Recipe: Bethica's Rui Macher Rezala

Rui Macher Rezala is a traditional but very popular Bengali-style fragrant fish curry, for which the river fish Rohu is simmered in a creamy yoghurt base, says Bethica Das, a food blogger.

The "slight aroma coming from the kewra water and the nutty flavour from the cashew paste" make sure this white gravy Bong curry is for the connoisseur.

She adds, "I used Rohu fish, but any other variety works just as good. This recipe calls for a gravy with a slightly thicker consistency. It is mildly spiced, most of its taste coming from the ground peppercorns."

Rui Macher Rezala is popular on home menus in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is served in Bengali restaurants, especially in Kolkata and at Bangladeshi eateries too in London, for instance.

Definitely a special occasion preparation, serve it with hot steamed rice or a typical Bengali Basanti Pulao.

Bethica cooks a wide range of Bengali and South Indian food -- her roots are Bengali and she lived in the South for many years, where she developed a flair for creating South Indian dishes. After spending 15 years working in a bank, Bethica turned to blogging. Please do have a look at her recipes here.

Rui Macher Rezala

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 2-3 Rohu fish fillet, cleaned
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2-3 tej patta or bay leaves
• 1-inch stick dalcheeni or cinnamon
• 2-3 green elaichi or cardamom
• 4-5 lavang or cloves
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1-inch piece ginger
• 3-4 garlic pods
• 4 green chillies + 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp roasted brown dhaniya or coriander powder
• 1 tsp roasted jeera or cumin powder
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper powder
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 6-8 cashews
• 1 cup milk
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp + pinch salt for marinating the fish
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp kewra water, made from flowers of the screwpine

Method 

• Blend together cashews and yoghurt in a blender/mixer till smooth.
  Keep aside.
• Grind the onion, ginger, 4 of the green chilies, garlic into a paste in a mixer/grinder.
  Keep aside.
• Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt, lime juice for 5-10 minutes.
  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fish till light brown.
  Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining oil and the ghee and saute the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, dry red chillies for a few seconds.
  Add the ground onion paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
  Add the roasted coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, pepper powder.
  Mix well and sauté for a few seconds.
  Now add the cashew-yoghurt mix and simmer for 2-3 minutes or till the oil separates.
  Add the milk and bring it to a boil.
  Then add the fried fish and cook, covered, till the gravy thickens to a desired consistency.
  When done, add the remaining 2 slit green chilies, kewra water, garam masala powder.
  Give it a stir and take off heat.
• Serve this aromatic fish curry with hot steamed rice, or Basanti (Bengali vegetable pulao). 

Editor's Note: Instead of fish, use 250 gm sauteed paneer in this recipe and you have Paneer in Creamy Yoghurt Sauce. Or else similar quantities boiled potatoes or mushrooms.

For Basanti Pulau try this recipe (external link).

Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger and her blog is named Bethica's Kitchen.

• REDIFF FOOD