Halibut Kalia (Bengali Style Fish Curry)

Bengali cuisine is a blend of sweet and spicy flavors. The delicate balance between the main ingredients and the seasoning plays a starring role. The nature and variety of dishes found in Bengali cooking are unique even in India. Fresh sweet water fish is one of its most distinctive features.

Bengali's share an irrevocable relationship with fish and rice that are a staple in almost every household. The trump card of Bengali cooking probably is the addition of the phoron, a combination of whole spices, fried and added at the start or finish of cooking as a flavoring special to each dish.

Kalia is a very rich preparation of fish, meat or vegetables using a lot of oil and ghee with a sauce usually based on ground ginger and fresh shallots pasted or fried along with a tempering of Gorom Masala.

Ingredients:

1. 2 pound Halibut Fish

2. 1 big size Red Onion

3. 4 Green chilies

4. 4 cloves of Garlic

5. 2 inch of Ginger

6. 2 medium size Tomato

7. Mustard oil

8. 1 stick Cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 4 cloves

9. 3 tbs Cumin seeds

10. 4 red dry chilies

11. Turmeric

12. Salt and sugar

Step 1:

1. Marinate the fish pieces with 1 tbs of salt and turmeric and set aside.

Step 2:

2. Take cumin seeds, dry red chilies and chopped ginger in a bowl and microwave for a minute. Make a smooth paste out of it.

Step 3:

3. Cut and chop onions, green chilies, garlic and tomato and keep aside.

Step 4:

4. Shallow fry the fish pieces in mustard oil and keep aside.

Step 5:

5. In the same oil, put the onions and caramelize till brown with a tsp of salt and sugar.

Step 6:

6. Add garlic, green chilies and tomato and fry them till the tomato becomes soft.

Step 7:

7. Pour the cumin ginger chili paste in the pan and reduce it till the mixture releases oil.

Step 8:

8. Put 3 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add the fish pieces to the sauce and simmer for at least half an hour and the mixture thickens.

Step 9:

9. Halibut provides its unique flavor and taste and makes the dish irresistible. Savor this deliciousness with hot steam jasmine rice.

Step 10:

10. Enjoy!!!