Sorshe Bata Maach - Fish in Mustard Gravy

Shorshe Bata Maach

This is a favourite main dish prepared in my household. Black mustard seeds sauce has a sharp and pungent taste that is similar to Wasabi or spicy Chinese mustard sauce. Some people combine mustard sauce with poppy seed paste to tone down the pungency, but that is frowned upon in my family. 

To prepare the sauce, black mustard seeds must be soaked in tepid water for at least two hours or preferably overnight. The seeds, along with water in which it was soaking, is placed in a blender jar with salt and a green chili, blended at maximum setting until smooth, and then added to the fish.

Any white fish, cleaned and left whole, cut in steaks or filleted can be used according to taste and is best served with hot, long-grained rice.

Ingredients

1 lb. fish, cut fillets in bite-sized pieces or steaks in 2" thick pieces

1/4 cup black mustard seeds, soaked for 2 hours or overnight in 1 cup tap water

1 green chili

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

6 Tbsp. mustard or vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. nigella/kalonji seeds

2 green chilies, diced

1 onion, sliced

1 tomato, diced

4-6 stalks cilantro, minced

salt to taste

Directions

1. Toss fish with turmeric powder and salt and set aside.
2. Blend mustard seeds along with soaking water, 1 green chili and salt to a smooth paste and set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil and lightly fry fish just until opaque, remove and set aside.
4. Heat remaining oil, sputter nigella seeds, fry sliced onions and diced green chilies.
5. Add tomatoes, cover and simmer over medium-high heat until tomatoes break down.
6. Add fish pieces, simmer for 3 minutes, flip over and simmer for 3 more minutes.
7. Pour mustard sauce over fish, season with salt to taste, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Serve over hot, long-grained rice.