As a Bengali kid growing up in different parts of India, I always felt our homecooked food stood out. While the Punjabi kids had their pretty, round parathas and the Gujarati ones had their beautiful mish-mash called Undhiyo, we had strange, pungent fish dishes which we had to eat with rice. So, the savoury favourite for many Bengalis called Kanta Chorchori was more of a forced feed for me as a child. Now, after years of staying away from family and my home state, I realise the value of the true value of simple dishes like the Maacher Kanta Chorchori.
The reason behind this realisation is simple. A dish like Maacher Kanta Chorchori may not look pretty on the plate, but it sure is delicious. Salty, mildly spiced and crunchy thanks to the fried fish bones, it’s a roller coaster ride for the senses. Maacher Kanta Chorchori literally translates to fish bone mish-mash. I’m sure the dish is one of those resourceful inventions by our Bengali ancestors who simply did not see any point in any kind of wastage—which is why this dish is also highly sustainable in this day and age.
However, what I always found difficult to navigate when it comes to eating Maacher Kanta Chorchori is the fact that it’s so bony. Prepared with the fish head, fin and tail cuts, this fish-and-veggie mix took hours to eat—at least when I was a kid. This is perhaps the reason why the dish is usually prepared with the heads, fins and tails of large fish varieties like bhetki. This helps retain some meat, but trust me when I say that the true flavour lies in the bones.
Instead of throwing out fish heads, fins and tails, you could do the planet and your taste buds a favour by adding this dish to your culinary kitty. Here’s the simple recipe for you.
Ingredients:
Bhetki fish head, fins, tail
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies, slit
2 large onions, sliced
2 large potatoes, diced
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 dried red chilli
1 small cinnamon stick
1 cardamom
3 tbsp mustard oil
1 cup water
Salt, to taste
Method:
1. Place the washed and cleaned fish head, fins and tail pieces in a large bowl. Add salt and turmeric, mix well, and let it marinate for half an hour.
2. Heat the mustard oil in a wok, and once it starts smoking, add the marinated fish parts.
3. Fry the fish until golden brown, then remove from the wok. Set aside for later use.
4. To the remaining oil, add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, dried chili, cinnamon stick and cardamom.
5. Once these whole spices stop spluttering, add the onions and green chillies, and saute for two minutes.
6. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, potatoes, salt and other spices, and mix well. Cover and cook the mix for 5 minutes.
7. Uncover the wok, give everything a good mix, and add the fried fish bones. Mix well, add the water, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender.
8. Once the potatoes are tender, give the mish-mash a good mix. You can also add coriander leaves and a dash of ghee as garnish.