Easiest Way to Prepare Delicious Zafrani Ilish (Hilsa Fish cooked in Milk-Saffron Gravy - Bengali Cuisine)

Zafrani Ilish (Hilsa Fish cooked in Milk-Saffron Gravy - Bengali Cuisine). Ilish Maach (Hilsa Fish) is undoubtedly the most favoured and popular fish among most of the Bengali crowd. Various types of recipes can be dished out with it. Durga Puja calls for something different - a bit of a Royal touch.

Machh bhaja (fried fish) is also common, especially rui (rohu) and ilish (hilsa) fishes. Bhaja is sometimes coated in a beshon (chickpea flour) and posto (poppyseed) batter. Hilsa fish can be smoked, fried, steamed, baked, prepared with mustard and various condiments. You can have Zafrani Ilish (Hilsa Fish cooked in Milk-Saffron Gravy - Bengali Cuisine) using 18 ingredients and 4 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Zafrani Ilish (Hilsa Fish cooked in Milk-Saffron Gravy - Bengali Cuisine)

1. It's 2 pieces of Ilish Maach (Hilsa Fish).
2. It's 3 tbsp. of mustard oil.
3. Prepare 1" of cinnamon stick.
4. You need 2-3 of green cardamoms.
5. It's 4-5 of cloves.
6. Prepare 1-2 of bay leaves.
7. It's 1 tsp. of cumin seeds.
8. You need 1 of onion, roughly chopped.
9. You need 1" of ginger.
10. Prepare 2-3 of garlic cloves.
11. It's 1-2 of green chilies.
12. You need to taste of salt.
13. You need 1 tsp. of cumin-coriander powder.
14. It's 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder.
15. It's 1-2 of slit green chilies.
16. Prepare 1 tsp. of coriander leaves, chopped.
17. It's 1 cup of milk.
18. Prepare 1/4 tsp. of saffron.

It needs very litle oil for cooking since it has a high It is also cooked wrapped in banana/plantain leaves. It is a sea fish but it lay eggs in. Mustard is ubiquitously used in Bengali cuisine, it lends a rich, hot and creamy taste to the dish and every great fish recipes calls for the mustard paste This recipe of yellow - creamy textured hilsa with aam kasundi has a very rich and sharp taste with a hint of sweet and sourness coming from the unripe. Hilsa fish steamed in mustard sauce.

Zafrani Ilish (Hilsa Fish cooked in Milk-Saffron Gravy - Bengali Cuisine) instructions

1. Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes. Grind the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies into a smooth paste. Keep aside. Add the saffron to the milk and keep aside..
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till light golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds..
3. Add the ground paste and all the dry spices. Stir fry till the oil separates. Add the saffron-milk and green chilies. Bring it to a boil..
4. Add the fried fish and simmer, covered for 2-3 minutes. Add the coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Serve with plain steamed rice..

Ilish or hilsa is, however, facing extinction due to high demand and overfishing. There is a need to create more consciousness about the importance of conserving a fish that is perhaps Bengal's greatest cultural icon. Fish is the dominant kind of protein in Bengali cuisine and is cultivated in ponds and fished with nets in the freshwater rivers of the Ganges Delta. Ilish which is considered the tastiest among the Bengal culinary. Bengalis simply love this dish - Hilsa fish cooked in banana leaves.