If you are following my blog I am sure you know by now how much I love fish. I am a hardcore Bengali, born and raised in Kolkata, and eating fish is a sacred affair for us. My mom and dad also love it and prefer it over chicken or meat. That being said, I was not much of a fish lover when I was growing up. I always loved the potatoes in the fish curry but never the fish itself. That started to change when I was an undergrad and even more so when I came to The States.
As we used to consume fish every day, my mom had to master different recipes. We were not the kind of family that will eat the same boring fish curry every day. Mom loves to cook different things and she will never allow our help do any cooking. Having hired help is pretty common in India. My mom has three domestic helpers to assist with the chores but she always preferred to cook for us. Many of my friends and their family have domestic support for cooking their daily food but my dad and I were very picky eaters. We would know if the food was not prepared by mom.
I love the aroma of fenugreek in this curry. It is extremely healthy (some believe it reduces the effects of diabetes). When infused with garlic and onion, it makes this curry heavenly delicious. However, it is not very famous in Bengal but whenever my mom cooked it everyone asked her for seconds. This weekend, when snow was descending upon us, I decided to make this spicy hot aromatic “methi mach” or fenugreek fish curry. Please try it and let me know how it comes out.
For people who are not familiar with Indian cuisine, Methi is a kind of spice you can find in your local Indian grocer. You can also get dried fenugreek leaves in a box.
Recipe for Methi Fish
Marination
- 2 pounds firm-fleshed fish cut into 4-inch pieces
- 1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic pods
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/2 lemon juice
1. In a food processor, combine ginger and garlic. Work the mixture until it forms a paste. Divide it into two parts and transfer it to one big and one small bowl.
2. In the big bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon chile powder, juice of a halved lemon and a generous pinch of salt.
3. Add the fish pieces and cover the bowl with cling wrap. Set it aside for 20 minutes.
Cooking
1. In a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, heat the mustard oil. Add fenugreek seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes until it splutters. Add grated onion, and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes in medium heat until they are golden brown.
2. Add 1/2 of the ginger-garlic paste from the small bowl (from step 1 of marination) to it and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until raw smell is gone.
3. Add coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon chile powder to it and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until it is cooked through.
4. Now lower the temperature to the lowest setting and add yogurt.
5. Add fish pieces and warm water to the marination. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes.
6. Add crushed cardamom and kasoori methi to it. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes uncovered. Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm with plain rice.
Checked your recipe! must be something yummy … ! Fish is staple food at my kitchen. You can get couple of good fish recipes at my blog 🙂 BTW, love the over-head shots. 🙂
Yes Rumela. I was checking that on your blog. Will definitely make something from them 🙂
Hi, my hubby is in love with fenugreek so I want to make this yummy fish for him…just needed some clarification… Step 5 says add fish n warm water yo the marination, how much water to add? what is mustard oil? Is yhere a substitute? And what type of fish can I use? Thanks so much!
Cecile, You can use any firm fish of your choice. You can use vegetable oil as a substitute of Mustard oil. Add 1 tablespoon water to make a thick gravy. You can add more water if you want watery and runny gravy. Hope this helps.