Shorshe Pabda (Mustard Indian Butter Fish Curry)

Mustard is a very integral part of Bengali cuisine. Mustard oil, mustard paste, mustard powder, and mustard seeds are extensively used in Bengali food.

Being a Bengali, I thought of sharing one of my favourite dishes since childhood, the classic Shorshe Pabda. Pabda, also called Pupta in Hindi and Indian Butter Fish in English is a freshwater fish. It is a type of catfish.

Now let’s jump into the recipe! This is my mom’s recipe and would love to share it with you all.

Ingredients:

Pabda/Indian Butter Fish – 8 pcs

Turmeric Powder – 2tsp

Mustard Oil – 12-14tbsp

Mustard Powder – 4tbsp

Tomato paste – 2 medium sized

Kalo jeera/ Kalonji/ Nigella Seeds – ½tsp

Green Chilli – 4/5pcs

Water

Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves

Steps:

1. Take 4tbsp mustard powder and soak it in half cup of luke warm water for 45 minutes and pour it through a strainer. Use the strained paste so that the bitterness of mustard doesn’t come into the curry.
2. Marinate the fish with 2tsp salt,1tsp turmeric powder and 2tbsp mustard oil and leave it aside for 10 minutes. (In this step the mustard oil is used to marinate so that when you fry the fish, the oil doesn’t pop.)
3. Take a non stick frying pan and heat around 8tbsp mustard oil in it.
4. Once the oil is heated, fry the fish carefully. Let one side fry completely, then turn the fish. And fry two or three fish at a time. Pabda fish is very delicate, it can break if not handled carefully.
5. Once they are fried, take them out of the frying pan and keep aside. Don’t throw away the oil in which the fish was fried. Let it be in the pan.
6. In the same pan, add 2tbsp mustard oil to the oil which remains and heat it. We are using the same oil because it has all the flavours and aroma of the fish which will enhance the gravy later.
7. Now, to this oil, add ½tsp kalonji and fry it for around 20 seconds till it starts to pop. Add the green chillies too.
8. Next, add in the tomato paste, along with salt and 1tsp turmeric powder. Keep frying this in medium flame. If it gets dry, add 2tbsp water at a time and fry again . Keep doing this for 5-8 minutes till this cooks completely
9. Now, add the mustard paste and some water. The quantity of the water can be as much as you want for the gravy. I wanted a thick gravy, so I added the water accordingly.
10. Cook this for 5 minutes. Following this, add the fish and again cook in low flame for 3 minutes.
11. Once it is done, add in the chopped fresh coriander leaves. Be generous with the amount of coriander leaves you add because this takes the fish curry to a whole new level!
12. And lastly, after turning off the flame, add 2tbsp mustard oil and garnish with the coriander leaves. The last touch of mustard oil just intensifies the flavour of this dish.
13. Serve this delicious fish curry, with steamed rice.

Try this recipe at home, and I bet you will love it. You can also use the same recipe with other kinds of fish too.

Comment below if you liked this recipe and make sure to share your experience with me once you try this at home!

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