Recipe: Taruna's Rui Poshto

A few months back, a cousin of my husband, living just a few kilometres away, was visiting us during a weekend. She categorically told me that she was bringing a Bengali-style poppy seed fish curry for us and therefore I need not cook anything for dinner. Her words were music to my ears!

I had wanted to eat home-cooked food, but not something that was whipped up by me. And her proposal could not have come at a better time. I hastily and happily accepted her offer and told her that I was eagerly waiting to dig into her fish curry. This cousin happens to be married to a Bengali. Post her marriage, I got the opportunity to enjoy some of the most delicious Bengal fish curries, like Doi Maachh and fish in mustard curry.

Indian coastal states (mind you, there are plenty) have access to the best and freshest of sea produce. But, hands down, none do justice to that produce the way the Bengalis do. They are an authority on fish curries. Their fish curry variety is mind boggling and they even add it to their lentils and vegetables. If you don't believe me, utter the word hilsa and see the glint in the eyes of any Bengali. They can talk about it for hours -- so passionate they are about their fish.

There was a time when I couldn't stand fish, except when it happened to be Punjabi-style fried fish, sprinkled with chaat masala. But getting married to a guy from Bihar changed all that. I remember telling my husband, during our courtship, that he shouldn't expect me to dish out a fish curry for him. "There is going to be no fish on our dinner table... I hate fish, period."

And here I am, 13 years down the marriage lane, happily eating and cooking fish curry! This poppy seed-based fish curry, Rui Poshto was one such dish that we both loved and couldn't get enough of. This curry is finger-licking good and tastes best with steamed rice.

Rui Poshto

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 550-600 gm of any white-fleshed fish, preferably rohu
• ¼ cup mustard oil
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• ½ tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
• 3 tbsp white khus khus or poppy seeds
• ¾ tsp yellow rai or mustard seeds
• 2-3 green chillies (increase or decrease to taste)
• ½ tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 large tomato, pureed
• ½ tsp red chilly powder
• ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder + extra for the marinate
• Salt to taste, around 1 tsp + extra before marinating
• Water
• Chopped fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro, for garnish
• 2-3 green chillies, chopped, for garnish
• Onion rings, for garnish

Method

• Wash, clean and cut the fish into slices.
  Sprinkle little salt on the slices and keep aside for 5 minutes.
  Wash the slices again and pat dry.
  Sprinkle little turmeric and gently rub it into the fish.
  Let marinate for 15 minutes.
• Soak the poppy seeds in little hot water for 30 minutes.
  Drain the water and transfer the soaked seeds into a blender.
  Add the green chillies and the yellow mustard seeds.
  Add a little water, ginger paste, garlic paste and grind to a paste.
  Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a kadhai or frying pan over medium heat and allow it to smoke, to rid it of its pungent smell.
  Reduce the heat and carefully add the fish pieces, in batches, into the oil.
  Be very careful as the oil will splatter.
  Cover and fry over medium heat till the fish becomes deep golden.
  Flip and cook on the other side.
  Drain, take off heat and transfer onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
  Keep aside.
• In the same leftover mustard oil, over medium heat, add the nigella seeds and once they crackle, add the onions and fry till just beginning to brown.
  Add the poppy seed paste and fry for 4-5 minutes or till the raw smell disappears.
  Add the pureed tomato, haldi powder, red chilly powder.
  Fry for half a minute and season with salt.
  Add 1½-2 cups of water, depending on the desired curry consistency, and bring to a boil.
  Add the fish pieces and allow the curry to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves, green chillies, onion rings. 
  Serve hot with steamed rice.

Taruna's Note: I recommend not reducing the amount of green chillies in this recipe. They lend a lovely flavour without adding any fire to the curry.

Taruna Deepak lives in Mumbai and is the creator of the food blog Easyfoodsmith.

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