Bhapa Ilish Shorshe Bata Diye | Steamed Hilsa with Mustard Paste

The sound of the tiffin box hitting against the metal kadai sitting inside a pool of bubbling water is a sign of what’s to come next. It’s almost lunchtime and everyone is waiting eagerly for the queen to arrive. I mean Hilsa of course. It’s hard to describe the feeling when the hot tiffin box arrives on the dining table and the lid is opened. Smoke and then a whiff of mustard oil along with the beautiful aroma of ilish can drive any Bengali insane. That’s the magic of bhapa ilish.

Since my marriage, we haven’t had bhapa ilish all that much. Shorshe diye ilish mach and begun diye jhol are always preferred. However, for a special occasion or if there are guests, bhapa ilish is the best rendition of ilish with mustard. It’s the pungency of the mustard paste at its best while steaming. Also, the rich flavour of the mustard paste and the soft, almost buttery texture of the Hilsa makes it irresistible.

What is the difference between, ilisher jhal, ilish paturi and bhapa ilish?

All three recipes have mustard paste as the primary ingredient. Then what is the difference? The most important differentiating criteria are the cooking technique. All three have different cooking techniques. In ilisher jhal, we cook the hilsa in a kadai (wok) and we also fry the fish before adding it to the sauce. Whereas in ilish paturi, as the name suggests, we wrap the fish with the mustard paste in a banana leaf parcel. These parcels are then placed on a tawa with a little bit of mustard oil, covered and cooked on low heat. Bhapa ilish is one hundred percent steaming. And the fish along with the mustard marinade in placed in a tiffin box and steamed in a pressure cooker or a kadai with water.

Other than the cooking techniques, it is also the difference in one or two ingredients. Usually, shorshe diye jhal is made with black mustard paste only. Sometimes, there is a tempering of nigella seeds. Paturi on the other hand has a mixture of black mustard paste and yellow mustard paste. One can add coconut and poppy seed paste to this too. In the case of bhapa ilish, it can be made with both kinds of mustard paste or either one. Coconut paste and poppy seed paste as optional although, I always prefer adding a bit of coconut paste to give it an additional texture.

Let our photos be the main course in your advertising campaign. BEHANCE

Bhapa Ilish and Red FM with Sunrise Mustard Powder

Anindya and I practice buying Ilish only twice a season. This year, we had already finished once and we took some photos of the whole ilish. The second one was due when Red FM came home with a bag of Ilish. We cooked bhapa ilish, made a video, and took stills at the same time, the first time for us. And it was fun moving from one set up to another after each step to shooting the video and the still. As part of the promotion, we used Sunrise mustard powder for the same. Honestly, I always grind mustard paste, and once I had bought mustard powder with disastrous results. I have to say, and honestly, I am quite impressed with the outcome of the dish with Sunrise mustard powder. The pungency, the texture, everything checked out.

Few Important Tips

• Don’t wash the ilish too much. Just once under running water is fine. In fact, there are many homes where Hilsa is not washed.
• Use good quality mustard oil.
• If you are grinding mustard, then use both black and yellow mustard seeds for the best result
• Soak them separately and grind them separately, since black mustard paste needs to be strained
• Be generous with mustard oil.
• If you are using mustard powder, then soak the mustard powder in water for ten minutes before using.
• Don’t steam for too long and overcook the fish. 15 to 20 minutes is more than enough.

Serving Suggestions

The only way to eat bhapa ilish or steamed hilsa is with steamed rice.

Here is a step by step breakdown of Bhapa Ilsh which will help you to make one –

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