A Recipe Song for Machher Jhol - Bengal's favourite fish stew with potatoes. Simple, light, delicious. An eternal favourite, with rice. #machherjholsong #macherjhol
INGREDIENTS USED :
6 -8 pieces of Rohu/ Rui fish
4 potatoes
Salt - to taste
Mustard Oil - to taste
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Bay leaves 1-2
Panchphoron ( traditional bengali five spice mix) - a pinch
Green chillies - to taste
Water - to tast
SONG LYRICS : ( with additional instructions )
Today our goal is to make macher jhol
Macher jhol, macher jhol
Good for my tummy, and good for my soul
Macher Jhol, macher jhol
With turmeric and salt first marinate the fish
( the longer the marination time the better )
Cut potato like this ( lenthwise ), or smaller if you wish
Head mustard oil, till it smokes in the pan
Fry fish and potato as lightly as you can
( first the fish, keep aside, then the potatoes, keep aside )
If every now and then you forget to turn,
It will be very bad, your potatoes will burn ( You need to avoid this, obviously! )
What is our goal? To make macher jhol
Macher jhol, macher jhol
If you have amasha ( upset stomach ) or perhaps ombol ( acidity )
Macher jhol, macher jhol
Coriander, cumin, chilly powder and turmeric
( all in powder form, 2tsp, 1tsp, quarter tsp and half tsp respectively)
Add water, make a paste, like this not very thick
One or two bay leaves and a pinch of panchphoron
( which you can ) buy from the shop, or make on your own
( by mixing together equal quantities of whole cumin, fennel seeds, onion seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds or radhuni, which is available in Bengal )
Add all the ingredients in the heated oil
( first the bay leaves, then the panchphoron, then the spice paste, stir fry a few min)
Add potato, add the water ( quantity depending on how much gravy you want )
Let it come to boil !
( let it simmer for ten min)
Add salt and green chillies ( to taste ), for me - only one
Add the fish and let it simmer, till the jhol is done ( about ten min )
Enjoy with rice, or straight from the bowl
Macher jhol, macher jhol
Good for your tummy, and good for your soul
Macher jhol, macher jhol
SONG CREDITS :
Song written, composed, produced, performed by Sawan Dutta
Video by CB Arun Kumar and Sawan Dutta