Our daily meal generally includes a fish curry almost every day particularly in lunch. That is why it cannot be too rich and spicy all the time. The light gravy which we call ‘Jhol’ or gravy per say is prepared without any onion or garlic and does have minimum spices. Today’s recipe comprises of one of such fish curries made with Pabda fish or Pabo Catfish. Though Pabda Macher Jhal/ Pabo Catfish in mustard curry is already shared and in fact quite common as this light gravy is equally enjoyable.

Ingredients to serve 2 :

1. Pabda Fish – 4 pieces (medium size)
2. Tomato – 1 (small, chopped)
3. Green Chili – 2
4. Ginger – ½ inch piece (grated)
5. Fresh coriander leaves – 2 tbspoon (chopped)
6. Kalonji or nigella seed (kalo jeere) – ½ teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
8. Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
9. Coriander powder – ½ teaspoon
10. Red chili powder – ½ teaspoon
11. Salt to taste
12. Mustard oil – 5-6 tbspoon

Procedure :

• At first clean and wash the pieces of Pabda, smear with salt and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and keep aside.

• Then heat oil in a kadai over medium flame. Fry both sides of the fishs till they turn light golden brown in colour. Take out them from oil and keep aside. Don’t over fry the fishes.

• Now add kalo jeere or nigella seeds and green chili in the remaining oil, sauté for few seconds.
• Then add chopped tomato and grated ginger. Cook till tomato turns mushy.
• Then add remaining turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Cook all the spices for a minute till oil separates from the mixture.
• Now add 1 cup of warm water.
• As the water starts boiling add fried fishes into it. Cover the kadai with a lid and let it cook over medium flame till gravy thickens to your desired consistency.

• After the put off the flame and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.
• Again, cover the kadai and give it a standing time for couple of minutes.
• Serve with plain rice.

Note :

• Coriander leaves are optional. If you don’t like it, then skip it.
• Pabda fishes are often available in much bigger size to that I have used in this recipe. In that case you can cut the fish into halves for frying it easily.