Roshun Bhapa Machh- Steamed fish in garlic flavour

When you are always on the lookout for interesting recipes, you end up buying cookbooks. It’s been a thing for me since my college days. I still remember my first food book – Madhur Jaffrey’s A Taste of India. Soon after, I bought Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khana Khazana. Little did I know that years later, I would have the privilege of serving Sanjeev Kapoor at my home. And I got my book autographed by him. Well, this roshun bhapa machh recipe is also from the Oh! Calcutta cookbook.

Back in the early 2000s, when we were in Pune, Oh Calcutta and Mainland China were our only connections to Kolkata food. We used to frequent those restaurants in Pune, and one day when I saw that they had released their signature recipes in cookbook form, I grabbed it up immediately. After that, our dinners often transformed to mainland China food cooked at home. Mind you, those were the days of no smartphones or YouTube. Our access to recipes was cookbooks and food shows from the Travel and Living channel. When Tata Sky came out, I used to record my favourite TV shows. Before Tata Sky, I remember sitting with a diary and noting down ingredients as fast as I could. I still have my recipe diary from back in the day and cherish it even today.

fish portioned and marinated

roshun bhapa machh (5)

Mustard oil and garlic: a flavour profile made in heaven

What’s not to love about garlic? Add it to anything, and the taste elevates. Coupled with my favourite cooking oil – mustard oil – it’s a match made in heaven. The cookbook has it a bit complicated. But knowing me, I have simplified it to the basic steps of marination, wrapping in banana leaf and steaming. Steaming keeps the fish really supple and soft. You can also cook it on a tawa, using a bit of oil. That’ll give you a bit of charred consistency and a smoky flavour with the banana leaf. But the risk of the fish drying out remains. Roshun bhapa machh should be soft, so it is best to steam it.

roshun bhapa machh (4)

Serving Suggestions

Roshun Bhapa Machh pairs beautifully with steamed rice, though it also makes a flavourful starter on its own—fragrant, soft, and rich with garlic and mustard oil.

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Roshun Bhapa Machh

Fish marinated in garlic and steamed

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marination time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 500 gms bhetki fillet, cut into cubes (about 1 inch thick)
• 4 banana leaves, cut into 8-inch squares and softened over an open flame
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp dahi (curd)
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 heaped tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 green chilies, crushed to a paste (add more if you like spicy food)
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp mustard oil plus extra for finishing.

Method

 

1. Cut the banana leaves into 8-inch squares and lightly pass them over an open flame until they soften and become pliable. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix the bhetki cubes with lemon juice, dahi, garlic paste, chopped garlic, green chilli paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and mustard oil.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes.
4. Divide the marinated fish into 4 equal portions.
5. Brush each banana leaf square with a few drops of mustard oil.
6. Place one portion of fish on each leaf and wrap tightly into a parcel.
7. Steam the parcels for 20 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes, if the fish cubes are about 1 inch thick.
8. If the fillets are thinner, steam for 15 minutes total.
9. Once cooked, unwrap the parcels gently and drizzle a little more mustard oil on top.
10. Serve hot with steamed rice or simply as it is.