach only when the base of the curry has been properly caramelized. I found out that adding it earlier brings a bitter taste.
Q: After performing step 14, the spices seemed raw. How to avoid it from happening?
A: In order to avoid this problem, I add a tablespoon of water in the beginning and allow the masala to cook for a while.
Recipe Card:
Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak
Ingredients
- Hilsa Head: 4 Pieces cleaned properly
- Malabar Spinach: 500 grams cut and cleaned
- Potato 150 grams peeled, cut and cleaned
- Pumpkin 150 grams peeled, cut and cleaned
- Radish 150 grams peeled, cut and cleaned
- Eggplants 150 grams cut and cleaned
- Onion: 1 piece finely sliced
- Panch phoron half tbsp
- Bay Leaf 3 pieces
- Dry Red Chilis 3 pieces
- Turmeric Powder: 1 tbsp
- Red Chili Powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
- Ginger-Garlic Paste Made with 3 Red Chilies 2 tbsp or freshly minced ginger and garlic along with ground green chilies
- Mustard Oil 3 tbsp
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Marinate the hilsa heads with salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
- Pour oil into the wok.
- Slide the hilsa heads one by one into the smoking oil.
- After the heads are fried, take them out on a plate.
- Fry potatoes and pumpkin in the same pan. Add some salt to the vegetables and continue stirring.
- Take out the half-fried vegetables on a separate plate.
- Add eggplants to the oil. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder.
- Take out the lightly fried eggplants on a plate.
- Add radish and stir for a few minutes before taking them out on the plate.
- Add some oil to the wok.
- Add bay leaf, dry chilies and panch phoron. (Pro Tip: Pull the pan off heat the second they crackle because burnt panch phoron turns bitter fast.)
- When they start spluttering, add Malabar spinach stems and sliced onions and cook till they turn light brown. Add some salt. Mix well.
- After a few minutes, add ginger-garlic-chili paste and give it a good stir.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix well. Add some water so that the spices are not overcooked.
- Add all the lightly fried vegetables and give it a good stir.
- Cover the wok with a lid.
- When the vegetables are half done, add the fried hilsa heads, water and some salt.
- Spread the Malabar spinach over the curry in a layer. Spinach will release water and will get cooked in its own juice. Let it cook for a few minutes. (Pro tip: Make sure to add spinach later as doing so will help retain its colour.)
- Cover it with the lid. Let it cook for some time. Open the lid and stir lightly.
- Ilish Macher Matha Diye Pui Shak is ready and transfer it to a bowl. Serve it hot along with plain steamed rice.
