Macher Matha Diye Bengali Moong Dal recipe

Make Biye Bari Style Macher matha diye Bengali moong dal recipe at home with step by step detail.

About Macher Matha Diye Bengali Moong Dal

Macher matha diye moong dal is a Bengali Biye Bari style delicacy prepared using big Katla or Rui fish head curried with husked, split, yellow moong dal and a blend of simple spices. This fish head dal is thick and rich in the flavour of ghee and garam masala powder.

In our childhood, macher matha diye moong dal was a common preparation in every Bengali biye barir (wedding) menu. This dal was specially served at the beginning of the wedding lunch with steamed rice and jhur jhure aloo bhaja (crispy potato strips) as a side dish.

To make this Bengali biye bari style moong dal at home, we need a large or medium fresh Rohu(rui) or Katla (catla) fish head, good quality moong dal (muger dal), onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, green chilli, cumin powder, red chilli powder, ghee, garam masala powder with salt, sugar and turmeric powder.

Here I used sona muger dal (a short-grain variety of moong dal mostly available in Kolkata). However, In Bangalore, sona muger dal is available only in Bengali stores. You can use any muger dal (which you daily use or even you can use organic moong dal too).

Tips to make Perfect Bengali Biye Bari Style Moong Dal

1. Moong dal must be dry roasted before cooking and then boil until the dal is soft. Do not overcook the dal, as a result, the dal gets mushy and will not get bengali biye bari like taste.
2. If making this dal with 1 medium-sized macher matha, then you need 100- 150 g moong dal. But if making the recipe with a big size or giant fish head, you have to use 150-200 g moong dal.
3. Whether using rui or katla fish head makes no difference in taste. However, nicely fry the fish head (preferably in mustard oil) until turns golden brown from all sides. If the fish head is perfectly fried you will get the smell of raw fish and spoil the taste of the dal.
4. In Bengali biye bari, white cumin seeds or shahi jeera are used in phoron (called tempering in English or tadka in hindi) for good aroma. However, I use the plain jeera, make no difference in taste.
5. Onion, ginger, and garlic are mainly used in this recipe to cut off the smell of fish. So use of Onion, ginger, and garlic in less quantity does not bring the biye bari like taste.
6. However, those who do not eat onion and garlic can use ginger and green chilli paste along with a little more jeera powder than I have used in this recipe, with a pinch of hing( about 1/4 tsp) and a little more ghee with the same amount of garam masala powder will surely remove the fish smell.

How to boil moong dal

If you are a beginner or novice in cooking and never cooked moong dal before. So before cooking the moong dal (dry roasting and boiling the dal) must check these tips written below.

• First, Dry roast the moong dal (dry roast means frying without oil), and roast the dal on low heat with continuous stirring. Dry roast the dal until the dal gets slightly golden brown. Do not roast the dal on high heat or medium heat as moong dal easily gets burnt. Due to dry roast raw smell of mung dal will go off.
• In between, after dry roasting the moong dal, wash the dal 4-5 times before cooking, but do not need to soak the dal in water.
• If you are cooking moong dal for the first time, after dry roasting, boil the dal in a heavy bottom pan on low heat by covering the pan (as I did) and cook the dal until the dal is soft. Cooking in a pan may take a few more minutes but never get mushy in your supervision and that tastes great too.
• However, If you want to cook the dal a little faster, pressure cook the dal. Then put the dal (for 150 g moong dal) in the cooker, and use 1 cup of water (250 ml) with this amount of dal. Pressure cook the dal on the high heat of your stove top with 1 whistle to blow. Open the cooker’s lid when the pressure automatically releases.

Want to prepare some more macher matha recipes, then check this list below –

Muri Ghonto recipe

Bhetki macher matha diye Chanchra recipe

If want to prepare niramish moong dal recipes, then check the list below

Sabji diye Moong dal recipe (with vegetables)

Lau diye Muger dal recipe

Muger dal er Khichuri

How to make Macher Matha Diye Bengali Moong Dal step by step

Step 1: Dry roast the moong dal and then boil

1. Take the moong dal in a pan, keep the pan on low heat. Dry roast the dal with continuous stirring until the dal gets a slight golden brown colour.
2. Remove the dal from the heat and immediately wash the dal 4-5 times under running water.
3. Drain the water and add 3 -4 cups (US cup) of water with the dal.
4. Cook the dal on medium heat until the dal gets soft. Turn off the heat.
5. Lightly mash the dal (with a masher), then remove the dal in a bowl, and keep it aside.

Step 2: Fry the fish head

1. Thoroughly, wash the fish head(here I used katla fish head), drain the water, and marinate the fish head with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder.

2. Heat the pan (the same pan used in dry roasting the dal) on medium to high heat.

3. Once the pan is hot enough and releases the smoke, add mustard oil to the pan.

4. When the oil is hot and releases the smoke, then put the marinated fish head into the hot oil.

5. Niclely fry the fish head until gets golden brown from all sides. Remove the fish head from the pan.

Step 3: How to cook moong dal with fish head

1. Heat the same pan, add bay leaves and cumin seeds into the pan, and saute a little.
2. Then add onion in oil, and fry the onion until golden.
3. Add chopped tomato in oil, and stir well. Add 1/2 tsp salt in it, mix well, and cover the pan.
4. Cook the tomato until gets soft.
5. Add ginger and green chilli paste to the oil.
6. Then add cumin(jeera) powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, salt, sugar, and turmeric powder.
7. Roast the masala until the masala’s raw smell goes off and the masala leaves oil from the sides.
8. Then add a cup of water, mix it well, and make a gravy, cook the gravy for a minute.
9. Break the fish head into pieces (by hand) before putting them into the pan. Stir it well.
10. Cook the fish head pieces (into the masala gravy) until the gravy gets almost dry.
11. In the meantime, add the dal to the pan. Mix well with the masala and fish head.
12. Add about a half cup of water and bring it to a boil.
13. Once the dal comes to a thick consistency, add garam masala powder and ghee, and stir it well.
14. Cook the dal for a minute and turn off the heat.
15. Macher Matha Diye Bengali Moong Dal is ready, serve it with rice and your favourite Bengali side dish.
16. To get Bengali biye bari style taste must serve it with jhur jhure aloo bhaja and enjoy the meal.