Pomfret Macher Kalia (Spicy Pomfret Curry)

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Ingredients and Spices:

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Pomfret: 4 medium sized pomfret fish totaling 325 gms approx. (Serves 4 people)

Onion Paste: 200 gms

Tomato Puree: 75 gms

Kalo Jeera: 1/2 tsf (Nigella Seeds)

Mustard Oil: 4 tbsf

Black Mustard Seeds: 2 tsf

Turmeric Powder: 1 & 1/2 tsf

Red Chilli Powder ( Kashmiri red chilli for flavor and color ): 1 tsf

Ginger Paste: 1 tsf

Garlic Paste: 1 tsf

Green Chillies: 2-3 whole

Salt: 2 & 1/2 tsf

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Initial Preparation:

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Wash and clean the fish properly after removing the guts and put them in a bowl. Add 1/2 tsf turmeric powder and 1/2 tsf salt to the fish, rub properly and set aside.

Paste the mustard in a grinding stone till it is smooth. Rinse it through a sieve by adding 2 tbsf of water and collect the paste. Throw away the fragments of skin that remain behind. (This is the authentic way to get the best flavor out of mustard but 2 to 2 & 1/2 tsf of ready-made mustard paste can also be used)

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Method:

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1. Pour 3 tbsf of mustard oil in a kadai and heat the oil over medium flame. Fry the fish in the oil one by one for two minutes each. Turn them over their sides after one minute of frying. Keep them aside after you are through with the frying.

2. Add 1 tbsf of oil to the oil used for frying the fish and heat the oil again for 5-6 seconds over a high flame and then turn down the heat to sim.

3. Add 1/2 tsf Kalo Jeera to the oil. Wait for 5 seconds and then add the entire onion, garlic and ginger paste, 1 & 1/2 tsf of salt, 1 tsf of turmeric, 1 tsf of chilli powder and the entire mustard paste to the oil. Add the green chillies whole.

4. Cover with a lid and fry the contents over a flame slightly greater that simmer for 6 minutes. Stir the contents 3 to 4 times in between.

5. Remove the lid and keep frying for 3 more minutes. Stir the contents 2 to three times in between.

6. Turn down the heat to sim and add the fish. Add 2 cups of water and stir. Cover with a lid and cook for a minute over medium flame.

7. As the water starts to boil, turn down the heat a little and cook for one more minute.

8. Turn down the heat to sim and cook for 6 more minutes with the lid on. Lift the lid occasionally to stir the contents slowly.(Be careful not to break the fish)