Katla Macher Kalia

This monsoon season,we have been fortunate enough to have some really good Hilsas.The reason being the shop keeper from whom I have been buying the fish is an extremely reliable chap.And for a change,sometime back, we wanted to have Katla fish.Ideally Katla comprises the lunch menu atleast 3 out of the 7 days but as I said, its monsoon, so Katla had taken a back seat this time!So, it was all decided, Katla Macher Kalia will be cooked by me for the wife.

Katla Macher Kalia

Now Katla Macher Kalia reminds me of Bengali Matrimony!Ask why - and it is because you will find Macher Kalia being served in almost every Bengali Marriage Reception even to this day.And for that matter the fish will be deep fried so that the skin becomes real hard and the gravy will be served thick with onions,garam masala  and oodles of mustard oil.One other aspect of the Biye Barir Kalia is that it becomes heavenly the next day.

Choosing the right fish for the menu is a very important.That is because, unlike Chicken and Mutton,which are freshly cut in front of the customer, fishes are stored in refrigerators which is why many customers are fooled while buying fishes.Mind that, I am talking about the scenario in a typical Indian bazaar.For a Kalia, use slices of a big Katla fish.The fish should weigh something between 8-10 kgs and should be a fresh catch for the matter.The fresh catch and high on weight ensure that the fish is oily and mature and adds a terrific balance to the menu.In Bengali a mature Katla or Rohu is called "Paka Rui" or "Paka Katla".

Ingredients:

• Katla Fish: 500 gms. Cut into 5 equal pieces, each weighing 100 gms. Coat them with salt and turmeric powder uniformly and leave aside for 4-5 mins.
• Onion:80-100 gms. Paste.
• Ginger:A half inch piece
• Green Chillies - 3-4
• Cashew Paste- 1.5 tb sp.
• Raisins - 8-10
• Whisked Yoghurt - 3 tbsp.
• Sugar - 1.5 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Mustard Oil: For frying the fish - 5 tb sp. For the curry - 2 tb sp.

Powdered Spices:

• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Spice Paste:

• Coriander Seed Paste - 1 tsp
• Dry Red Chilli Paste - 2 tsp
• Cumin Seed Paste - 1.5 tsp

Whole Spices:

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 2
• Dry Red Chillies - 2
• Green Cardamon - 3
• Cinnamon stick  - One 1 inch piece.

Procedure:
Frying the fish:

• Fry the fish pieces until brownish in colour. Usually I prefer the frying to be light, but the intention here is to recreate the "Biya Barir Macher Kalia" like the Thakur's prepare, so fry well.But donot fry so much that the fish surface becomes hard and impervious.I would suggest frying the pieces individually on both sides in the quantity of oil meant for frying. Regarding the time required ,for frying the first couple of pieces fry on each side for 3 mins but for the next 3 pieces, frying for2- 2.5 minutes on each side will suffice.Please note that as time progresses the temperature of the oil as well that of the wok increases and enables faster cooking.Put the fishes on a tissue paper after frying to soak in the extra amount of oil.

Cooking:

• Heat the oil meant for the curry, in a wok. 
• Add the entire contents of the whole spices along with 3-4 slit green chillies
• Once the spices sputter and set off their aroma, add the crushed ginger and onion paste.
• Add sugar to the mixture and wait for the onion to turn dark brown.Oil should start separating from the mixture, at this point:
• add the turmeric powder and the spice pastes. Reduce the heat and stir the mixture. 
• Add 5-6 tb sp of warm water, raisins, cashew paste and whisked yoghurt.
• Give the mixture one final stir and add some more water.Check for the level of salt and add more if required.
• Add the fish pieces to the curry now and cover the wok with a lid.
• Let it cook for 12-15 mins.
• The Kalia gravy should be dense, rich and oily. So, after 15 mins, incase the curry is watery, reduce the moisture by evaporating the mixture. Remove the contents from the wok and leave for 6-7 mins. The curry should become thicker.Garnish with  4-5 slit green chillies.

Serve with steamed rice.