Eating fish in Kolkatta was a real pleasure, given we’d spent months far removed from anything aquatic in the deserts of Rajasthan.  This fish curry was our first stop on our way southward and definitely hit the right spot!

Ingredients:

• Fish fillets, cut into large chunks (how hungry are you?  Put THAT many in, hehe)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to season
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
• 2 whole dried chillies
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp red chilli poweder
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• ¾ cup water
• 4 green chillies

And then:

1. Marinate fish chunks with lime juice, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tbsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned. Take off and keep aside.
3. Heat up remaining oil, mix in mustard seeds, kalonji, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf, stir fry for a few minutes till seeds crackles, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry again for a moment.
4. Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour. Mix in mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.
5. Adjust water and salt, bring to boil and then mix in shallow fried fish, put green chilli slits on top. Stir fry on a slow flame until fish get cooked and oil starts floating on top of gravy.
6. Take off the heat and garnish with fresh coriander.