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Katla macher kalia is a very popular Bengali fish curry dish that is made of large chunks of Katla fish, which is cooked in a thick sauce made of onions and a combination of whole spices along with ginger and garlic pastes, yogurt, cashew pastes, raisins, and ghee that makes this dish a royal one. The marinated chunks of fish are fried and further cooked in this sauce so that they become very soft. You can refer to my easy recipe to know how to prepare Katla macher kalia at home.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Katla macher kalia is a popular traditional fish curry from Eastern India, especially loved in Bengali households.
It is best served with hot steamed rice or pulao for a comforting and satisfying meal.

The dish has a rich, mildly spicy, and slightly sweet taste with a thick, flavorful gravy.
Other similar recipes are rui macher kalia, katla macher jhol, doi katla, and rui macher kosha.

The Ingredients:

To marinate the fish pieces:

1 kg Katla fish (cut into large pieces)
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp salt

To cook the dish:

4 tbsp mustard oil
4 pieces green cardamom (whole pods)
1 piece cinnamon (half-inch stick)
2 pieces cloves
2 pieces bay leaves (torn in half)
2 pieces dry red chilies (whole, without stalk)
1 cup onion paste (3 medium-sized onions)
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp cumin paste
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Water – as required
2 tbsp curd (whisked)
2 tbsp cashew nut paste
1 piece tomato (small size, cut into small pieces)
1 tbsp raisin paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

I obtained this recipe for Katla macher kalia during my visit to my maternal aunt’s place one lazy afternoon. In my family, she is known to make authentic Bengali recipes. She made this dish for lunch that day. I was helping her in the kitchen and watched every step very closely. While cooking, she also provided me with some tricks regarding the marinating of fish during the process of frying, and I jotted them down in my kitchen notebook the same evening. Hearing her discussions while learning the recipe is itself an enlightening experience because recipes are learned through discussions and not through readings of books.

I made it the following weekend with my husband and two sons in the house. The aroma filled the whole kitchen, and believe me, it turned out quite tasty, just like my aunt’s. My husband liked it and said it was like the ones they had during party lunches, while my sons readily requested a second serving with some rice. It made me feel fortunate to have discovered such a recipe.

How to Make Katla Macher Kalia? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Take 1 kg of Katla fish (cut into large pieces), wash them nicely, dry them, and keep them on a plate. Mix 1 tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of red chili powder, and 1 tsp of salt on every piece nicely with your hand and keep the plate aside for about 10 minutes to marinate.

Step 2: Then, heat 4 tbsp of mustard oil in a kadai over a high flame. When hot, reduce the flame to medium and put in the fish pieces, leaving enough space in between two pieces. Flip very carefully when one side is fried well. Remove them to a separate bowl when both sides are fried nicely and keep them aside. Repeat the process to fry all the fish pieces.

Step 3: In the same oil, put in 4 pieces of green cardamom (whole pods), 1 piece of cinnamon (half-inch stick), 2 pieces of cloves, 2 pieces of bay leaves (torn in half), and 2 pieces of dry red chilies (whole, without stalks). Sauté them for about 10 seconds. Then, add 1 cup of onion paste (3 medium-sized onions) to it. Stir continuously and fry on a low to medium flame until the raw smell of the onion is gone and it turns slightly golden brown in color.

Step 4: At this stage, put in 1 tbsp each of garlic paste, ginger paste, and cumin paste, followed by ½ tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of red chili powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Add a little bit of water and mix everything nicely. Stir and cook nicely on a low flame for about 7 to 8 minutes until it releases oil.

Step 5: Now, add 2 tbsp of whisked curd, 2 tbsp of cashew nut paste, 1 piece of tomato (small size, cut into small pieces), 1 tbsp of raisin paste, salt to taste, and 1 tsp of sugar to it and mix well. Cook the masala for another 10 to 12 minutes or so on a low flame. Now, pour 2 cups of water and mix nicely. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until the water comes to a boil. At this stage, add the fried pieces of fish to it one by one very carefully. Mix and let it cook for another 6 to 7 minutes on a medium flame.

Step 6: Finally, add 1 tsp of garam masala powder and ½ tbsp of ghee (clarified butter) to it. Switch off the flame of the gas stove, and cover the kadai and let it sit for 5 to 6 minutes to let the flavor of ghee and garam masala infuse properly with the fish kalia.

Step 7: After 5 minutes, remove the cover and give it a nice mix. Your tasty and spicy homemade Katla macher kalia is now ready. Transfer it to a plate and serve with steamed rice.