Fish head cooked with aromatic rice - Murighonto

Fish has been an essential part of Bengali life, though that is changing drastically with the current generation of Bengalis. But traditionally fish has been a constant of the Bengali platter, fried or curried, a piece of fish is part of the Bengali menu for ages. Apart from the fleshy part of the fish, the bony head of the fish has been a delicacy. Along with the cleaned entrails, the fish head has been used in various cuisines mixed with a variety of vegetables to create some mesmerizing dishes, some of which are legendary.

One such cuisine with the fish head is ‘Murighonto’. Cooked with large fish heads of carp fishes called ‘Catla’ in Bengal and combined with rice, this cuisine was a compulsory part of the Bengali culinary events.

Catla fish

Ingredients:

Large fish head of a carp (Catla) – 1 washed, cleaned and cut to smaller portions

Salt – 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Gobindobhog rice – 1 cup or 50 gm washed, cleaned and soaked for 30 minutes

Dry red chillis – 2

Bay leaf – 1 torn to pieces

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1 in piece

Cumin whole – 1 tsp

Coriander whole – 1 tsp

Mustard oil – 3 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tsp

Green chillis – 2

For tempering:

Cumin whole – ½ tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1 in piece

Clove – 2

Dried red chilli – 1 broken to pieces

For finishing rice:

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Instructions:

Mix the fish head with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder and set aside for 20 minutes.

Dry roast dry red chills, bay leaf, green cardamom. cinnamon, cumin and coriander for 2 minutes.

When masalas cool, grind to a powder.

Heat the mustard oil in a skillet and add the pieces of the marinated fish head.

Fry it well on medium heat till it turns brown. When done pick up the fried head in a separate dish.

In the leftover oil from frying add the ghee.

Add the ingredients for tempering and sauté for a few minutes until it smells.

Add the soaked and drained ‘gobindobhog’ rice and fry well on medium heat for two minutes.

Add the masalas for finishing the rice and sauté the rice for a few minutes on low heat.

Now add the fried fish head to the cooked rice and mix well for a few minutes at medium heat.

Pour in 2.5 cups of warm water and add salt to taste. Add the green chillis. Stir it all and mix.

Cover the skillet and simmer in low heat for five minutes. Dry out the water as much as possible.

Sprinkle the ground masala powder and mix well to finish. Cover the lid and let it stand for three minutes.

Serve with steaming rice.