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Muri ghonto is a traditional Bengali dish that mainly features fish head, fragrant Gobindobhog rice, potatoes, and a delicious mix of both whole and ground spices. It is usually made using Katla or Rohu fish head, which is slowly braised so that the rice gets the wonderful flavors of mustard oil, ghee, garam masala, and fish head pieces. The core of this comforting dish is fried fish head, potatoes, and freshly ground masala paste, and the final result is a thick, spicy, and mildly sweet curry. Check out my simple recipe to get familiar with the procedure of making muri ghonto at home.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Muri ghonto is a highly popular traditional Bengali fish-head preparation enjoyed across eastern India, especially in West Bengal.
It is best served with hot steamed rice for a wholesome and comforting meal.

Muri ghonto has a rich, spicy, aromatic, and slightly sweet flavor profile.
Other similar recipes are macher matha diye dal, macher matha diye bandhakopi, and fish head curry.

The Ingredients:

To marinate and fry the fish head:

1 fish head (Katla or Rohu fish head, cut in half)

1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp salt (namak)
1 tbsp mustard oil

To make the masala paste:

1 piece onion (medium size, roughly chopped)
1 piece ginger (half inch size, cut into small pieces)
12 pieces garlic cloves (peeled, whole)
2 tomatoes (medium size, sliced roughly)
1 piece cinnamon (1 inch stick)
2 pieces cloves
2 pieces green cardamom (whole pods)

To prepare the potatoes:

3 pieces potatoes (medium size, cut into 4 pieces each)
1 tbsp mustard oil

To cook the muri ghonto:

1 piece bay leaf (torn in half)
1 piece dry red chili (broken in half)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ cup rice (Atap, Gobindobhog)
1 piece onion (small size, cut into four pieces)
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin seed powder
½ tsp coriander seed powder
½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
¼ tsp sugar
3 cups water (warm)
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
½ tsp Shahi garam masala powder
6 pieces green chilies (slit longitudinally from the middle)

I learned this recipe from one of my aunts, who narrated the recipe to me in a very detailed manner, and I jotted down everything in my old recipe notebook. I made the recipe for dinner the following Sunday without my husband and two sons knowing about it. In fact, I was a bit nervous since fish head dishes are very delicate and might not always turn out well. To my surprise, the dish was so yummy that the rice was great with good flavors, the potatoes were tender, and the fish head gave that deep, hearty taste that really made the dish.

My husband was quite impressed, to say the least, and the two little ones even amazed me by their asking for a second helping. Seeing the smiles on their faces definitely made the entire process very satisfying for me, and I felt so fortunate and grateful for having come across and saved this amazing recipe.

How to Make Muri Ghonto? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Marinate 1 fish head (Katla or Rohu fish head, cut in half) with 1 tsp of turmeric powder (haldi) and 1 tsp of salt (namak).

Step 2: Make a fine paste of one medium-sized onion, a piece of ginger (half-inch size, cut into small pieces), 12 pieces of peeled, whole garlic cloves, 2 pieces of medium-sized tomatoes (sliced roughly), 1 piece of cinnamon (1-inch stick), 2 pieces of cloves, and 2 whole pods of green cardamom.

Step 3: Fry the marinated fish heads in 1 tbsp of mustard oil to a nice golden color and keep aside.

Step 4: Fry the potatoes golden brown.

Step 5: Fry 1 piece of bay leaf (torn in half), 1 piece of dry red chili (broken in half), ½ tsp of cumin seeds (jeera), and ½ cup of Gobindobhog rice for a minute. Add 1 onion cut into four pieces and masala paste.

Step 6: Add salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of cumin seed powder, ½ tsp of coriander seed powder, ½ tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ¼ tsp of sugar, and the fried potatoes.