Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal is a spicy and delicious Bengali fish curry. This dish is made with fresh tilapia fish and a few common spices, cooked perfectly with tomatoes to add the tanginess.
Cooked basically with mustard oil, the taste of the tender flesh and mild flavor of the fish is further enhanced by the aromatic spices included in it.
The recipe is quite simple to make at home as you will find when you follow my instructions below.
Key Takeaways:
- Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal is a spicy Bengali fish curry made with tilapia fish known for its mild flavor and tender flesh.
- It combines aromatic spices, tangy tomatoes, pungent mustard oil, and fiery green chilies for a burst of flavors.
- Marinating the fish with turmeric and salt enhances taste and removes fishy smell.
- Serve with steamed rice.
- If are looking for an alternative to this dish, you can try several other by simply replacing the tilapia fish with other variants such as Pabda fish, Chitol fish, Rohu fish, Bhetki fish, or large prawns.
The Ingredients
- Tilapia fish: 400 gm (cut & cleaned)
- Ginger: ½ tbsp (grated)
- Garlic: 5 cloves (grated)
- Cumin powder: ½ tbsp
- Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
- Red chili powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder: ½ tbsp
- Tomato: 1 medium size (chopped)
- Onion: 1 big size (chopped)
- Green chilis: 3 pieces (slit)
- Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
- Mustard oil: 5 tbsp
- Salt to taste
How to Cook Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal (Step by Step Images)?
1. Marinate the Tilapia fish with ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of turmeric powder. Leave it for 15 minutes.
2. Add 3 tbsp of mustard oil to the wok and let it heat up. Gently add the fish into the hot oil and fry them.
(Expert tip: Add oil as per your preference. Be very careful while adding the fish into the oil.)
3. Flip them over and fry both sides. Take them out on a plate when they are done.
4. Now add 2 tbsp of mustard oil into the same wok. This is an oily & spicy recipe which requires a little more oil than usual. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions. Stir the onions until they turn a light brown color.
5. Add the grated ginger and garlic when the onions are lightly fried. Stir it nicely until the raw smell goes away.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir them nicely till the tomatoes become mushy.
7. Now add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Mix everything very well. Add a little bit of water and then cook; otherwise, the spices will get burnt.
8. When it is stirred nicely, add 1 tbsp of salt. Stir it again until the raw smell from the powdered spices goes away.
9. When it is stirred nicely, add 1 cup of water into the mixture and mix everything. Now cover it with a lid and let it come to a boil.
10. When the gravy starts boiling, add the fried fish. Now cover it with a lid.
11. Remove the lid. Add green chilis now. Let it cook for a few minutes.
(Expert tip: Add the chilis after the gravy boils, otherwise, they will boil completely.)
12. It’s done after a few minutes. Turn off the gas and sprinkle the coriander leaves on top.
13. Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal is ready. Transfer it to a serving bowl. Serve it with steamed rice.
Recipe Card:
Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal
Ingredients
- 400 grams Tilapia fish (cut & cleaned)
- ½ tbsp Ginger (grated)
- 5 cloves Garlic (grated)
- ½ tbsp Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Red chili powder
- ½ tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 piece Tomato (chopped)
- 1 piece Onion (chopped)
- 3 pieces Green chili (slit)
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
- 5 tbsp Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the Tilapia fish with ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of turmeric powder. Leave it for 15 minutes.
- Add 3 tbsp of mustard oil to the wok and let it heat up. Gently add the fish into the hot oil and fry them.(Pro tip: Add oil as per your preference. Be very careful while adding the fish into the oil.)
- Flip them over and fry both sides. Take them out on a plate when they are done.
- Now add 2 tbsp of mustard oil into the same wok. This is an oily & spicy recipe which requires a little more oil than usual. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions. Stir the onions until they turn a light brown color.
- Add the grated ginger and garlic when the onions are lightly fried. Stir it nicely until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir them nicely till the tomatoes become mushy
- Now add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Mix everything very well. Add a little bit of water and then cook; otherwise, the spices will get burnt.
- When it is stirred nicely, add 1 tbsp of salt. Stir it again until the raw smell from the powdered spices goes away.
- When it is stirred nicely, add 1 cup of water into the mixture and mix everything. Now cover it with a lid and let it come to a boil.
- When the gravy starts boiling, add the fried fish. Now cover it with a lid.
- Remove the lid. Add green chilis now. Let it cook for a few minutes.(Pro tip: Add the chilis after the gravy boils, otherwise, they will boil completely.)
- It’s done after a few minutes. Turn off the gas and sprinkle the coriander leaves on top.
- Tilapia Macher Tel Jhal is ready. Transfer it to a serving bowl. Serve it with steamed rice.
