Matha diye Moonger Dhal

No Bengali lunch or dinner is complete without a delicious fish preparation. Bengali fish dishes are lightly spiced or fried and usually accompanied by white steamed (boiled) rice or luchis (a fried bread made from refined flour). One of my favorite Bengali fish dishes is 'matha diye moonger dhal' -- a strong flavored fish head preparation, rather easy to prepare once you have bought a cleaned fish head from your local fishmonger or supermarket.

The Recipe


1 cup moong dhal (easily available from any Indian grocery store)
1 tsp ground ginger paste
1 tsp cumin seeds (ground with the ginger paste)
2 tomatoes chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 fish head (use carp or any white fish)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt to taste
3 cups hot water
2-3 fresh chillies
vegetable oil for frying


Rub the fish head with salt and tumeric powder and keep aside. Heat the oil and fry the moong dhal till it changes color slightly. Add 3 cups of hot water and let the dhal cook till almost done (about 25 minutes).
Add tomatoes and 2-3 fresh chillies slit down the middle. Add sugar, tumeric powder and a ginger and cumin paste. Add salt and boil well for a couple of minutes.
Fry the fish head and add to the boiling dhal. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a teaspoon of oil prepare a tarka (or seasoning) of fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and bay leaves fried for about a minute and then add to the cooked dhal.