BAPPA ILISH (HILSA FISH STEAMED IN MUSTARD SAUCE)

When I was a child, on weekends, my father (Baba) used to take me to the big Sunday  market. Sunday Market visits were usually used to get the fresh and good quality non veg stuffs like Chicken, mutton & fishes. If lucky enough, he would get the best of  Ilish mach ( as this fish used to be seasonal at that time) and on returning my mother (Ma) would cook it in the most delicious way . 

Though we could never replicate the taste mother puts in her cooking, but me and my husband, Ritesh tried to experiment something close to that !

By experiment, I always means trying new cooking stuffs which can be cook in less time. 

So here our experiment goes...

Ingredients

• 1 kg Ilish (Hilsa), cut into shape of streak.
• 1 tsp turmeric powder.
• 2-3 tsp mustard seeds.
• 2-3 green chili slit from the middle.
• 1 big onion, chopped finely.
• 2 tsp mustard oil.
• 1/2 tsp salt ( you can adjust as per your taste).

Method

• Soak the mustard seeds for 10-15 minutes in 1/2 cup of warm water. Then Grind them to make a thick mustard paste (Shorshe bata).
• Wash the fish and  take it in a big bowl.
•  Pour the mustard paste over the fish pieces, add chopped onion, chili, turmeric powder and salt. Mixed it very well covering all the pieces of fish.
• Take a pressure cooker and pour the complete mix into it. Add 1/2 cup of water to it and stir well. Drizzle the mustard oil over the paste mix. 
• Cover the lid and steam it on low flames for 2 whistles. Turn off the gas oven and let the steam out of its own. ) In case if you don't have pressure cooker, you can use microwave oven and cooked it for 20-25 mins till the fish pieces are fully cooked. )
• Serve hot with white rice and taste the most delicious steamed fish curry.