Ilish Maachh Bhaja

Hilsa deep-fried in mustard oil until crunchy and sizzling, served with a drizzle of hilsa oil and green chillies.

  • Cooking time
    15 minutes
  • Calories
    kcal
Recommended by
96.5
%
of
5535
members who rated this recipe on Youtube

Ilish bhaja is ilish in its simplest form. Bengalis love their fried fish, but very few things come close to the fatty hilsa seasoned with just salt and turmeric, then fried in mustard oil until crunchy. The mustard oil gets flavoured with the rendered fat from the fish, and is then drizzled on top of steaming white rice and served alongside the ilish with some salt and hot green chillies.

Books in this recipe

No items found.
Like the work we do? Help keep this site ad-free by making a donation.
Donate

Ingredients

Serves
2 servings
  • 2 pcs ilish or hilsa steaks (3-cm thick)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 green chillies
  • mustard oil for frying

Method

  1. Coat the ilish steaks with salt and turmeric and massage to cover the cavities well.
  2. Heat a kadai with mustard oil, 2 cm deep. Wait until the oil starts smoking and changes colour to pale yellow and its raw smell goes away.
  3. Reduce the flame and wait for the oil to stop smoking. Now add the fish pieces carefully.
  4. Fry each side until brown.
  5. Optionally, add a couple of green chillies towards the end to flavour the oil and the fish.
  6. Drain the fish and serve with steaming hot rice, green chillies and salt. Drizzle a tablespoon of the frying oil on top of the rice.

Recipe discussion

Did this recipe help you cook something that made you happy?

At Bong Eats, we are working to standardise Bengali recipes, and present them to the world in a way that anyone, anywhere will be able to cook Bengali food with confidence—even if they have never tasted it before. We want the world to know that there is Indian food beyond tikka masala.

A lot of time and money goes into creating precise recipes such as this one. We don't want to depend on advertisements that track our viewers' activities through third-party cookies; we do not want take sponsorship money from companies that don't make subpar products.

You can help us make this a sustainable venture that can employ talented local writers, editors, photographers, recipe-testers, and more. Donate to keep us going.

Make a One-time donation

Help us keep Bong Eats free and open for everyone by making a one-time contribution. You can donate as much as you want. No amount is too little.

Donate
Become a member ⭐️

Join to get access to a vibrant private community of people who full of people who love to cook, feed and eat. Get answers to your questions about recipes, techniques, where to find ingredients from fellow members. If you love cooking, this is the place for you.

Monthly LIVE cookalongs
Shiny new private forum
Adda after every video release
Personalised recommendations
✨ See Membership Perks ✨
OR

✨ What's new?

View all »

Amra'r Chutney

A sweet, sour Bengali chutney made from two kinds of hog plum (biliti amra and deshi amra), spiced with bhaja masala

  • 30 minutes
  • 73
    kcal
Viewers liked this
%

Calcutta Chicken Rezala

Chicken cooked in a thin, pearly white gravy such as the kind served in restaurants like Sabir, Aminia, Shiraz, Royal, Arsalan, etc.

  • 90 mins
  • 371
    kcal
Viewers liked this
99.2
%

Taal'er Kheer

A palmyra fruit pudding

  • 30 minutes
  • 254
    kcal
Viewers liked this
99.2
%

Taal'er Luchi

made with taal (palmyra) pulp

  • 60 minutes
  • 93
    kcal
Viewers liked this
99.2
%
See all New recipes »
More
hilsa
recipes
View all »

Ilish Bhapa

This prized Bengali recipe for hilsa steamed in mustard sauce looks gorgeous, but cooks quickly. Perfect for dazzling guests!

  • 40 minutes
  • 300
    kcal

Ilish Maachh Bhaja

Hilsa deep-fried in mustard oil until crunchy and sizzling, served with a drizzle of hilsa oil and green chillies.

  • 15 minutes
  • kcal

Ilish Macher Tel Jhol

What better way to enjoy the season’s freshest hilsa than in a simple, mild curry?

  • 30 minutes
  • 340
    kcal
More
fish
recipes
View all »

Tyangra Machher Jhol Mulo Diye

Tyangra machh cooked with red, winter radish and potatoes

  • 45 minutes
  • kcal

Shutki Machh Bata

This spicy dried-fish recipe is perfect for anyone looking for an accessible gateway into the delicious world of shutki.

  • 1 hour
  • 193
    kcal

Shingi Machher Jhol

A simple, nutritious fish curry cooked with green bananas, papaya and potatoes

  • 45 minutes
  • kcal