ILISHER MATHA CHALKUMRO GHONTO
IT'S TIME FOR A FAMILY BENGALI RECIPE TO COME UP!
It is a beautiful sunny morning today, you never know when it would start raining! That's how this island's weather pattern is! I do not like carrying an umbrella with me, force myself to these days! Too much of a sunny weather does not work either for the runners & walkers! At least, I get tired easily on a walk, if the sun shines bright! Time & again, I scolded our mother for pampering me at a time when she had to teach me some lessons of the life firmly! If I had refused to do a house chore, she had to be tough on me, on my brother & make us do it! The brother is at least earning for the family, travels to the office everyday, I did not do anything fruitful till date! Even I have not let the son or the man to do any household chore! But I let go off my only child to a far off land! It was not an easy decision given my nature! But I did knowing the son would learn to be independent, receive the kind of education he had been yearning for! Our mother never wished to let go of us! Even in the present time, she would have been happier if I would have listened to her & only her! But I take lessons from the past & act accordingly! She has to know she need not control everyone else's life around her! I however, went after her passion for cooking & gardening! I am not good at the latter, like her!
Will my ginger plant bear some ginger?
IS IT THAT OUR SON IS A REBEL BECAUSE HIS BOTH PARENTS ARE KIND OF THAT?
But this mumma was an obedient child until her marriage day! The mother got upset when I stopped listening to her gradually thereafter, you cannot deny the influence of your rebel partner in your life! Our father was too obedient when it came to the elderlies, the husband does not behave objectionably either; but he would not bow or ditto listen to anyone in this world! If you bother him much, he would rebel! I do not expect much from the son, just a regular communication! Mumma gets upset when he refuses the minimal amount of phone conversations! This is going on for three years! His father tortured us calling irregular from the ship, now he is repeating his father's behaviour! I cannot even rebuke or laugh at the father when the latter gets upset when the son does not take the calls. The son used to be fond of my brother, I wanted him to take the best from different people, my brother holds tight the mother till date! I had different plans for my brother otherwise! It is 2:05 pm here; around 3:30 pm, I would take a break from the blog writing & go out, have my first meal, walk, come back & finish off with the blogpost! I have a lot of food in the refrigerator; I would have rice-dal-eggplant fry & mango for dinner today! Last night, I had egg biryani again, the amount of rice was double than what I allow myself to have these days!
WHAT IS THIS ILISH MACH ER MATHA DIYE CHALKUMRO GHONTO?
Ilish Mach refers to Hilsa fish, the most loved fish among the Bengalis! We use fish heads in different recipes! My family tends to add fried fish heads or smaller prawns or dried fish in a number of mixed vegetable dishes! Earlier those dishes were my favourite! I still love dishes that have smaller prawns & dried fishes! Bigger fish heads do not remain my favourite anymore! But I can eat deep fried ilish mach or any small sized fish heads in vegetables or in lentils curry! Way smaller fish heads of a 500-1 kg sized Bengal Carp or of any small fresh water fish I simply enjoy till date! Chalkumro is the Bengali word for Ash Gourd / Winter Melon! Ghonto may be a medley! ILISHER MATHA CHALKUMRO GHONTO is a gluten-free, non-vegetarian Bengali dish with deep fried Hilsa fish head & Ash Gourd using minimal spices! I am back from my walk & had these; I bought muffins & chicken stuffed naan bread from the Bread Talk, sat at a food court buying a TehC!
Whenever I am near this condo, I go back in time; 2010, 2nd October, I and the son stepped in here to start a family of three, that was 13 years post marriage, also made some good friends!
HILSA HEAD : 1 STANDARD SIZED
ASH GOURD / WINTER MELON : 2 IF TOO YOUNG; ELSE 1/2 OR 1/4 OF A TOO BIG ONE! [I PREFER USING THE SMALL & YOUNG]
BAY LEAF : 1
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
RADHUNI / AJMOD : 2-3 PINCH [OPTIONAL]
DRY RED CHILLI : 2 [HALVED]
GREEN CHILLI : 2-3 SLITTED
CHOPPED CORIANDER : A HANDFUL
CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1 TSP
OIL : 2 TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Get rid of all of the scales from the fish head! Wash well & cut into smaller pieces. This is necessary, if you fry the head & then break it, there is a possibility of the bones to get messy!
Wash again the fish head pieces well! Also, ask your fish vendor to cut the Hilsa head into half! If you share a cordial relationship, they can cut the head further into smaller pieces!
Marinate the washed fish head pieces with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder & a little of salt, keep aside!
Peel the winter melon, cut off the two ends, wash! I use the young, cucumber shaped ones! I usually discard the seeds present & then shred!
Heat the oil in the wok, fry the fish head pieces discarding the marinade! Take them out for latter use!
Temper the remaining oil with the bayleaf, cumin seeds, radhuni[optional], halved dry red chillies! Add the shredded vegetable & fold in well!
Add the remaining turmeric powder & some salt! Fold in well & cover cook at minimal heat for 8-10 minutes!
Remove the cover, a lot of water would release! Add the washed & slitted green chillies, cumin & coriander powders, fold in well & cover cook at low heat until all of the water dries up!
Remove the cover, add the sugar, washed & chopped green chillies, the fried fish head pieces! Fold in well & cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes!
Take down & have with piping hot steamed rice!
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