Mithila Fish Curry with Mustard (Machh Ka Sarson Jhor)

Name: Mithila Fish Curry with Mustard (Machh Ka Sarson Jhor)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Bihari
Ingredients: 500 g rohu or catla fish; 3 tbsp Mustard seeds; 1 tsp Turmeric; 4 tbsp mustard oil; 0.5 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji); 4 whole Green chillies; 2 tbsp onion paste; 1.5 tsp Salt; 400 ml Water

Freshwater fish simmered in a thin, sharp mustard-seed gravy, a defining everyday preparation of Mithila's rice-and-fish culinary culture.

🇮🇳India· Bihar

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 230 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g rohu or catla fish — cut into pieces
3 tbsp Mustard seeds — soaked and ground to paste
1 tsp Turmeric — divided
4 tbsp mustard oil — divided
½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
4 whole Green chillies — slit, divided
2 tbsp onion paste — optional
1½ tsp Salt — to taste
400 ml Water

Equipment

•Earthen or heavy pot

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 230 kcal
fat: 13 g
carbs: 4 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 230 kcal

Instructions

1
Rub the fish pieces with half the turmeric and a little salt. Shallow fry in mustard oil until lightly golden on both sides, then set aside.
2
In the same oil, sizzle the nigella seeds until they smell fragrant.
3
Add the onion paste if using and fry briefly. Stir in the mustard paste and the remaining turmeric.
4
Cook the masala (spice mix) on low heat, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes until the raw mustard smell disappears.
5
Add water, salt and half the slit green chillies. Bring the liquid to a boil.
6
Slide in the fried fish pieces. Simmer gently for 6-8 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the gravy thins slightly.
7
Garnish with the remaining slit green chillies and drizzle with raw mustard oil before serving.

Chef's tips

Cook the mustard paste on low heat to prevent bitterness. A drizzle of raw mustard oil at the end intensifies the sharp flavour typical of Mithila fish curries.