Chital macher peti kalia | How to make chital macher peti kalia

Chital macher peti Kalia with step by step pictures. It’s a recipe of chitol mach or Indian clown knife fish, where the belly part(it’s called peti in bengali) of the fish is used to make this curry. In bengali, kalia indicates a spicy thick gravy which contains onion-ginger-garlic paste, tomato or curd and a perfect ratio of few spices.

Though it’s little different from the usual Kalia recipe, as mustard-poppy seeds paste are used with other ingredients of kalia to make it unique. For making this recipe, after frying the chital petis in mustard oil, straight put it into the gravy of Kalia and cook till the fish pieces aren’t infused well in the masalas.

Bengalis from Bangladesh and Assam have a huge crush on this fish since ages, as it’s easily available in Ganges and Brahmaputra river basin and they even invented many recipes with it. Chital macher rosha, chital macher korma, chital macher muitha, chitol macher jhol all are those special recipes invented by them.

Though chital  or chitol tastes awesome. But its small bone although its body except for its belly, won’t attract the people much. But its belly is really scrumptious, full of fat, and only contains few strong and long bones, which is easily separable from the fish. So people prefer to cook its belly part more than the other parts which contain lots of small bones. We Bengalis use the other part of it too, for preparing chital macher muitha recipe, a special bengali fish kofta recipe.

I first, had this peti Kalia in a famous bengali restaurant in Bangalore around seven years back. And that was the first time when I had chitol fish in my life.  As this recipe totally impressed us, never think twice to prepare it in my kitchen.  As this recipe was described as chital macher peti kalia in their menu, so kept its name unchanged.

Even you may try my other bengali fish recipes, i.e, bhetki macher paturi,  bhapa ilish recipe, chingri macher malai curry, etc.

Try this recipe of chital macher peti kalia at home on this upcoming jamai sasthi too and please let me know your valuable feedback about this recipe in the comment section below.

Chital macher peti kalia

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Served in: 40 mins

Course: Main course

Cuisine: Bengali

Served for: 4 people

Author: Moumita

Ingredient

• 4 pieces chital fish(around 575 gms)
• 1 1/2 medium onion paste
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste
• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 medium size tomato
• 2 tbsp Curd
• 2 green chillies
• 1 bay leaf
• garam masala(1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms, 3 cloves)
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• salt(as per taste)

How to make chital macher peti kalia with step by step pictures

Instruction

• First, take mustard seeds and poppy seeds in a bowl and soak it in 1 tbsp of water for 10 mins.

• Now, take the fish pieces, make sure all the fish scales are removed and then wash the pieces with fresh water.
• Place the fish pieces in a plate, sprinkle 1tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt over it.

• Then coat the pieces nicely with turmeric and salt, keep it aside.

• Take a pan, put it on medium flame, once it gets hot add 3 tbsp mustard oil to the pan.
• When the oil gets heated up, add the fish pieces to the pan. And fry till it gets lite golden brown colour(As shown in the pic). Remove the fish from the pan and keep it aside for later use.

• Now, take a small blender jar, make a fine paste of onions (can add 1 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste if required). Keep it aside.
• Then take the same blender jar, add 1/2 tomato, green chillies, ginger, and garlic paste to it.

• In the meantime, mustard seeds and poppy seeds soaked well, so use a strainer to remove the water and wash it thoroughly without wasting a single seed. Then add it to the same blender jar.

• Next add 2 tbsp curd and whole garam masalas(1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms, 3 cloves) to it. And blend it well to get a smooth paste out of it.

• Now take the same pan, place it on medium heat, when the oil gets hot, add a bay leaf in it. After 2-3 secs add onion paste to it.
• Saute the onion paste till the raw smell goes off and it starts separating oil from its sides.

• Then add the masala paste from the blender jar, mix it well. Again sauté it nicely to remove the raw smells of spices.

• Then add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp coriander powder to it and sauté it well.

• Next, add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it, and add salt as per your taste.

• When the masalas sautéed well and start leaving oil from its side, then add 1/4 cup of water to it and mix it well. It will prevent the masalas from burning and add some more taste.

• After 2-3 mins, when the gravy will be thicker, then add 1 cup of water to it. Bring it to boil.

• Now, add salt if required and once the gravy starts boiling add the fried fish pieces to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and slow down the flame.

• After 5-6 mins, remove the lid and turn the fish pieces to gets the other side done. Again cover the pan with the lid.

• After 5-6 mins check the consistency of the gravy, though a thick gravy we need for making this Kalia recipe the choice is yours.

• Now the recipe of chital macher peti Kalia is ready to serve. Serve it hot with piping hot basmati rice with wedges of gondhoraj lebu or lemon.

Tips

• Fish should not fry for a long time, that makes the fish hard and fish won’t be properly infused in the masalas. That may destroy the taste of the fish curry.
• Always soak mustard and poppy seeds for about 10 mins before making its paste. That will prevent it from getting bitter in taste. Even you may add little salt while blending it, then be careful when you will add salt to the gravy later.
• As I’ve added 1/2 tomato and 2 tbsp curd together, even you may use either this combination or 4 tbsp curd to this recipe.