Be blessed by the rain and Hilsa Korma

Chef Ronit Thakur
JW Marriott Kolkata

As moonsoon arrived we all are awaiting for that one dish, for that one thing and that is HILSA (the King of all fish). The Hilsa lovers must have tried – Hilsa fry, hilsa (illish jhal), illish paturi, illish bhapa etc. But I bet you never tried the recipe that I am sharing with YOU now. So your Chef Ronit is back with another twist to the food infusing different countries to a single plate so, once again he is here giving a twist to your own HILSA with a nababi (royal) touch. 

HILSA KORMA.. korma its orgin is from pakistan, in Turkey its pronounced as kavurma. So, lets just began with the recipe.
Ingredients:
Hilsa – 500 gm 
Onions – 4 big onions
Ginger garlic paste – 3 tbsp
Green chilly paste – 2 tbsp
Curd – 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Mustard paste (yellow mustard) – 3 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Cashewnut -50 gms 
Coconut powder- 4 tbspn
Cream – 4 tbsp
Lemon juice – 2 tbspn
Maida – 4 tbspn
Method:
First marinade the hilsa with salt, turmeric, chili paste, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste , 3 tbsp of curd and  keep the remaining for gravy. Take mustard paste, add flour (maida) mix it well and rest it for 20 to 25 minutes  and fry it till it is crisp and golden. 
For gravy First heat the pan and add refined oil. Add sliced onion and fry it till the onions turn golden brown and take it out. In that same oil add the cashew and fry them till they turn light golden then take it out and paste it finely.
In that same oil add bay leaf, cardamom, and ginger-garlic paste. Saute it for a minute and add the kaju-onion paste. Cook well. Then add the dry spices – turmeric, and chili powder and cook well till the masala gets cooked then add curd and cook till it release oil from the sides.

Add water and let it get cooked on slow heat. Then add the fried hilsa, and stir it slowly let the masala get soaked into the fish; add a little water and make your own desired consistency for the gravy. Finally, in a separate bowl add coconut powder mix with little water then add to the fish and mix nicely. Add little cream and turn off the flame. Garnish with cream and serve hot with Indian breads or pulao or rice, whichever suits your taste buds.

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