Ilish Maach Bhapa - A Bengali Delight

I love to eat fish .... mostly ilish maach & chingri maach ( Shrimps ) .
We bengalis eat them by frying with Kichuri or Hilsa paturi ( cooked in a banana leaf with some spices ) or hilsa jhol or hilsa bhapa .But my fabourite one is my mom's version of Hilsa Bhapa ....It was one of my favourite food from my moms place . Here in Dubai , I sometimes get those ilish maach . & yesterday when I got some of them I quickly grab them .So I made some ilish bhapa for dinner . Here is the recipe :



Ingredients :

1. Ilish Maach - 750 gms ( approx 5-6 pcs )
2. 3 tsp Mustard Seeds
3. 4-5 green chillies
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5. 3 tsp Poppy Seeds
6. salt to taste
7. 3-4 tsp Mustard Oil
8. 3-4 tsp water






Method :

1. First make a paste with poppy seed , Mustard Seeds & 3 green chillies.
2. clean & wash the ilish maach pieces properly .
3. In a stainless steel tiffin box or small pot with lid put the fish pieces , the masala paste , salt , turmeric , oil , 2 slit green chillis & water( don't put much water otherwise it will become more watery ) .
4. now close the lid of the container .
5. In a heavy bottom vessel/kadai add some water & place the container in the middle of the pot . Make sure that the water should not reach till the container lid .
6. Put the gas on low & let it bring to the boil . Let it boil for 20-25min .
7. Put the gas off & carefully take out the stainless steel tiffin box /container out from the kadai ( as the stainless steel tiffin box /container will be hot ) .
8. let it be for 5 min for simmer & serve warm with hot rice .