Ilish machher dim bhuna

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s Ilish Macher Dim Bhuna stir-fries Hilsa roe with onion, ginger and garlic pastes, green chillies and spices. She also calls it Dim er Jhuri, describing a preparation shared across West Bengal and Bangladesh; this version includes her optional Hilsa pieces.

Turmeric and salt marinate the roe and fish pieces. Two onions are finely chopped and another made into a paste; a tomato is also prepared as a paste and the green chillies are chopped.

Part of the mustard oil fries the chopped onion until translucent. Onion, garlic and ginger pastes and the chopped chillies follow, cooking until oil leaves the pan’s edges; turmeric, red chilli powder and more of the same salt are then mixed in.

The roe enters the mixture and dries quickly, so it is stirred vigorously. The fish pieces are then added and fried with another portion of the same oil, with a spatula breaking them into large pieces alongside the stir-fried roe.

Salt is adjusted if needed, and optional chopped coriander can be added. The remaining mustard oil is mixed through before the finished dish is served hot with prepared steamed rice.