Rui Macher Shukto

 

            Ah!! My favorite Shukto in a new avatar - a non-veg version cooked with Rui Mach (Rohu Fish). So here is my version and my first try at preparing this traditional Bengali delicacy with Rui Mach. You may add any other fish pieces too. 

                It is a yummy dish that is tempered with Bengali five spice - panch phoron and finished off with some mustard paste, milk, ghee and roasted panch phoron powder. It is simply divine and a must try recipe for all fish lovers. 

           Shukto in general is a traditional Bengali cuisine and a great comfort food for most Bengalis. It is prepared with a medley of mixed veggies in many ways. You may add other veggies like raw banana, drumstick, potato, pumpkin, etc. No menu is complete without this dish. 

          Each household has their own secret way of preparing it and is served with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a full course meal. So check out a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this non-veg. version of shukto. 

• 2 pieces of Rohu Fish
• 2 cups mixed veggies, cut lengthwise (radish, carrot, raw papaya, eggplants, bottle gourd)
• 1 small bitter gourd, cut lengthwise
• 8-10 bori / vadi (dried lentil dumplings)
• 3-4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2-3 bay leaves 
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (five spice)
• 2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. mustard paste / kasundi
• 1 tbsp. ghee

Dry roast & grind - 

1 tbsp. panch phoron

1 tsp. radhuni (celery seeds)

          Dry roast and grind the panch phoron and radhuni into a fine powder. Keep aside.

          Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside.

 

          Fry the bori in the same oil till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Then fry the bitter gourd pieces till light golden and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies and panch phoron. Sauté for a few seconds. 

           Add the chopped veggies and stir fry on a high flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          Add the fried bitter gourd, salt to taste and green chilies. Simmer, covered, on a low to medium flame till the veggies are almost done. 

          Now add the fried fish and the fried bori. Cook further till done. 

          Add the milk, mustard paste and ghee. Give it a stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

          When done, add 1 tsp. of the ground spice powder. Cover and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice. 

                    Dry roast the panch phoron and radhuni.

                     Grind into a fine powder. Keep aside.

Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 10 minutes.
Heat oil & fry the fish till light brown in colour. Keep aside.

 Fry the bori in the same oil till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside. 

        Then fry the bitter gourd pieces till light golden & keep aside. 

Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies & panch phoron. Sauté for a few seconds. 

     Add the chopped veggies & stir fry on a high flame for 2-3 minutes. 

Add the fried bitter gourd, salt to taste & green chilies. Simmer, covered, till the veggies are almost done.

                Add the fried fish & the fried bori. Cook further till done. 

   Add the milk, mustard paste & ghee. Mix well & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

When done, add 1 tsp. of the ground spice powder. Cover & keep aside for 4-5 minutes.

                      Serve with hot steamed rice. 

Rui Radhuni Jhol (Rohu Fish in Celery Seed Gravy - Bengali Style)

          This is a traditional Bengali Fish Curry, where I have used Rohu Fish. The base of the gravy is that of boiled and blended masoor dal (red lentils) and radhuni paste (celery seeds paste). 

          This particular seed almost resembles ajwain / carom seeds and has a very distinct and an aromatic flavour. It is a very simple and an easy recipe with no compromise on the taste. It is best relished with plain steamed rice and a dash of lime. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 4-5 pieces of Rohu Fish
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1" ginger
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1 tbsp. radhuni (celery seeds)
• 1/2 cup boiled & blended masoor dal
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves to garnish (opt)

          Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. Make a paste of onion, ginger, garlic, 2 green chilies and radhuni by adding some water. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till light golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with cumin seeds and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds.

           Add the ground paste and turmeric powder. Saute till the oil separates. Add the blended masoor dal and saute for a few seconds. 

          Then add 1 cup water, salt and remaining green chilies. Bring it to a boil and add the fish pieces. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

          Switch off the flame and add the ghee. Let it remain covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice.

                               This is how radhuni seeds looks like.

                        Marinate fish with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 5-10 min. 

                          Heat oil & fry fish till light golden in colour. Drain & keep aside. 

                Temper same oil with cumin seeds & asafoetida. Saute few seconds. Add 
                ground paste & turmeric powder. Saute till oil separates.

                                Add the masoor dal and saute for a few seconds.

                    Add 1 cup water, salt & remaining green chilies. Bring to a boil &
                    add the fish pieces. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

                          Switch off flame & add ghee. Let it remain covered for 5 minutes. 

                            Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with hot steamed rice.

Begun Diye Rui Macher Jhol (Fish Curry with Eggplants - Bengali Style)

         This is a traditional and an everyday Bengali fish curry prepared along with eggplants. It are best relished with hot steamed rice and a dash of fresh lime. It is a common dish found on a Bengali platter. You can also make this simple fish curry along with potatoes, parwal (pointed gourd) or green papaya too. Here in this recipe I have used Rohu variety, which is a river water fish and is very commonly used.

• 4-5 pieces of Rui (Rohu Fish)
• 2 long eggplants, sliced into 4
• 3-4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantities of fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek & nigella seeds)
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. Heat oil in  a pan and shallow fry the fish till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside.

          Temper the same oil with panch phoron, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds. Add the eggplants and fry till light brown.

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and coriander-cumin powder mixed with a little water. Saute till the oil separates.

          Add 2 cups water and salt. Bring it to a boil. Now add the fried fish. Cover and simmer on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes.

         When done, add the garam masala powder and ghee. Give it a stir and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve on a bed of steamed hot rice, accompanied with some lime wedges.

Rui Macher Jhaal (Rohu Fish Curry - Bengali Style)

          This is my style of a Bong fish curry that I generally prepare for a weekend lunch. In this recipe, I have used Rohu fish and made a slightly dry spicy gravy. It just has a tempering of panch phoron, followed by onion, ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and Kashmiri red chili powder to give a vibrant red colour to the dish. It is a very easy and a simple recipe. Tastes awesome if had with hot steamed rice and with a dash of lime. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 4 Rohu fish pieces
• 3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. oil mustard oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantities of fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek & nigella seeds/kalonji)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the fish pieces on both the sides till light golden in colour. Keep aside.

          Temper the same oil with panch phoron and allow it to splutter. Add the onion and saute till light brown.

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, turmeric powder and red chili powder mixed with some water. Saute till the oil separates.

           Add 1/2 cup water, salt, fried fish pieces and slit green chilies. Simmer on low flame for 2-3 minutes or till the gravy is slightly reduced. 

          When done, switch off the flame and add the remaining mustard oil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice for a sumptuous meal. 
 

                      Heat 3 tbsp. oil & fry marinated fish till light golden in colour. 

                     Temper same oil with panch phoron & allow it to splutter. Add onion &
                     saute till light brown.

                     Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, turmeric powder & red chili powder 
                     mixed with some water. 

                      Saute till the oil separates.

                      Add 1/2 cup water, salt, fried fish pieces & slit green chilies. Simmer on 
                       low flame for 2-3 minutes or till gravy is slightly reduced. 

                       When done, switch off the flame & add remaining mustard oil. 

                      Garnish with coriander leaves.

                                Serve with hot steamed rice for a sumptuous meal. 

       

Rui Macher Jhol (Bengali Fish Curry)

       
          This is an easy and a simple fish curry that I usually make at home. You can also add any veggies like potato, eggplants, raw papaya, raw banana, etc. to it and enjoy with hot steamed rice. The consistency can be adjusted according to individual preference. I like a thin gravy with a dash of lime to it.         

• 4 Rui (Rohu) fish pieces
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. radhuni (celery seeds)
• 1 pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste / puree of one tomato
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry them till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with radhuni and fenugreek seeds. Saute for a few seconds. Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and all the dry spices mixed with some water. Saute till the oil separates 

          Now add 1 & 1/2 cups water and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add the fried fish and the green chilies. 

          Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. When done, switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice.