KATLA MACHER KALIA

Kalia is one of the pillars of Mughlai cuisine. Kalia, the base of ghee, is water- or milk-based and therefore the final dish is runnier. Kalia is more of an everyday preparation. Of course, this Kalia, and other Bengali kalias, are heavily modified from the first Mughal Kalia—which weren’t as fiery. These probably developed under the Nawabs of Bengal incorporating local ingredients and tastes.

This macher Kalia is formed with Paka rui (rohu) or Katla (Catla)—both of which are freshwater carps very fashionable in Bengal. it’s best if you’ll buy a live Katla weighing 3–4 kg and cook it an equivalent day. Our recipe is moderately high on chilies which is nicely counterbalanced by the sourness of the yogurt and tomatoes, also because of the sweetness from the fried onions, sugar, and raisins. you’ll even add fried potatoes to the gravy if you favor. Serve this with plain boiled rice or with a polao.

INGREDIENTS

• 600 g machh (Catla or Rohu fish)
• 8 g salt (for marination)
• 3 g turmeric (for marination)
• 80 g mustard oil
• 10 g ghee
• 4 pcs dried red chillies
• 4 pcs bay leaves
• 4 pcs cardamom
• 4 pcs cloves
• 2 pcs cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 150 g onion (paste)
• 100 g onions (sliced)
• 20 g ginger
• 30 g tomato
• 50 g yoghurt
• 6 g turmeric 
• 2 g red chilli powder
• 6 g Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 4 g cumin powder
• 30 g raisins
• 27 g salt
• 35 g sugar
• 500 g hot water
• 1/2 tsp garam masala‍
• 6 pcs green chillies

Wash and thoroughly dry the fish. There shouldn’t be any excess moisture on the surface of the fish.
Sprinkle 8 grams of salt and three grams of turmeric powder and toss to coat. Set this aside to marinate (in the refrigerator if it’s a hot day).

Slice 100 grams of cleaned onions along the length. These are going to be wont to make barista (fried onion).
Roughly cube 150 grams of cleaned onion and put it within the jar of a grinder.
Peel fresh ginger, chop roughly, and add it to an equivalent jar.

Grind the onion and ginger until smooth. Don’t add any extra water during grinding.
Cube the tomatoes into small chunks.
Slit green chilies along the length.
Weigh the yogurt, then beat with a fork until smooth.
Weigh out the dry spice powders during a bowl together—turmeric, cumin, red chili, and Kashmiri red chili.
Heat a Kadai or a wok until extremely popular. Pour all of the mustard oil (80 grams) and await it to start out smoking. Once it smokes, lower the warmth and await the smoke to subside and therefore the oil to chill down a touch.
Next, add the sliced onions from Step 3 and fry patiently until barely brown. this could take about 6 minutes for this quantity of onions. Immediately strain and put aside. Remember, the onion will keep darkening thanks to residual heat even after you’re taking it out of the oil. If it darkens an excessive amount of it’ll turn bitter.
In the same oil fry the marinated fish in small batches. Fry the belly pieces (peti) separately from the rear pieces (daga or gada). For a Kalia, the fish should be nicely browned outside. Set the fried fish aside. we’ll cook the Kalia within the same oil in order that the sauce has the flavour of the fish.
Add ghee to the oil and wait for it to melt.
Lower the warmth. Add dried red chilies, bay leaves, and whole garam moshla, i,e, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, and eventually whole cumin seeds.
Add the onion and ginger paste. Braise this until it darkens in color and therefore the moisture dries up.
Add the dry spice powders, stir and sprinkle a few tablespoons of predicament to stop them from sticking to the pan and burning. Braise until the raw smell of the spices goes away (about 6 minutes).
Add the salt and therefore the sugar.
Add the diced tomatoes and cook covered until softened. At any stage during the cooking add splashes of predicament to stop the spices from burning.
Turn up the warmth, and add the beaten yogurt stirring vigorously in order that the yogurt doesn’t split.
When the oil (Rogan) floats to the highest, add the raisins and stir.
Once everything is well cooked, add 500 grams of boiling predicament.
When the sauce comes up to a boil, gently introduce the fried fish into the sauce. Also, add the slit green chilies and therefore the fried onions.
Simmer the Kalia until the consistency is sort of a sauce. A Kalia shouldn’t be too thick. Plus, confine in mind that the fish will take in tons of the sauce and therefore the gravy will thicken by the time you serve it.
Turn off the stove, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, and canopy with a decent lid. Let this rest for a minimum of half an hour before serving with plain boiled rice, or a polao.