Machha aloo jhola is an authentic household odia fish and potato curry that is made with freshly ground spices.
A common belief in Indians is that if you are a Bengali you must love fish. More often than not, this holds true for Odias, too. Odisha is on the coastal side of eastern India. Hence, fish makes for a significant part of our culinary diet. In a regular household, freshwater fish is rather a common sight. But today, I got my hands on to some beautiful Kingfish. I am going to show you the most common way of preparing fish in a regular household. The curries in Odisha are referred to by two names; jhola and tarkari. The word jhola is a term that refers to the thin-yet-flavourful consistency of gravy. Tarkari, on the other hand, comprises a thicker gravy. So let's get started.
Prep time | 10 mins
Cooking time | 60 mins
Difficulty level | Intermediate - advanced
Base Ingredients
Kingfish fillets 500 grams
Potatoes 1 large, cut into wedges
Mustard oil 8 tbsp
Fish Marination Ingredients
Turmeric powder 2 tsp
Salt 1 ½ tsp (the measurement could vary according to taste)
Curry paste Ingredients
Onion 1 large, cut into large cubes
Garlic 10-12 cloves
Ginger 2 cms, 3 pieces
Green chillies 2 large
Tomatoes 1 large, cut into large cubes
Cumin seeds, 2tsp
Coriander seeds, 1 tsp
White (preferable) / dark mustard, 1 tsp
Water ¼ cup
Tempering Ingredients
Cumin seeds, 2tsp
Dried bay leaf, 1 large
Sugar, 1tsp
Turmeric powder, 1 ½ tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tbsp
Onion 1medium, Chopped
Salt to taste
Water 4 cups
Garam masala 1 tsp
Coriander leaves 1/4th cup, chopped
The first step of the curry would be to marinate the fish. Take the cut pieces of fish in a large bowl and marinate it with turmeric powder and salt. Massage the fillets gently for around two minutes with spices. Rest for 15 minutes.
Add 8 tbsp of mustard oil in a frying pan on high flame. You’d know that the oil has reached the right temperature once it begins to emit a little smoke. Gently place the fish steaks on the hot pan. Once all the stakes are placed on the pan, lower the flame to a medium setting. Fry the fish on both sides until it turns golden brown and they start to have a crust on them. Once the steaks are done, remove them from the pan. Repeat the same process & fry the potato wedges in the remaining fish oil.
In a mixing jar take all the curry paste ingredients mentioned above and grind it into a fine paste. Place a large deep pot or kadai on the stove. Add the leftover oil from pan frying the fish & add a dry bay leaf and cumin seeds once the oil is hot. As the cumin seeds start to splatter, add the sugar. Wait until the sugar melts and caramelises. Add the turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder & fry the masalas until they cook.
Frying the spices in the oil during the early-stages of the cook gives a rich vibrant colour to the curry.
Add the chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add the ground curry paste to the pan. Keep stirring the paste until the aromas come through and the oil starts to separate from the masala paste. You can add a little water to prevent the curry paste from burning.
Once the curry paste is done, add the fried potatoes. Roast the potatoes with the curry paste for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water and bring it to boil. Once it boils, cover the pan/ kadhai with a lid. Let it cook until the potatoes are soft. Once the potatoes are done, add the fish to the curry and gently soak it into the curry until submerged. Cook the fish with the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes. Add garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Your machha aloo jhola is ready to be served with steamed rice and other side dishes.
Comments