Doi Maach Recipe

Doi Maach, or Bengali Fish Curry with Yogurt, is a delightful dish that marries tender pieces of fish with a rich, creamy yogurt-based gravy. This traditional Bengali recipe is a favorite for special occasions or a comforting weekend meal. Serve it with steamed rice to enjoy the authentic flavors of Bengal. Let’s dive into this flavorful journey!

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Cook time – 40 minutes

Serves – 4

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

For the Marination:

500g rohu fish
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

For the Curry:

4 tbsp mustard oil
2 cardamom pods
1-inch cinnamon stick
2 medium onions, ground to a paste
1-inch ginger, 6 medium cloves of garlic, 2 green chillies, ground to a paste
1 tsp salt (adjust as per taste)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup curd, whisked well
1.5 cups hot water for the gravy
1/4 tsp Bengali garam masala
Chopped coriander for garnish
Slit green chillies for garnish [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Marinate the rohu fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder.
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai (or deep pan) and fry the fish until golden brown on both sides and cooked thoroughly. Set aside.
In the same kadhai, add cardamom pods and cinnamon stick to the oil. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the onion paste and cook on medium flame until the rawness disappears completely.
Mix in the ginger-garlic-chilli paste. Cook on low to medium flame until the raw aroma fades.
Add salt, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder to the pan. Add a splash of hot water and mix well.
Cook the mixture until the oil begins to release from the sides, indicating the spices are well cooked.
Turn off the flame and slowly stir in the whisked curd, ensuring it does not curdle.
Turn the flame back on low and cook the mixture for 7-10 minutes, stirring gently until well combined.
Add 1.5 cups of hot water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Gently place the fried fish into the gravy. Cover and cook on low flame until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
Sprinkle Bengali garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, and slit green chillies on top.
Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy the flavors of this classic Bengali fish curry. [/directions]

Tips

Use fresh yogurt to avoid any sourness.
Adjust the water quantity based on how thick you prefer the gravy.
For an authentic taste, mustard oil is essential, but you can substitute it with other oils if needed.

Prawn Curry

I absolutely love this prawn curry recipe. I end up making it once a week when all I have is 30-40 minutes to whip up dinner. The best part about prawns is that they cook super fast and let you pull off a hearty meal without spending hours in the kitchen. Because they have such a strong flavour of their own, you don’t even have to add too many ingredients to make prawns shine. And this prawn curry is no different, soft, juicy prawns in a creamy, subtle and coconut gravy. This with hot steaming rice is nothing short of an astounding culinary experience.

Ingredients in this Prawn Curry

This easy prawn curry has just a handful of ingredients, and is light and flavourful. The spice blend is a mixture of coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. The creaminess comes from the coconut milk, that also adds a beautiful texture and natural sweetness to the curry.

Prawns

Prawns are the main ingredient in this curry. A couple of things need to be taken care of to get the perfect prawn flavour and texture.

Before starting, make sure you devein the prawns and clean it thoroughly to rid it off any impurities. You can keep the tail on too.
Second, once you wash the prawns, pat them dry with a kitchen towel. This is an important step to ensure that the prawns do not have too much water in them, otherwise they will release all the water into the gravy and get overcooked before absorbing the rest of the ingredients.
Third, marinate the prawns with salt for atleast 15 minutes. This will ensure that the prawns are seasoned well and do not end up tasting bland in the curry.
Lastly, prawns can be very unforgiving when it comes to cooking time. Make sure you do not leave the prawns undercooked or overcooked. Overcooking leads to prawns turning into a rubbery texture which can be disastrous. Keep an eye on them and follow the timings.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is used generously in this recipe. I have used a semi thick coconut milk. You can also use coconut cream or thin coconut milk. The coconut milk is what sets this prawn curry apart and makes it irresistible. The coconut milk makes this prawn curry creamy, adds to the formation of a luscious gravy and also adds a natural sweetness to this light curry.

Spices

The best way to make sure you get the perfect prawn curry is making sure your spices are freshly ground. There are four spices used in this prawn curry – coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.

Here’s a look at the recipe:

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Cook time – 30 minutes

Serves – 4

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

700 g prawns, cleaned and deveined
Salt, to marinate the prawns
3 tbsp mustard oil
1 dried red chilli
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
2 bay leaves
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste (for the curry)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup hot water (for the masala)
400 ml coconut milk
2 slit green chillies
1 cup hot water (for the curry)
1/2 tsp garam masala
Fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish) [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Devein and clean the prawns. Wash and pat dry. Marinate with salt for 15 minutes. Get your vegetables ready in the meantime (onions, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes).
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai. Once it heats up and starts to smoke, lower the heat and temper the oil with dried red chilli, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Give it a light stir.
Add the chopped onions and cook for 3-4 minutes till the onions turn soft and translucent.
Once the onions starts to release its flavours, add the ginger garlic paste and stir till its raw aroma disappears completely (3-4 minutes).
Keep a check on the flame to ensure nothing burns. Keep the flame at medium.
The ginger garlic will start to release its raw aroma and that’s when you must add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomatoes with the onions. Increase the flame for a minute while you do that.
Lower the temperature and cover the kadhai with a lid. We want to tomatoes to cook completely and melt in with the onions. Cook this covered till the oil starts to release from the sides.
Season with salt, turmeric powder, sugar, cumin powder and coriander powder. Add some hot water (1/4 cup) to prevent the masala from burning. Stir well.
Add the marinated prawns and stir for 3-4 minutes till the prawns get half cooked. Keep the flame at high once you add the prawns and stir continuously.
After 4 minutes, pour the coconut milk along with slit green chillies and let the curry come to a rolling boil.
Let the curry come to a semi thick consistency and prawns cook completely (another 7-10 minutes). Do not over cook the prawns as it will become chewy.
Once done, garnish with garam masala and fresh coriander leaves. Stir well.
Serve hot with boiled rice. [/directions]

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me with a comment or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook. For all my videos, you can subscribe to me on YouTube.

Happy cooking!

Pabda Curry With Peas & Potatoes

Oh, how I love simple recipes like these! I love eating and cooking fish. Having grown up in Assam, I grew up with an abundant consumption of freshwater fish. In any Assamese household, the absence of fish in a meal is a rarity. My culture hence has a huge influence on my food habits and choices.

This pabda fish curry is so heartwarming and simple. All you need is some steamed rice with this and you will be in heaven after a single bite. Pabda fish is a delicacy back home. It is quite expensive as well as compared to other varieties of fish, mainly because of its beautiful texture and taste.

Padba fish has to be one of the tastiest variants of river fish – sweet, flaky and buttery in texture. It is also extremely easy to eat as it has no bones beside the central skeleton. This recipe of pabda fish jul (curry) with peas and potatoes is infused with green chilies, ginger and mustard oil. The gravy is not too watery, just enough to eat with a handful of rice. A sparsely spiced curry, the aim is to not overpower the deliciousness of the star ingredient – the fish. This has to be one of my personal favorites.

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Cook time – 30 minutes

Serves – 2-3 people

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

6 pieces of pabda fish
250 g fresh peas
1 large potato, cut in fingers.
1 onion, finely grated
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
3 tbsp mustard oil (for frying the fish)
2 tbsp mustard oil (for curry)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp salt
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 cup warm water
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
1 tsp garam masala [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Thoroughly clean the pabda fish, and pat dry.
Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder. Use your fingers to cover every bit of the fish with the salt and turmeric mix.
Hear mustard oil in a kadhai or pan. Once it gets hot and turns into a pale yellow color, fry the fish in batches. Fry the fish for one minute on each side. Be gentle so that the fish does not break. Keep it aside once done.
Heat mustard oil in another kadhai. Let it get hot.
Add the finely grated onion. Stir for a minute.
Once the onion becomes translucent, add some sugar, followed by chopped green chilies. The sugar will give a beautiful brown color to the onion, and also add some sweetness to the gravy.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw aroma of them disappears.
Next, add the tomato and fry till it gets cooked.
As the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic cook completely, add the peas and the potato fingers. Mix well with the rest of the spices.
Season with turmeric, cumin, and black pepper powder. Mix well.
Add 2 tablespoons of warm water so that the masala does not stick to the pan. Cover and cook for ten minutes till the potatoes and peas are soft.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rest of the warm water. Add the fried pabda pieces to the gravy very gently. Cover and cook on medium heat for another five minutes till you get the desired consistency.
Garnish with garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with steamed rice. [/directions]

You can add more seasonal vegetables to this curry, but just ensure it does not overpower the flavor of the fish.

I hope you try this simple, yet delicious padba fish curry recipe. Do let me know how it turns out for you.

And for more such delightful food, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Happy cooking!

Assamese Fish Curry with Bottle Gourd & Potatoes

I hail from Assam, which is a state in the north-eastern part of India. Like every Indian state, Assamese cuisine is also vast and very unique. We rely on local produce and since we have a lot of rivers (the Brahmaputra being the main) and ponds, we consume a lot of freshwater fish in our diet.

If you visit an Assamese household for a meal, there will be some sort of fish for sure. We love our fish! And we make it with all kinds of vegetables and greens. Our spices are mild, yet packed with flavour.

This fish curry is made with bottle gourd, known as lau in Assam. We have a lot of other varieties of gourd back home, from the ridge gourd, white gourd, pointed gourd and so much more! I love my fish with any kind of watery vegetable, and bottle gourd is easily available in cities as well. This curry is so comforting, something I have eaten innumerable times in my life, but never gets old. Its flavor and taste always take me back home, and I cannot help but feel comforted by it.

I have used rohu fish in this curry, but you can use any fish of your choice. I have eaten and prepared the same curry with all kinds of big and small fish. The taste will vary depending on the kind of fish you use, but the steps will be the same.

I hope you try it out for yourself. Give it a chance. I promise it will grow on you.

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Cook time – 30-40 minutes

Serves – 2-3

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

500 g rohu fish
8 tbsp mustard oil, for frying the fish
2 tbsp mustard oil for the curry
1 tsp panchphoran
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 large potato, finely chopped
1 small bottle gourd, finely chopped (about 300 g)
500 ml water
2 green chilies
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Wash the fish pieces thoroughly. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder. Mix really well so that every piece of the fish is well coated with these two spices.
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai and let it come to its smoking point. Fry the marinated fish, two minutes on each side. Do not overcook the fish as it will also cook in the gravy later. Set aside. Do not throw the oil away, as it has essential flavors in it. We will use that in the gravy.
Heat mustard oil in another kadhai or use the same kadhai to make the gravy. Once the oil is hot, add a teaspoon of panchphoran. Panchphoran is a whole spice blend that consists equal quantities of the following five whole spices – fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds.
Add the onions to the oil and fry until the onions become translucent.
Once the onions turn translucent, add the fresh ginger garlic paste to it. Saute it till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears.
Add the chopped tomatoes to the onions and let it cook till the water releases from the tomatoes and assimilated with the rest of the gravy.
Season with salt and cumin powder. Do not add too much salt because the fried fish will already have some.
Stir till the tomato and onions melt.
Since the vegetables are completely raw, add them to the tomato gravy and stir for about a minute. We would want the vegetables to be completely cooked which is why we will add some water at this point and cover and cook the vegetables like a stew.
Cover and cook for about ten minutes in medium flame. Once done, open the lid and check if the vegetables are cooked.
Once the potatoes and bottle gourd is soft, add the fried fish and two whole green chilies to the gravy. Add the marination here as well that you used to fry the fish. That oil will add lots of flavor to the gravy.
Add more water, give it a gentle stir (don’t break the fish) and cover with a lid for another ten minutes. Let it boil in medium flame.
Take the lid off, check the salt. Once done, take it off the stove. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice! [/directions]

Related recipe – Assamese chicken curry

I hope you try out this delicious and easy fish curry. Let me know what you think! And stay connected 🙂

Happy cooking!

Prawn Malai Curry | Indian Food | Slurrp

This is for all you seafood lovers out there!

Prawn Malai curry has to be one of the tastiest, creamiest and easiest prawn curry recipes. It is a favorite in Bengali cuisine. I have loved this gravy since a child and I always thought it must be very complicated to make. The preparation just seems overwhelming, but the recipe is quite basic. Once I learned about the recipe, I realized how simple it is. Just a handful of fresh ingredients is what is needed and you can make this luxurious gravy for yourself at home.

Prawn malai curry is my go-to comfort meal when I crave for seafood flavors on my plate. I have been making it for years now and it just does not fail to surprise me every time. The traditional prawn malai curry is prepared with tiger prawns. But I feel it goes just as well with medium prawns that I have used here. You can follow the same steps using tiger prawns as well.

Try this at home and see it for yourself.

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

250 gms prawns

2 tbsp mustard oil

1 large onion, ground to a paste

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (fresh)

4 green chilies

1 tsp fresh Bengali garam masala

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

Freshly chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

Salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 bay leaf

2 cardamoms

2 cloves

1 small cinnamon stick

2 dried red chilies

PROCEDURE

Wash the prawns thoroughly and devein them. Once they are clean and dry, marinate them with salt and turmeric. Mix well and set it aside for about an hour (I have kept the tail on in my prawns as I feel it enhances the taste. You can remove it if you want).
Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry the marinated prawns for about three minutes each side. Once done, set them aside for later.
In another kadhai, heat mustard oil. Once the oil reaches a smoking point, add a bay leaf, two dried red chilies, two cardamoms (elaichi), one small cinnamon stick (dalchini) and two cloves (laung). Give it a light stir.
Add the onion paste to this and fry for about a minute.
Add one teaspoon sugar to the onions. The sugar will help the onions cook faster and also give it a beautiful brown color.
Throw in the fresh ginger garlic paste to this and fry till the raw aroma completely disappears.
Add fresh cumin (jeera) powder turmeric powder.
Season with salt and mix well. Add a splash of water if required.
Once the onions are completely cooked, add the coconut milk. Stir gently till the gravy comes to a boil.
Add the fried prawns to this creamy gravy. Mix well. Add some water, depending on the consistency you want.
At this point, throw in four whole green chilies into the gravy and cover it. Cook this for ten minutes in low flame. The green chilies add a wonderful flavor to the final gravy, without making it extremely spicy.
Remove lid and add fresh Bengali garam masala. I usually make my own garam masala where I grind freshly roasted cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves together. This enhances the flavor of this dish and takes it to a whole new level.
Give the gravy one last stir. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

More Indian Curry Recipes:

Shahi aloo dum

Assamese Egg Curry

For more such delightful food, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Masala Cream Prawns | Indian Recipes | Indian Food | Slurrp

Prawns are so good! Not only are they tasty, but they have a host of health benefits. Prawns are a low-fat source of protein. They are also low in calorie content and offers a rich source of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. It is also super quick to make.

I have a few recipes with prawns and the videos always go viral! People just can’t get enough of them. Today I am going to share an Indian prawn recipe with you because let’s face it, we all love Indian food! This masala cream prawn is an Indian recipe you will fall in love with!

So let’s talk more about this recipe. Because it involves prawn, this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. The cream and the basic Indian spices make this Indian recipe a perfect choice for a weekend meal with friends and family.

Since I am a home cook myself, the ingredients that I have used here are easily available in Indian households. Just get hold of some of that delicious cream!

The main highlight of this dish is the masala. It needs some time to cook and come together to bring out the flavors of all the ingredients. I also fry the prawn in advance till they are slightly brown. This keeps them crispy even in the curry and also helps reduce its strong aroma.

And since it is Indian food, it is incomplete without some yummy and healthy ghee! And like I always emphasize, good food is all about fresh ingredients. So make sure that ginger garlic paste or that garam masala is homemade.

INGREDIENTS

250 g prawns, washed and deveined

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp ghee

1 bay leaf

2 onions, finely chopped

1 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, fresh

2 small tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

250 ml water

2 tbsp kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves

3 tbsp fresh cream

1 tsp fresh garam masala

A handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves

PROCEDURE

For the prawns:

In a bowl, marinate the prawns with some salt and turmeric powder.
Mix well and set aside for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the prawns for 4- 5 minutes till both sides are brown. Do not overcook.

For the curry:

Heat ghee in a pan. Add bay leaf followed by chopped onions. Fry this till onions are soft and caramelized.
Add the chopped green chilies and ginger garlic paste to this.
Stir for another minute in medium heat till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears.
Once onions are cooked and soft, add the chopped tomato. Cook this tomato mixes well with the onions and cooks completely.
Season with salt, cumin powder, and black pepper powder. Give it a good stir.
Add water if required.
Once it comes to a boil, add cream and some kasuri methi to the curry. Mix well.
Once the gravy is nice and thick, add the fried prawns.
Season with fresh garam masala and give it one last good stir.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

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Related video:

Prawn Xacuti – A Delicious Goan Delicacy

Goa is heaven on earth. But this place is not just beautiful for the pristine beaches, but what sets Goa apart like any other Indian state is also its unique cuisine. For those who have tasted Goan food would know what I am talking about.

I am a big Goa buff and every time I visit this heaven, I ensure that I eat a lot of local Goan delicacies. I also learn from the home chefs over there about food traditions and recipe secrets. My last visit to Goa helped me explore the secrets to a great prawn xacuti curry. So here is my version at home.

INGREDIENTS

For the xacuti paste:

1 tbsp oil

50 gms poppy seeds

50 gms desiccated coconut

For the curry:

300 gms prawns

2 onions, ground to a paste

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

PROCEDURE

Dry roast the coconut and poppy seeds in 1 tsp oil in a pan. Once done, let it cool and grind it to a fine paste with a little water.
Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder and set it aside.
In a pan, heat oil and fry the marinated prawns for about five minutes. Set them aside.
In another pan, heat some oil and fry the onion and ginger garlic paste till the raw smell disappears.
Next, add the xacuti paste and fry for a few minutes.
Season this with the rest of the spices and fry for a few more minutes. Add some water if necessary.
Add the fried prawns to this mixture. Taste the salt and add more if needed.
Throw in some more water into this. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes till everything comes together.
Switch off the gas and garnish this with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with pav, roti or rice!

Category: Indian – Fish & Seafood

Doi Maach Recipe

For the Marination:

For the Curry:

Tips

Prawn Curry

Ingredients in this Prawn Curry

Prawns

Coconut milk

Spices

Pabda Curry With Peas & Potatoes

Assamese Fish Curry with Bottle Gourd & Potatoes

Related recipe – Assamese chicken curry

Prawn Malai Curry | Indian Food | Slurrp

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

More Indian Curry Recipes:

Masala Cream Prawns | Indian Recipes | Indian Food | Slurrp

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

Prawn Xacuti – A Delicious Goan Delicacy

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

For more such delightful food, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.