![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-2.png)
Ilish Macher Tel Jhol Recipe is such a type of recipe, where the spices are very few, and the outcome flavors are outstanding. You might be astonished, at how only two spices (turmeric powder and nigella seeds, that also nigella seeds are used for tempering only )make a dish so great. The secret lies here; while preparing any hilsa dish, you should keep in mind that the flavor of hilsa should not be suppressed by other strong flavor spices. So by using only turmeric powder, we can extract the full flavor of Hilsa.
What should be the size of Hilsa? The best result you would get is if the fish size is more than 1 kg, but It is really a pocket-pinching to purchase a hilsa weighing more than 1 Kg, so compromising both it must not be less than 800 gm, otherwise, you won’t get the taste.
Nowadays the markets are flooded with small ilish even less than 500 gm, which are totally banned to catch, so it is a little difficult to get bigger size ilish in the local market.
Now coming to the recipe; literally ‘tel jhol’ means in Bengali a stew with floating of oil, but actually, it is cooked using very few spices. In this recipe, the marinated Hilsa fish chunks are fried and then simmered in a thin gravy of turmeric powder and sometimes added with fried eggplant and potato finished in a warm, hilsa-flavored stew.
The types of equipment used for this recipe are
- Mixing bowl
- Knife
- Kadai/Fry pan
- Spatula
The ingredients required for this recipe are
For marinating the fish
- Hilsa/ Ilish fish chunks-4
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tbsp
- Salt
For frying and making the gravy
- Green chillies-2-3
- Turmeric powder-1 tbsp
- Potato-1(cut lengthwise into 4 pieces)
- Brinjal/egg plant-1(cut horizontally into 4 pieces)
- Salt
- Mustard oil-3 tbsp
How to make Ilish Macher Tel Jhol Recipe
For marinating the fish
Clean and wash the hilsa fish chunks, then put them in a mixing bowl
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 1](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-1.png)
Add turmeric powder and salt, Rub the fish chunks with them, and keep them aside for 15 minutes
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 2](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-2.png)
For frying and making the curry
- Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated fish chunks and fry them on both sides(don’t over-fry them)
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 3](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-3.png)
- Once done, take them out from the oil and keep them aside
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 4](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-4.png)
- Now add the curry-cut potato in the same oil and fry them well, once done Take them out from the oil and keep them aside
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 5](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-5.png)
- Same way fry the eggplant and also keep them aside
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 6](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-6.png)
- Now take a bowl, add two cups of water, add the turmeric powder, and mix them well
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 7](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-7.png)
- Add Kalojire/ nigella seeds and green chili in the same hot oil for tempering
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 8](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-8.png)
- As they splutter and sizzle, add the turmeric water, mix them well, and boil them for 2 minutes on a high flame
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 9](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-9.png)
- Add fried potatoes and cook them another 2 minutes
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 10](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-10.png)
- Now add the fried egg-plant and mix them well
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 11](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-11.png)
- Add the fried fish chunks, and mix them well
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 12](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-12.png)
- Cover the lid and allow them to cook for 3 minutes on medium flame
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 13](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-13.png)
- Turn off the flame and Open the cover, sprinkle ½ tbsp raw mustard oil, and add silted green chili
![Ilish Macher Tel Jhol step 14](https://www.yummyfoodanddiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ilish-Macher-Tel-Jhol-step-14.png)
- Serve hot with hot piping rice