Mustard ilish: Taste it or miss it
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Loading... - Ishaan Singh
- 13 Oct 2022
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"Nothing can stop the saliva coming out of your tongue when you hear the name again. If you have ever tasted it, you can feel the taste. In case you haven't, I'm sure you will set your mind on it after listening to me." I get this straightforward answer from Shabnam Ferdousy, one of my university friends, when I ask her to tell me about her favourite mustard ilish recipe.
The nutritious anadromous-migratory-fish, ilish (Hilsa), has merged with Bengali tradition over the years. It is one of the most favourite dishes of Bengalis and is cooked in almost every home in both Bangladesh and West Bengal. Ilish was recognized as a GI-product of Bangladesh in 2016. It also contains a lot of essential fatty acids that are very beneficial for health.
For Shabnam, ilish is associated with cherished memories of mother, who passed away in 2014. From childhood, Shabnam would see her mother cooking ilish with special care. In her own words, 'Ilish is not just a fish for me; when I cook ilish, I can feel my mother's love here.'
Like an experienced food-critic, Shabnam describes the dos and don'ts perfectly, from buying the fish to cooking it. "It is a unique fish, so, you have to be very cautious at every step," she states, "Ilish is eaten more or less throughout the year. Seasonal fish is the most delicious to taste. I mainly prefer to buy Meghna river's ilish. I used to buy these from Chandpur, a southern coastal district. After the ilish season is over, I keep some of them frozen for the rest of the year, but the taste reduces with time."
Ilish doesn't take long to cook, but it requires careful attention. "You must pay attention the whole time. Even after cooking, one can understand how much care you have given to it," says Shabnam. Her advice is, the fewer spices you add, the tastier it will be. The main ingredients are onion, green pepper, salt, mustard, turmeric, oil and water. Cumin is optional.
The process of cooking ilish is simple. First, you have to fry the fish lightly. Then pour oil in the pan and lightly fry the onions in it. Then, mix salt, turmeric, green pepper and water, and, cover for a while. After that, add the mustard paste and stir it for a moment. Then put the fish on it, add some water and cover it. After three to four minutes, the desired mustard ilish is ready. Read More...
