Fish curry in a piquant mustard gravy

This is an adaptation of a treasured Bengali recipe. The reason I say 'adaptation' is that I've added a few cubed vegetables to the curry, while in Bengal it is generally prepared with fish and potatoes only. Cooking fish with a pungent, piquant freshly ground mustard paste ('shorshe baata') is one of the commonest (and most delicious) fish preparations throughout Bengal. I normally use a stone mortar and pestle, if you don't have one a regular blender works just fine.


The Recipe

Make a paste using a mortar and pestle (or blender) of the following with a bit of water:

a little more than 1/4 cup black mustard seeds
4 fresh green or red chillies


3-4 medium sized fish steaks (milk fish, cod, carp) rubbed with salt and tumeric powder and kept aside
1 medium sized eggplant cubed
3-4 okra cubed
1 potato cubed (skin on, well washed)
2 tomatoes quartered
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
salt to taste
oil for frying



Fry the tumeric coated fish in hot oil a few minutes each side, till crisp and golden. Keep aside.
In the same oil, put the mustard-chillie paste and fry a few seconds, add a teaspoon or two of warm water, the tomatoes and sugar and fry well for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Add the cubed vegetables and keep frying (add a little more water if needed, just to keep the mixture a little thick). Add the fish, fry carefully making sure the pieces do not break. When the fish and vegetables are well coated with mustard, add salt and about two cups warm water. Reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes or till the vegetables are cooked.
Serve hot with white rice.