Kalo Jeere Kacha Lanka Diye Ilish(Hilsa with Green Chillies and Nigella Seeds)

I remember when I was young I never ever loved Hilsa. "Yuk!" sums up my reaction to Hilsa when I was a kid.And I too remember that my uncle used to say "You will develop taste only when you grow up". So, now, that I have grown up(but will always remain a kid to my parents) I can realise what uncle used to mean.Hilsa is truly the golden boy amongst fishes.Cook it either way it will always remain THE item in the menu.In one of my first posts in this blog I had mentioned the different ways of cooking Hilsa: Simply as
fries,Steamed,Paturi,Sorsey bata(Mustard Paste) curry. But whereas I have touched upon these aspects in the other posts, heres another recipe thats missing from the list: Hilsa with Green Chillies and Nigella Seeds(Bengali: Kalo Jeere Kacha Lanka Diye Ilish).Some people also call this menu "Ilisher Lanka Pora Jhol(Lanka Pora: Burnt Green Chilli)

Kalo Jeerey Kacha Lanka Diye Hilsa

This is an extremely simple stuff to prepare and does not require more than 20 mins. Once we had returned home at 10 ish at night from work and dinner was yet to be prepared.We prepared rice and Kalo Jeere Kacha Lanka Ilish by 10 45. Its light, tasty and obviously not healthy! Hilsa yields a huge amount of calories primarily due to the oily nature of the fish.

Infact when a good Hilsa is fried then it starts releasing oil in the pan by itself.So, after frying the first piece of the fish, the subsequent pieces can be cooked in the oil released by the earlier pieces.The amount of oil released by a Hilsa is an indicator of the quality of the fish. This is especially important for the Kalo Jeere Kacha Lanka recipe because the ingredients are few and the quality of the fish directly dictates the quality of the curry.

Ilshey Begum (Brinjal specially used in Hilsa Curry)

The other important requirement for the curry is "Ilshey Begun(Begun stands for Brinjal in bengali). These brinjals are small and used particularly for Hilsa fish curry, which is why the name "Ilshey" precedes it.My in laws have Ilshey Begun growing in their garden, so I am kind of lucky to pluck the freshest ones from the plant itself.Incase you donot find this variety then use the regular brinjal.

Preparation:

• Hilsa Pieces: 2.Coat the pieces with 1 tsp tumeric powder and salt. Put 1/2 tsp of mustard oil.
• Potato: 1. Sliced longitudinally.Coat the potato with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and salt.
• Brinjal(Ilshey Begun):2. Sliced Longitudinally.Then divide the length by half.Coat the pieces with 1 tsp tumeric powder and salt. 
• Mustard Oil: 1.5 tbsp.

Keep aside all of the above for 5 mins.


Procedure:

• Put the mustard oil(1.5 tbsp) in a heavy bottomed pan and wait until it becomes hot.
• Lightly fry the fish pieces for 1 - 1.5 mins on each sides.Hilsa is a very soft fish and does not require much frying.
• In the left over oil(Tip: A good Hilsa will release oil, if it doesnot then you need to add extra mustard oil), stir and fry the potatoes and bringal slices together for a maximum of 3 minutes. Remove them from the pan once done.

Cooking:
Ingredients:

• Nigella Seeds: 1/4th tsp(18-20 granules)
• Green Chillies: 4-8.Slit.
• Mustard Oil: 1.5 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp.
• Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp.For that extra punch!

Procedure:

• In medium-high heat: Add the 1.5 table spoon of mustard oil in the pan.Once the oil gets hot add the nigella seeds and slit green chillies.
• Gradually the green chillies will burn and an intense aroma will evolve.When you are on the verge of coughing(I am sure burnt green chillies fervour will induce coughing in most people in the kitchen), Add a little amount(50 ml) of warm water.
• Add salt to taste, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.Stir and mix them thoroughly.
• Once the water level reduces(this should be the situation in 5 mins), add the fried brinjals,potatoes and fish pieces.
• Add the amount of water that is required for the curry.
• Reduce the heat to low. 
• Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 15 mins. 
• Garnish with Slit green chillies and enjoy it with Steamed rice.

Stay tuned for Hilsa Pulao. Coming soon.