Pabda Mach Kalo Jeera Diye is a famous fish curry recipe from Bengal. Pabda fish is variety of catfish which is called butter catfish. Pabda fish is tasty and flavourful as well as healthy too. The flesh of pabda is very soft and it has smooth skin. It is a no onion no garlic fish curry. In a Bengali home, fishes including Rohu, Katla, Bhetki are cooked regularly. Pabdas are not regular affair, it comes mostly once or twice in a month in my home. It is difficult to cook pabda in very less oil. Pabda has a tendency to stick to the pan though you use a non-stick pan. Hence you have to use more oil to fry them up. The flesh of the fish is very delicate so fry pabda in hot oil only for few minutes and do not forget to cover with a lid as pabda splutter in hot oil.
I also cook pabda in onion-ginger-tomato based gravy, which is quite similar to the Fish Kalia. Have you ever tried cooking Pabda? If you have any new recipes with Pabda, please share it with me…
Servings – 3
Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Tine – 30 minutes
Pabda Mach Kalo Jeera Diye / Pabda Fish Curry / Butter Catfish Curry
Pabda Mach – 3, large
Potato – 1 medium, sliced
Mustard Oil – 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder – 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Nigella Seeds – 1 teaspoon
Tomato – 1 chopped
Ginger Paste – 1 teaspoon
Cumin Powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander Leaves – chopped, 2 tablespoon
Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
Green Chilli – 2 nos
Water as required
Procedure
1. Wash and clean the fishes and marinate with salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fishes by covering with a lid. Be very careful while frying this fish as like other catfish pabda splutter in hot oil.
3. When the fishes are fried, take them out and keep aside.
4. Now in the same oil add the potatoes and fry them with little turmeric powder and salt. Once they are fried, take them out and keep aside.
5. In the mean time, take remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of water and allow them to soak for 5 minutes.
6. Next in the remaining oil add nigella seeds and add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook them well.
7. After that add ginger paste and stir well.
8. Now it is time to add the wet mixture of the spices which is prepared earlier. Keep on stirring it.
9. Add enough water (11/2 cup approx.) and allow it to boil. Add salt to taste.
10. Add the fried fish and boil for 10 minutes, switch off the gas and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Never made Bengali style fish curry.. Looks fab..
Never heard of this dish, though I am quite familiar with a Bengali style fish curry. Sincerely diviners. I bet will a sensation in my home front.