Aar machher kalia

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s Aar Machher Kalia is a Bengali river-catfish curry with large pieces of fish and fried potatoes in an onion-and-tomato gravy. Her version uses both chopped onion and onion paste, a whole-spice tempering, raisins and a ghee finish.

The fish is seasoned with salt and turmeric, and the raisins soak in warm water. Medium potatoes are peeled and halved; one onion is roughly chopped and another made into a paste, while tomato and green chilli are made into a separate paste.

Mustard oil is heated and the fish lightly fried on both sides before being lifted out. Potatoes fry with salt and turmeric in the same remaining oil until golden and partly cooked, then are lifted out too.

Half the ghee and dried red chilli, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaves are added to the oil. The chopped onion and onion paste cook until their colour changes, followed by ginger and garlic pastes, then the tomato-and-chilli paste; ground spices, sugar and salt cook in until oil separates.

A little water can loosen the masala before the soaked raisins and main water are added. Potatoes return and cook until tender, followed by the fish; the remaining ghee and Bengali garam masala finish the curry, which rests covered before serving.