Aloo Begun Bodi Diye Macher Jaal

Every small city in India has its own tale to tell, like the song in Bunti aur Babli Chote chote sharon se , khali Bore dupharon se , hum to jhola utha ke chale…..Hum bhi jhola utha ke chale the aur aaj yahan khuch saal bad vapas aye….My return to this city of Prayag/Allahabad is a wonderful experience ..Reliving the bonds I share here ….

Allahabad is a land of culture , religion , politics and people …we identify this city by Kumbh Mela, Kumbh mela occurs every 4 times in the year and rotates in 4 cities ..Allahabad , Ujjain, Nasik and Hardiwar.The name was given to the city by Akbar .Its also known asPrayag in Sanskrit , meaning place of sacrifice.It is also a reference for the Indian standard time .The city has a prominent role in India’s Freedom struggle.It has a distinction of being the home to Former Prime minister Jawahar lal Nehru , Lal Bahadur Shastriji.
At , Allahabad Kumbh mela starts in magh mash as in Hindu Pachang /or Jan according to Gregorian calendar.
The most auspicious bath is in the day of amavasya known here as in Mouni amavasya .
It often stretches to Shivratri ..The ritual is attended by millions of people and is marked by having a bath near the bank of river Ganges.
It includes religious discussions , mass feeding of men and women , Devotional singing and praying for the blessings of God …and on a lighter side , it always reminds me of the filmi line Khumbh ke Mele mein bichde do Bhai …
Ardhkumbh , more info on Allahabad from Wikipedia ,Khumbh Mela now these days is highly Hi-tech , with Provogue,Reliance,Tata Indicom All coming here for Advertisements .Mela authorities played a wonderful role in organizing this mass event , and they managed it beautifully this year ..
Allahabad is also known for its literary genius in Hindi, Harivansh RaiBachchan and his famous poetries in Madhushala meaning house of wine .Mahadevi Verma and her famous poetries in Chayavaadi , Surya Kant Triphati Nirala. Allahabad is also known as Triveni , as 3 rivers , Ganga,Jamuna and invisible Sarasvati merges here .

and our very own Shahanshah Amitabh_Bachchan spend his childhood here.

Now to the recipe for Fish Curry

Fish curry

Recipe Requirements

Potatoes1-2 cut into long pieces
Brinjal/eggplant 1 cut into pieces
Badi/Bodi 7-8
Nigella seeds (Kalo jeera, kalaunji) 1tsp
Green chillies 4-5 (add less for spice)
Fish 5-8 pieces approx half Kg
Corrinader powder 1tsp
Water 1-2 cups (depends how much thick gravy you want , add less for thick gravy)
Oil for frying fish pieces
Turmeric powder 1tsp and some more for marinating
Salt as per taste in Gravy and for marinating the fish.

Method

Wash fish pieces thoroughly in water , marinate in turmeric powder and salt, keep aside for atleast half an hour.Discard the water that comes out marinating the fish after few times.
Heat a kadai/Saucepan better a Wok , add oil , fry fish pieces at med low , till brown on both side it will take approx 4 mints on each side .Fry all the pieces.Take out and keep aside ..

Fry the Badi (It requires a bit more oil , add more oil approx 2-3 tbs for better results)slowly at low till golden brown , take out and keep aside on another Bowl.
Now add nigella /Kalaunji/Kalo jeera seeds to the above oil for the Phoron/Tadka sauté them , add potatoes , Brinjal/eggplant pieces and add salt fry at low for atleast 5-7 mints stiring in between for even frying.
Add turmeric powder , corrinader powder to the above , add Fish ,water slowly , slit Green chillies in between , Add badi/bodi and chillies to the above gravy

Cover and cook for atleast 10- 15 mints at med-low or till the potatoes are soft.The brinjals will cook before potatoes , If you feel , you can add them at the time of mixing in water .

Add finely chopped fresh cilantro/Corriander leaves.

This is a wonderful recipe to cook Rui Maach or Pona mach.

We served it with warm cooked rice .

Since Love is in the Air , wishing everybody Happy Valentine , spend time with your loved ones with Ghar ka khana , Home cooked meals and what better than anything if you try making fish curry .

bring out the best in you , grab a few chocolates , Red rosses and spend the evening in a Candle light dinner with your loved one .But preferably home cooked meal