Rui Maacher Jhol – A Bengali-style Rohu fish curry that is a fish curry that is cooked with tender potatoes.
Rui Maacher Jhol – Known as one of the signature dishes from the ever-delicious Bengali cuisine, this spiced fish stew is truly a dish that has my heart. A simple recipe laden with flavours, but truly comforting and soul-fulfilling in a way that only some dishes can.
The way the flavour of the soft tender potatoes mixes with the Rohu fish, it’s truly incredible and I cannot make enough of this dish at home – and for good reason!
This Rui Maacher Jhol or Jhola like it is called in some parts, is best served with some hot steamed rice. I like eating it with some crispy parathas too, but it’s completely up to you. The flavour of the bay leaves and the tender potatoes with the fish, tenderly cooked in spicy gravy just takes this dish to another level. Rui Mach or Rohu fish is supposed to be a regular in every Bengali household, and for good reason. Simple to cook and healthy to eat, and super comforting too.
As you all already know by now, fish is a family favourite and is cooked quite often in the house and this dish has graced many a sit-down dinners for friends and is O’s favourite too. These days I get asked to cook this so often that I now know it by heart!
Some time ago, in my one and only trip to the City of Joy, this darling friend of mine Bee, gifted me this gorgeous and brilliant “The Bengal CookBook”. I find this so funny, but in the recent past the gifts that I have gotten from my online friends represent me more than the gifts that friends who know me since forever have given me. I sit and wonder what does it really mean? Nonetheless, as usual, I digress, back to the book – I use it a lot these days and have made many dishes using it but if there is a single most-loved dish I make from here it’s the Rui Maacher Jhol, also called Carp Curry in the book.
Similar recipes :
Easy Fish Curry Recipe with Drumsticks and Raw Mango
Desi Health Bites : Chettinad Fish Curry
Rui Maacher Jhol - Bengali Style Rohu Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 250 gms rohu fish
- 4 potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 1 onion sliced
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 onion ground to a paste
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp ghee
- to taste salt
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
Instructions
- Cut and clean fish well (I asked my fish vendor to cut in curry style).
- Rub the fish with a little turmeric and salt and fry in really hot oil until lightly browned (I shallow fried the fish). Fry the potatoes in the same oil till golden brown. Discard the rest of the oil.
- Heat ghee in the same pan, add bay leaves and garam masala. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add the sliced onions. Fry for another 4-5 minutes till browned.
- Add all the masalas pastes including onion.
- Fry for about 5-8 minutes till the masalas have all cooked and browned a bit, sprinkle water if necessary.
- Add 2 cups of water, stir and add the fried potatoes. Cover and simmer till potatoes are two-thirds done.
- Stir in the fish and simmer until both the fish and potatoes are cooked.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
Thanks for posting this. I own the book but haven’t tried the recipes. I appreciate your blog. Cheers.
It is not a spicy curry and that is one of the reasons my family loves it. But if you want you can add 1-2 green chillies along with onions
Monika, coincidentally I gifted this book to myself two weeks ago and was waiting to try something. I am a huge bengali food fan and your post is a sign that I need to make something from the book 🙂 Guess it is time.
It didnt turn out good 🙁 There was not even a little spice…Was it necessary to add chilli powder or green chilli or red chilli anywhere?
It is not a spicy curry and that is one of the reasons my family loves it. But if you want you can add 1-2 green chillies along with onions
Loved reading this. I know the daughters of the author and will connect her to you.
Mine didnt come out good at all. The type of potatoes might be the the reason why. Mine were not very creamy. And the oil in which to first fry and fish and potatoes must also make a difference, I am guessing. I used rice bran but I guess for a typical Bengali taste I should have used mustard oil. Mine fish curry had no flavour or taste 🙁