What is Ilish Maach Bhaja?
Ilish Maach is Hilsa Fish, and it is the national fish of Bangladesh. It is freshwater fish and is very good for the heart with high content of Omega-3 fatty acids. Ilish Maach is used in several ways to various different curry preparation. But the most common one which brings immense joy is this utterly simple Ilish Maach Bhaja fried in mustard oil. WATCH THE DETAILED VIDEO OF ILISH MAACH BHAJA
Hilsa Fish is an emotion
When I moved to US several years back, I came across few Bangladeshi stores who would sell these freshwater fishes that I grew up eating back in India. For a long time I was hesitant to buy those as I grew up eating fresh fish and now frozen. It was during the time when I was writing my cookbook that I started to try these frozen fish. To my biggest surprise, they taste great with beautiful aroma. And I started to buy since then. As a Bengali who LOVES Ilish Maach Bhaja any day, should have recorded and shared this dish long back. Why it took me this long, I really don’t know.
Where to buy Hilsa Fish in Bay Area ?
If you live in Bay Area, you can find Hilsa fish and few other fresh water fish in Desi Bazaar in Sunnyvale, India Market in Milpitas and Bengal Tiger Food in Fremont. These are the shops I am aware of, but there might be other Bangladeshi or Indian stores that sells these fishes.
How to make Ilish Maach Bhaja
Season the Hilsa fish fillet with salt and turmeric. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. Fry the fish in a heavy bottom wok. Pour the mustard oil and let it heat until you see smoke. It is very important to heat the oil properly, so the fish fillet doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Slide the fish fillets carefully in the hot oil and let it fry for 2 minutes. Then carefully nudge the fillet, if it moves, that means it is fried, and you can flip. If it feels stuck, then it might need a minute more to release itself. One very important point to remember is that if the oil is hot enough, the fish will not stick to the bottom of the pan. Also, you have to resist the urge to flip too quickly.
Be very careful when frying fish in hot oil
Deep frying must be done with extreme care and caution. Make sure kids are not around. Hilsa fish can sometime splatter when frying in hot oil. I always place a splatter screen on the pan when frying fish to avoid any oil splatter accident.
How to serve Hilsa fried fish
Ilish Maach Bhaja is enjoyed pipping hot served with steamed white rice and a drizzle of the hot aromatic mustard oil drizzled on top. I like to fry some onion and green chili in that mustard oil, just for a few seconds until the onion is softened a little, and enjoy that with rice along with the pipping hot Ilish maach bhaja. Try this light on the tummy Ilish Maach Curry - lish Maach Kacha Kola Jhol
