Muri Ghonto/ Fish Head Curry

Muri-Ghonto, one of the most popular & traditional Bengali dish. The word 'Muri' or 'Muro' stands for head. Muri-ghonto usually taste better with large fish heads, but as we get Tilapia fish here, so I prepared it with that. It can be prepared in different ways with cabbage, lentils, bottle gourd,etc but here i used the most common way that is cooked with rice.

Sharing the way I cooked with you, hope you will like it.

INGREDIENTS

· 1 Big fish head of Tilapia  (Mostly used is Rui/Rohu or Katol/Catla)

· 100gm Basmati Rice

· 2 medium size potatoes

· 1 onion finely chopped

· 1 tsp garlic-ginger paste

· ½ tsp turmeric powder

· ½ tsp red chili powder

· ½ of cumin powder

· 1 Dry chili

· 2 bay leaves

· Garam Masala (mixture of whole of 2 Cinnamon, 2 Clove & 2 Cardamom )

· 1 cup of warm water

· Salt as per taste

· Mustard oil/vegetable oil for cooking

PREPARATION

·  Wash the rice and keep it aside after rinsing the water thoroughly.

·   Clean the fish head of its gills and wash under running water.

·   Then marinate the fish head with turmeric powder & salt for 2-3 mins.

·    Cut the potatoes into small cubes.

·   Fry the fish head in deep frying pan till it turns brown with 4-6 tsp of oil.

·   Take out the fish and keep it aside, then fry the potatoes in the same pan & oil (add more oil only if needed).

·   Once the potatoes are fried well, take them out & keep them aside too.

·   Then in the same pan, put another 4-5 tsp of oil and then sauté the dry chili, bay leave &  garam masala.

·   Then add the chopped onions, garlic –ginger paste, turmeric powder, chili powder & cumin powder and fry for a minute.

·   Add the potatoes & rice, stir well and fry for some more time.

·   Pour the water and stir again to mix all the ingredients.

·   Then add the fish head and salt.

·   Cook it under a lid cover for 5 minutes intervals of stirring for 15-20 mins.

·   Once the potatoes are fully cooked & the water is fully absorbed, turn off the heat.

·   Serve hot with white rice.