Fried Neni Fish (Mach)

Neni fish is fresh water fish mostly cooked in Bengal. Neni mach is known for its taste. In this recipe neni mach is marinated with turmeric and salt for 5 minutes and then deep fried.

Fried neni mach are then dipped into curry made with mustard paste along with garlic, onions, tomatoes and species. The mach curry has full of flavors.

Neni Mach Jhor (Fish Curry)

Neni Mach Recipe:

• Wash the fish ( neni mach).
• Put 2 teaspoon turmeric, salt and marinade the fish (mach)
• Roughly grind 2 onions and keep aside.
• Grind 20 garlic cloves and 2 inch ginger into a paste.
• Take 3 1/2  tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, wash and grind mustard seeds to a smooth paste by adding very little water about (1/2 spoon).
• Grinding mustard seeds will take time but grind it to a smooth paste. If required add more water but then water should be very less just to make the paste smooth.
• Now heat oil in a pan for deep frying fish ( neni mach).
• I am using mustard oil for this recipe you can use some other oil but trust me mustard oil gives very nice flavour to this fish.
• Once oil is heated add marinaded neni mach (fish) one by one to the oil. This is to be done carefully as the oil is hot and as soon as you put fish in it oil pops out.
• Slowly fry the fish on medium flame from both the sides. Again this has to be done carefully to avoid breaking of fish.
• Till the time fish are getting fried dry roast 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon pepper and grind it to a fine powder once cooled. Instead of grinding it you can also crush it.
• Remove the fish and keep in plate. Fry all neni mach similarly and keep in plate.
• Once all fish are deep fried. It’s time to make jhor. Curry is also called as jhor.
• In a kadai put 1 tablespoon oil add cumin seeds, 2 bay leaf (tej patta) and stir.
• Now add roughly grinded onions and stir. Let it cook for sometime.
• Once the onions are cooked to slight brown color. Chop 2 tomatoes and add to it. Stir.
• Once tomatoes are soft it’s time to add our mustard paste.
• Keep on stirring for 2 mins and then add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and garam masala. Let the masala cook for 1 minute.
• Add 2 1/2 glass water. If you want little thick curry add little less amount of water.
• Once water starts boiling add fish ( neni mach) to the jhor i.e curry one by one.
• Add roasted cumin-pepper powder to the curry (jhor).
• Chopp corrainder leaves and add to the jhor.
• Let the mach cook for more 10-15 mins in the curry.
• After 10-15 minutes your neni mach with mustard gravy is ready to be served.
• Serve neni mach jhor hot with rice or chapati.