1 kg of whole medium sized asala fish (cleaned and scales removed)
For the fish: 1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mustard or sunflower cooking oil
For the gravy/ jhol:
3 tbsps mustard/ or sunflower cooking oil
1 large bay leaf (tej patta)
5 green cardamom pods, bruised
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, ground to a smooth paste in a food processor
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tomatoes chopped very fine
1/2 tsp turmeric powder/ haldi
1 tsp coriander/ dhania powder
1/2 tsp cumin/ jeera powder
2 tbsps unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup of fresh, green coriander leaves/ cilantro, chopped very fine
Preparation:
Wash the fish well, drain ALL water and pat each piece dry with a piece of kitchen towel. Lay in a flat dish.
Sprinkle the turmeric/ haldi
powder and salt over the fish and mix well to ensure every piece of
fish is well coated with the marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes.
When the fish has marinated, set up a frying pan on medium
heat, to fry the fish. When the pan is hot, add the cooking oil and
heat. Fry the pieces of fish till each one is golden on both sides. do
not crowd the pan and remember to be gentle with the fish as it cooks
quickly and can break. When fried, keep the pieces of fried fish aside
for later use.
If there is any cooking oil left over from the frying, use it in this next step. Add more if required. Heat the
cooking oil on medium heat and add the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cumin
seeds. Sauté until the spluttering stops.
Now add the onion paste and ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 4-5 minutes.
Now add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander/ dhania powder, cumin/ jeera
powder and yogurt. Stir to mix well. Fry this spice mixture until the
oil begins to separate from it - it will form a sheen on top of the
mixture! This could take up to 10 minutes.
Add 1.5-2 cups of hot water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Now add the previously fried pieces of fish to the gravy and stir gently. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and garnish the dish with the fresh, chopped coriander leaves.
