Bangladesh and it’s people are renowned for being big fish eaters, which comes as no surprise really since a huge part of a Bangladeshi person’s diet is made up of fish due to it being easily sourced.

Growing up here in England fish was always a part of our diet, some of my most loved childhood dishes were fish dishes; fried Ilisha Mas (also known as Ilish/Hilsha) was one of my favourite things to eat. I still remember how my mum would fry Ilisha Mas and the aroma would waft through the entire house, forcing us to come out of whatever corner we were hiding in just so we could pinch a piece of succulent and tender fried fish! However I didn’t really begin to appreciate small fish like Keski Mas with Khomlar Bakhol (tiny fish known as Ganges River Sprat, cooked with satsuma peel) until I was somewhat older, I mean who wanted to eat tiny fish that tasted of citrus peel, right?! Let’s just say that since my more youthful days, my palate has fully developed and I’m now able to fully appreciate the flavours of Keski Mas with Khomlar Bhakhol.

Keski Mas with Khomlar Bakhol is a common combination, other combinations for cooking this fish include cooking this as a very sour curry with some sort of sour fruit such as dried Jujube fruit (boroi) or with Citrus Macroptera known as Shatkora in Bengali. If you are not keen on cooking this with khomlar bakhol (satsuma peel) you can always cook it plain without any peel. I have used dried satsuma peel but using fresh is better as it cooks quicker and will have more flavour, literally peel a satsuma, remove any excess white pith, rinse and it’s good to go!

I have cooked my curry in a saucepan so that the curry has more gravy, other variations of cooking this curry involve using a wide shallow frying pan/skillet to achieve a much drier consistency as the liquid evaporates, opt for whatever desired consistency suits you best. It is important to handpick any dirt or debris from the block of fish prior to cooking as the fish are net caught and will often contain other types of small fish and debris, once you’ve cleaned the fish it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! I really want to make cooking Bengali fish dishes accessible and less daunting for those who enjoy eating these dishes but just don’t know how to do it themselves, this one’s for YOU!

Serves 6 – 8

You will need: for Keski Mas with Khomlar Bakhol

1 block of keski mas
4 – 6 pieces of satsuma peel
oil
1 onion
1 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
1.5 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
5 – 6 green chillies
a handful of fresh coriander for garnishing

Method:

Start by soaking the dried satsuma peel in some hot water (boiling water hydrates the dried peel faster), this will help the peel to absorb the water quickly. If you are using fresh satsuma peel there is no need to soak, tear into small pieces as shown in photo, rinse and reserve to one side.

Remember to allow the block of fish to thaw properly before hand and then begin to sift any dirt or debris; often you will find small bugs, other small fish (you may remove the guts if you want to add them as in bottom left photo or discard) and even string….

….remove anything that looks like dirt. You may keep small prawns, but remove the head first.

Next take 1/2 tsp of salt and gently rub into the fish….

….top up with cold water and allow the fish to sit in the salt water while you prepare the masala (curry base).

Peel and slice one onion. In a medium sized pan add enough oil to cover the base and heat, once hot add the sliced onion….

….followed by 1 tsp salt and allow to cook (covered) until the onions are translucent, approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Once the onions are soft add the spices; 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of chilli powder and 1 tsp of coriander powder (this is optional and you may cook the curry using just turmeric powder and chilli powder), fry uncovered for 5 minutes.

Next add the soaked satsuma peel….

….along with a little of the water the peel was soaking in, mix and cover the saucepan. Allow to cook over a medium flame for 5 – 8 minutes until the satsuma peel is soft and cooked.

In the meantime wash the keski mas with cold running water, using a colander to drain in between washing as this helps to get rid of the soiled water….

….discard any fish that have become very mushed at the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the heat down low to add the keski mas to the saucepan, make sure the satsuma peel is fully cooked and the oil has separated from the masala and is bubbling around the edges – use a wooden spoon to test if you can tear the peel in two before doing so. Allow it more time to cook if the peel isn’t ready yet, adding a little more water if the curry begins to look dry.

Coat the fish with the masala, slice the green chillies….

….add the sliced chillies on top, cover and allow to cook over a medium flame for 3 -4 minutes.

Meanwhile chop a handful of fresh coriander.

Once the fish appear to look cooked you may want to add a little cold water to loosen the curry, I added about half a glass.

Cover again, turn the heat up and allow this to boil for a further 5 – 8 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander before removing from the heat.

Serve this curry with plain boiled rice and enjoy a dish that is truly loved by Bangladeshis!

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