~550 cal · 39g protein · 16g carbs · 35g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Thin golden fish curry with potatoes and cilantro over rice
🇮🇳 West Bengal (Kolkata)
Macher jhol is Bengal’s daily comfort — fish gently fried, then simmered in a thin turmeric-and-mustard gravy that’s meant to be spooned over mounds of rice. Every Bengali household has a version, and every one is "the right one."
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1.25 lbs firm white fish steaks (or rohu/carp)
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2 potatoes, wedges
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1 tomato, chopped
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1.5 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
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3 green chilies, slit
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1 tbsp ginger paste
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1 tsp each ground cumin + coriander
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4 tbsp mustard oil (traditional) or neutral oil
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a handful + for 4 cilantro + steamed rice, to serve
Instructions
1
Rub the fish with turmeric and salt; fry in hot mustard oil 1 minute a side and set aside. (Plant version: fry the tofu and set aside.)
2
In the same oil, crackle the nigella seeds and green chilies; add ginger, cumin, coriander, and the tomato.
3
Add the potatoes and 3 cups water; simmer 15 minutes until the potatoes are nearly done — the gravy should stay thin, a jhol, not a thick curry.
4
Slide the fish (or tofu and vegetables) back in and simmer gently 5 minutes.
5
Finish with cilantro and serve over plenty of plain rice — the gravy is meant to be spooned, not scooped.
Kolkata home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
West Bengal (Kolkata). Fish, mustard, and the sweetest tooth in the subcontinent.
🗺️
India. A subcontinent where every state is its own food country.
🌍
Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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