This is a very ancient dish of Bengal mainly from Burdwanand murshidabad district of West Bengal. The marinated fish chunks are friedand then simmered in a thin stew made with tamarind and sometimes added with eggplant and bori/sun dried lentil dumplings finished in a warm, spicy, tangy flavoredsauce and this is How to Make Macher Tok.
Prepare all the items. Clean and wash the fish chunks, rubwith salt and turmeric powder and keep it for half an hour to marinate. Takeout the seeds from the tamarind pulp, soak it, and make a fine solution.
Take a hard bottomed wok (pre seasoned), heat oil in it
When it comes to smoky temperature put the fish chunks to fry.
When fried one side, then turn it over to another side, asthe fish is very fresh, need not to over fry it.
Fry the bori/ sun dried lentil dumplings in the same oil andtake it off from the oven.
Take another pan. Heat oil and throw some panchphoron fortempering
Asthey splutter and sizzle add the pieces of eggplant and stir it for a minute
Addgreen chili, turmeric and stir it for two minutes then pour the tamarind waterwith additional half cup of water; allow it to cook for five minutes in low tomedium flame. As the brinjals are very soft, needs very less time to cook.
Slowlydrop the fish chunks and cook for another 3-4 minutes to allow the fish chunksto soak the tangy stew.
Nowthe fish chunks have soaked almost all the liquid. (If you want you can keepsome stew by adding more water while adding the tamarind, you can refer my post mourola macher tok). Take it off from the oven , allow it to cool at roomtemperature.
Transfer it to a serving plate, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.