Sorshe Ilish, also known as mustard Hilsa, is a traditional Bengali dish that combines two iconic ingredients: hilsa fish and mustard.
It is a popular delicacy in the region of West Bengal, Bangladesh, and other parts of Eastern India.
The Hilsa fish, also known as Ilish, is a highly sought-after fish known for its distinct flavor. Check out my easy-to-follow recipe below.
Key Takeaways:
- Sorshe Ilish is a traditional dish of West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Eastern India made from Hilsa fish, mustard, and few other spices.
- The uniqueness of the dish is using raw fish and steaming it gently so that the juice of the fish integrates nicely with the mustard paste.
- Fresh fish, mustard paste, green chilies, and mustard oil provides the rich, mildly hot, savory, pungent flavor. The juice of the raw Hilsa fish adds to the uniqueness and taste.
- As alternatives, you can try making the mustard fish curry with Rohu or Pomfret, mustard chicken, and mustard paneer.
The Ingredients:
- Hilsa Fish: 5 Pieces (cut and cleaned)
- Black Mustard Paste: 3 big tbl spoons (paste made with a pinch of salt and three green chilies to avoid bitterness and strained)
- Turmeric Powder: ½ tbl spoon
- Kashmiri Red Chilies: ½ tbl spoon
- Black Cumin Seeds: ½ tbl spoon
- Green Chilies: 7
- Mustard Oil – 3 tbl spoons
- Salt to Taste
How to Cook Sorshe Ilish (Step by Step Images)?
1. Marinate the Hilsa fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder. Leave them for 10 minutes.
2. Put a cooking pan on the gas stove and turn it on.
3. Pour mustard oil into the pan.
4. When the oil is hot, add black cumin seeds.
5. Stir a little and add two green chilies.
6. The ingredients will start fluttering. Reduce the flame.
7. Add ½ tbl spoon each of turmeric and Kashmiri red chili powder.
8. Add a little amount of water.
9. Sauté on a low flame.
10. After a little while, add mustard paste to the oil. Don’t stir too much as the gravy will turn bitter.
11. After 5 minutes, pour 1 cup of water into the pan.
12. After a while, add some salt and the green chilies.
13. Once the curry comes to a boil, add the Hilsa fish pieces one by one.
14. Put a lid on the pan and leave it to cook for 10 minutes.
15. Remove the lid and turn the fish pieces upside down.
16. Put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes.
17. After the fishes are well cooked, reduce the flame further and add 1 tbl spoon of mustard oil. The mustard oil added at the last moment gives the dish a strong and distinct aroma.
18. Turn off the gas stove. Put the lid once again and leave it for 5 minutes so that the strong flavour of mustard oil does not escape the pan.
19. Transfer Sorshe Ilish to a bowl. Serve it hot along with plain steamed rice.
Recipe Card:
Sorshe Ilish (Mustard Hilsa)
Ingredients
- 500 grams Hilsa Fish (cut into five pieces and cleaned)
- 3 tablespoons Black Mustard Paste (paste made with a pinch of salt and three green chilies to avoid bitterness and strained)
- ½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilies
- ½ tablespoon Black Cumin Seeds
- 7 pieces Green Chilies
- 3 tablespoons Mustard Oil
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Marinate the Hilsa fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder. Leave them for 10 minutes.
- Put a cooking pan on the gas stove and turn it on.
- Pour mustard oil into the pan.
- When the oil is hot, add black cumin seeds.
- Stir a little and add two green chilies.
- The ingredients will start fluttering. Reduce the flame.
- Add ½ tbl spoon each of turmeric and Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Add a little amount of water.
- Sauté on a low flame.
- After a little while, add mustard paste to the oil. Don’t stir too much as the gravy will turn bitter.
- After 5 minutes, pour 1 cup of water into the pan.
- After a while, add some salt and the green chilies.
- Once the curry comes to a boil, add the Hilsa fish pieces one by one.
- Put a lid on the pan and leave it to cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and turn the fish pieces upside down.
- Put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes.
- After the fishes are well cooked, reduce the flame further and add 1 tbl spoon of mustard oil. The mustard oil added at the last moment gives the dish a strong and distinct aroma.
- Turn off the gas stove. Put the lid once again and leave it for 5 minutes so that the strong flavour of mustard oil does not escape the pan.
- Transfer Sorshe Ilish to a bowl. Serve it hot along with plain steamed rice.
