If you have not tried this authentic Bengali dish you are missing a lot. (Go to link to see a wiki page of the best Bengali dishes. My mom learnt this recipe and then perfected it after a lot of trial and error. She makes it with shrimp, chicken and even paneer. But her best is with fish, especially hilsha and bhetki. According to the wiki:
Generally oily fish is sliced evenly, and then wrapped in a banana leaf, after the fish has been hit by a basting of freshly pasted mustard with a hint of mustard oil, chili, turmeric and salt.
The unique flavor of paturi comes from the aroma of the banana leaf. The cooking is done by steaming or roasting the leaf. This dish requires very little oil (so if you are health conscious like me this is perfect for you. :wink:) We Bengalis love our fish steamed or bhapa. Steaming is better because it retains all the nutrients of the ingredients. And be careful: overcooking your dish could ruin it.
Recipe for Fish with mustard (steamed in banana leaf)
I don’t get fresh Hilsha and Bhetki like ma does. So I try this recipe with any white fish (tilapia, cod etc.) Also, she uses the fresh banana leaves from her garden (isn’t that great?). I buy frozen ones. And she uses fresh shredded coconut whereas I use frozen variety. Her dish can make you speechless but I am not bad too :blush:. My husband still did not try my ma’s. After he tries it, I am sure that he will say that hers is a lot better.
I used two Shaws cod fillets which was approximately 1 lb. Also, please dry grind spices to get an authentic taste. If you want better taste you can shred coconut and use fresh fish and banana leaves.
Enjoy with hot steamed rice.
- Cod fillet – 2 big (total about 1 lb)
- whole mustard – 2 tbsp
- poppy seeds – 1 tsp
- Garlic cloves – 3
- Yoghurt – 1 tbsp
- Green Chillies – 10-12
- Frozen shredded coconut – 3 tbsp
- Mustard oil – 1 tbsp
- Salt – As you need
- Cilantro leaves – few
- Clean the fish to get it ready.
- Cut the fish in 3″x3″ pieces and rub with salt and turmeric.
- Keep it like that until you prepare the rest.
- Dry grind mustard and poppy seeds.
- Then wet grind the same with 3-4 green chillies (as hot you can handle), garlic, coconut and yoghurt. Make a thick paste. If you need, add a little bit water.
- Coat the fish with a marinate mixture and keep it for 30 minutes.
- I wash the frozen banana leaves and dry them with a paper towel.
- Wrap each fish with mustard marinade. Put a green chili and cilantro leaves on top of it.
- Close the wraps with toothpicks. My mom does hers with thread.
- Bake it for 35-40 minutes at 400F. Check its progress periodically to make sure it does not get overdone.
- If it’s still watery, bake 5-10 minutes more.
Notes:
- Yoghurt and cilantro is a must! Don’t forget.
- I have no patience, so I don’t marinate for 30 minutes.
- You can also make it on stove top like ma does. She puts those wrapped leaves in a pan, puts the flame to very low and simmers for 15-20 minutes.
- We both love hot food so I used 10-12 green chillies. You can control the heat if you are making for kids.
