Tangra Tel Jhaal

After a continuous veg week and then meat and non desi cuisine made me crave for some fishes. Something known, something very friendly but has to be super delicious. But all I found in store was tangra that also of small sizes. I was very disappointed and sad. But on my way back home I decided to make tengra tel jhal with small tangra.

Here is the recipe of my Tangra Lunch 🙂

Tangra: 4 pcs. (I used 6 as I had smaller version)

Potato: 2, medium

Onion: 1, large

Tomato: 1, large

Dry red chilli: 4-5 + 4

Fresh green chillies: 4-5 (I used 3 as I had long chillies)

Fresh garlic pods: 8-10

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Garlic paste: 1 tsp

Bay leaves: 1-2

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp + 3-4 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1 + ½ tsp

Red chilli powder: 1 + ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar to balance

Mustard oil

Clean the fishes.

Sprinkle ½ tsp turmeric, red chilli powder along with salt. Rub into the fishes and keep aside.

Slice all the garlic pods.

Cut the potatoes into wedges. Make very thin pieces of onion. Finely chop the tomato. And roughly chop green chillies.

Dry roast 3-4 tsp cumin seeds on nonstick pan.

Use the same pan and dry roast 4 dry red chillies.

Grind them in mixer individually. Keep separated. Add very little water and make very tight pastes.

Heat enough oil in the pan. Add potatoes with a pinch of salt. And fry them golden in color. Remove them and keep aside.

Add fishes gently in the same pan and fry until they are golden brown in color.

Remove the fried tangra with slotted spoon and keep aside

Heat more oil in a wok and add rest of the cumin seeds, bay leaves and dry red chillies.

Add garlic and keep frying on high flame until you can smell the fragrance of garlic.

Add onion and keep frying until onion changes color to slightly golden.

Add ginger and garlic paste.

Add tomato and green chillies. Keep frying until tomato loses raw smell.

By this time you will be able to see a little oil oozing out at the edge of the wok. At this time add dry red chilli paste and roasted cumin paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder with a pinch of sugar. Fry it for a minute.

Once oil starts separating from masala add warm water and bring it to boil. Add salt and adjust the seasoning.

Add potatoes and fishes and keep it on simmer with a cover.

After 7-10 mins open the lid and check for your desired consistency of the gravy and if oil is floating on top of gravy.

This Tangra Tel Jhal should be thick gravy with a good amount of oil on the top. It should never be runny.

Serve hot with plain steamed rice. And enjoy the symphony of Bengal.