Rui Machher Jhaal Kalia - Spicy Fish Kalia

For every cooking style of the Bengali kitchen, you will find one we have tried with the Rui fish (grass carp). Be it jhole, jhaal, kormal or kalia – rui can do it justice. Of the many different kalia recipes, this particular one is quite spicy and the resultant gravy has a very rich and suitable red color.



Ingredients

• 2 lb fish, cut into 3/4 inch steaks
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
• 4 green chili, slit down the middle
• 3 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cooking oil, preferable mustard oil
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Steps

1. Marinate the fish with 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp of salt and set aside
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over high heat
3. Fry the fish until golden brown (do note that the oil must be very hot or else the fish will stick to the pan). Set aside the fish
4. Trun down the heat to medium, and in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf until it seeds start to splutter
5. Add the onion, garlic, and green chili and stir fry until the onions start to caramelize
6. Add the remainder of the spices along with 1/4 cup of water and fry the spices until most of the water evaporates
7. Add in the yogurt and stir fry until it starts to stick to the pan
8. Add the fish steaks turning them over so that both sides have a liberal coating of the spices
9. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil
10. Sprinkle in the rest of the salt and the optional sugar (check for seasoning and add additional salt if ncessary)
11. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens

 

Rui fish in a spicy tomato and onion sauce

This rui fish (Labeo rohita) is a fish of the carp family and commonly found in the rivers and ponds of Bangladesh. This fish is considered a delicacy in Bangladesh.



Ingredients

• 2 lbs of rui steaks
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paanch phoron
• One large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 green chilis, slit lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• One 8 oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water

Steps

1. Pat the steaks dry and rub them down with the 1/2 tsp of turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
2. In a cooking pot, heat the oil over medium high heat
3. When hot, fry the fish steaks until lightly brown
4. Remove the fish from the pot and set aside
5. Add the paanch phoron to the oil and stir
6. As soonn as the paanch phoron starts to splutter, add in the onions, garlic and green chilis
7. Stir and fry until the onions turn slightly brown
8. Add in the remaining turmeric and red chili powder and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes
9. Add the tomatoes and fry for 5-7 minutes until soft
10. Add the cumin powder and fry for another 2-3 minutes
11. Turn heat down to medium
12. Using a spoon make room in the middle of the dish for the fish steaks by moving the tomato and onion mixture to the edge of the pot
13. Gently put the fried fish steaks back into the pot
14. Spoon over the fish some of the tomato and onion mixture from the side
15. Add in the water and cook covered for an additional 20 minutes
16. Serve over white rice