Being Bengali, fish is a large part of my diet; it’s a healthy protein which is really good for you so it’s always a good idea to try and increase the amount one eats. One of my most favourite fish to cook is Rupchanda which is known as Pomfret in English. This fish has featured on my website before and it’s no wonder as it is simply delicious and very easy to cook. The combination of Rupchanda and Parsley was one that came about as a spur of the moment decision one day when I was cooking, as so many of my concoctions do! I use parsley in many of my western recipes and find it goes very well with fish, so I decided to use that; rather than add the parsley as a garnish, I decided to add it as an accompaniment to the actual curry, much like you would add spinach to a curry. Parsley has a very distinct taste and isn’t one that I enjoy when raw but when it’s cooked it tastes great! The first day I cooked this my mother in law really enjoyed it and complimented the curry saying it was very tasty. So it’s become another firm favourite!

Many people often worry about eating fish on the bone, fear not as this is an easy to eat fish having very few bones. I always think it’s a good idea to introduce fish on the bone to kids when they are quite young, that way they master the technique. My children very happily eat this fish as well as many others because of the flaky texture and the ease with which they can eat this. I have used Rupchanda in this recipe but if you are not able to source this fish locally, use something else instead (Telapia is a good substitute), the resulting curry will be equally as tasty. I normally like to provide you with alternative options when cooking my dishes because I know many people are not from the UK and will not be able to get hold of the ingredients I use, however on this occasion I do think you should use parsley, and only parsley! It is after all a Rupchanda & Parsley Curry. I normally buy my parsley, wash, chop and freeze it, hence why I have used frozen parsley in this recipe. If you are using fresh parsley I would recommend using 4 tablespoons also, which is approximately 1/4 of a bunch (this is an estimate). The only thing that remains to be said is that this recipe has become a firm favourite in my household, will it become one in yours too?

Serves 4 – 6

You will need: for Rupchanda (Pomfret) & Parsley Curry

3 medium Rupchanda/Pomfret fish
1 medium onion peeled
oil (as required)
1 – 1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp mixed curry powder (I normally use Rajah brand)
1 tsp coriander powder
4 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh/frozen)
water as needed
2 cloves garlic
4 – 5 green chillies
chopped coriander (optional)

Method:

Start by removing the gills on both sides of the fish. Next using a pair of scissors trim the top and bottom fins (top right and bottom left photo). Then remove the large fin next to the gill and cut off the tail.

Next make a slit below where you just removed the fin, this is where the fish guts are and you want to remove them. Using your finger take out all of the guts (top right photo).

I cut my fish into 3 slices, if you want bigger slices cut them into halves. Finally, I like to remove anything inside the fish head, put your finger in and pull out whatever is inside to clean it completely….

 ….this was what I pulled out of the head….I think that’s the fish brain! 🙂
Clean the remaining 2 fish in the same manner.

Rinse your fish slices with cold water till the water runs clear, then soak in water till it’s time to cook. I don’t usually rinse Rupchanda with salt water as I don’t find it necessary; if however you would like to, take 1/2 a tsp of salt and rub with some water into the fish then rinse off and soak in clean water.

Slice 1 medium onion and heat some oil in a pan, I pour enough oil to cover the base of my pan with a thickness of 3 – 4mm….

….add the sliced onions and 1 – 1.5 tsp of salt. Cover the pan to allow the onions to soften, about 5 – 7 minutes.

On this occasion my onions browned very quickly without me being aware, so I added a splash of cold water to prevent them from browning anymore.

I added all the spices next; 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp mixed curry powder and lastly one tsp of coriander powder. Mix the spices and allow to fry over a low heat while you prep your parsley.

My parsley was already chopped and frozen, if you’re using fresh, wash and chop enough for 4 tbsp (I’m guessing about 1/4 of a bunch) and add this to the pan.

Keeping the flame low, allow the parsley to wilt and cook with the spices for a minute or two, then add the washed fish slices.

Roughly crush 2 cloves of garlic with the flat side of your knife or using a pestle. Add this to the curry, mix and cover. Allow the fish to cook through for about 3 – 4 minutes over a low – medium flame.

Finely slice the green chillies while you wait.

Once the fish has released its fluid, (you’ll be able to see a white discharge coming from the fish slices) and appears cooked, add 1/2 – 2/3 of a cup of water depending on how much sauce/gravy you want the curry to have. I add about 1/2 a glass as I wanted less sauce.

Finally sprinkle your sliced green chillies on top. Turn up the heat to full and allow this to boil for 5 more minutes before removing from the heat. Garnish with coriander (optional).

Serve your curry with plain Basmati, lemon/lime wedges and extra green chillies (if you like extra spice)!

Bon Appétit!!

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