Lightly fried fish and tender cauliflower in a spicy thin gravy.

Pairs perfectly with some steamed white rice. You can also serve it with some Begun Bhaja, Daal, Bhortas (like my aloo or begun bhorta), or just some wedges of lime on the side for the Perfect Bangladeshi lunch!

This curry is originally made with Bangladeshi Ilish (Hilsa)

But you can also use any white fish like tilapia, cod, haddock, catfish, mackarel, snaper, halibut, pomfret, etc . You can also make this with other seafood like shrimp.

You can also add other vegetables to these dishes!

My favorites are green tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, or sheem (hyacinth beans). Just throw them in according to how long they’ll take to cook in the curry, adjust salt, and you’re good to go!

The main part about making this dish is being careful not to break your fish fillets/steaks while frying/cooking.

Use a good non stick pan to fry your fish so they do not stick to the bottom and is easy to take out. When adding the fish into the curry, make sure that your heat is on low-medium low, or else any rapid boiling might break your fish apart and it will disintegrate into the sauce. You also don’t want to use a spoon to mix the curry as that may break the fish. Just swirl your pan around gently to mix in any extra salt etc without stirring.

You can watch the full process in this video!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole head of cauliflower (cut into florets, washed and drained)
• 1 lb white fish (catfish/tilapia/cod etc.)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the curry

• 1/3 cup mustard/vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion (about 1 cup – finely sliced)
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 tomatoes (diced)
• 1-1 1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp gorom mosholla/garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 3-7 green chilis (split)
• 1/4-1/2 cup cilantro chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Clean and wash your fish steaks/fillets. Then drain all the water, and season with turmeric, red chili, and salt. Gently massage onto the fish, making sure to cover all sides/pieces.

Heat your oil on high on a nonstick pan, then gently slide in the fish and fry for just a minute, flipping midway through until both sides are nice and golden.

Make sure to be gentle when flipping so you don’t break the fish, and fry in two batches if needed to make it easier and not overcrowd the pan so they get a nice fry.

Take the fish out of the pan once golden. Turn your heat down to medium, and add in your onions.

Stir occasionally and fry until they start to change color, then add in your bay leaves. Frying for bit.

Add in the ginger garlic paste. Stir and fry for a few minutes until the raw smells are gone, adding a splash of water to keep it from burning if needed.

Then add in your tomato and ground spices. Mix.

Add in a 1/4 cup of water, stir and reduce until the oils come out, fry for a minute then add more water and repeat this process 3-4 times. The longer you do this the better your curry will taste.

Once done, mash your tomatoes and onions in the pan with your spatula to make it into a nice paste like consistency.

Then, throw in your cauliflower and half of the salt.

Stir and fry in the gravy for a few minutes.

Add in 2 cups of water (or as much as you need to almost cover the cauliflower), bring up to a simmer, and turn the heat down to medium low.

Carefully slide in your fried fish, and swirl your pan a little to cover all the pieces. You don’t want to stir with utensils as it will break the fish.

Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, adding in the split green chilis a few minutes before it’s done.

Then taste and adjust salt if needed. Swirling the pan around carefully to mix it in without breaking the fish.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and take it off the heat after a minute. Serve hot.