Alu Begun Diye Ilish Macher Jhol is a simple, classic Bengali fish Broth cooked in thousands of Bengali kitchens every year in Monsoon. It takes less than 30 minutes to serve a meal for meditation 😂!
Why did I say meditation? Read about the Ilish section, and you will get the idea!
What is Ilish Macher Jhol Alu Begun Diye?
The straightforward answer is fish, Potato, and Eggplant poached in a savoury, slightly yellowish-looking broth. But this is not the right way to introduce the dish! It's impossible to introduce this dish without describing the ingredients and the cooking process in detail! So, let me break it down for you!
What is Jhol?
Jhol is a Bengali-style savoury liquid in which meat, egg, fish and vegetables would simmer. The common ingredients for Jhol are water and spices, though a few Jhol recipes call for aromatics like onion, ginger, and garlic. Jhol is very similar to Broth but wouldn’t serve its own! It is mainly served with Rice; only Chicken and Mutton Jhol are served with Ruti/ Roti ( A type of Indian flatbread).
In Bengali cooking, we prefer to sautee the vegetables and pan-fry the fish first, and then we add the liquid to simmer in the same pan. This method enhances the taste and flavour of the dish.
This Ilish Macher Jhol Alu Begun Diye is our family recipe. In our family the colour of this Jhol is brown. The brown colour comes from the ratio of spices cooking method.
What goes in Ilish Macher Jhol Alu Begun Diye?
Ingredients for Ilish macher Jhol Aloo Begun diye
Ilish or Hilsa
Let’s talk about the star ingredient for this recipe. Ilish, also known as Hilsa.It is a costly fish, and there are reasons for it!
Flavour and texture – Ilish has a stellar combination of flavours and soft texture. Due to its smooth, oily texture and an explosion of flavours, it is considered the tastiest fish in southeast Asia and called Macher Raja ( king of fish) by Bengalis. It is the national fish of Bangladesh.
In Bengali households, the Monsoon feast without Ilish is like a Christmas feast without Ham and Turkey! And that’s why during monsoon season (late June to August), immigrant Bengalis try to visit their nearby Bangladeshi shop to buy frozen Hilsa.
Ilish or Hilsa Fish
But what if you don’t get Hilsa at your place? Is there a substitute for Hilsa?
In Western countries, immigrant Bengalis who don’t get Hilsa try to recreate their nostalgia for Hilsa with Salmon. Shorshe Bhapa Salmon is a very popular dish among Bengali immigrant communities. The life cycle of Hilsa is very similar to Salmon. First, they start their life in the sea, and then they come to breed in delta water and then move to sea again!
During the Monsoon season in Bengal, Hilsa comes to spawning in the delta waters where the rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. Many of the Hilsa caught this time are big in roe, which is a delicacy on its own! The simplest form of cooking Ilish is frying. Therefore, Ilish Bhaja must serve as an entree for a Monsoon special Bengali feast! Bhapa Ilish and Ilish Paturi are the most popular Ilish recipes.
Bony fish- It is a bony fish. If you don’t pay full attention to removing the bone every time before putting it in your mouth, the fishbone will stick in the throat. Which is not at all a great experience. That’s why some people are scared to eat Ilish or Hilsa. So, to avoid this situation, try not to mix the fish with anything else. If you are not pro to eat bony fish, don’t hesitate to take it on a side plate. Remove bone gradually and savour the taste of the fish.
But, if there is a fishbone stuck in your throat, make a small ball with cooked rice and swallow it. Alternatively, you can eat cooked potato as well, or you can gulp a small portion of Banana!
I am sure now you understand why I said you need to do meditation while eating Hilsa. 😁
Ilish fish marinated with Salt and Turmeric
Mustard Oil
Let’s talk about Oil! There is no substitute for Mustard oil to cook traditional Bengali Ilish recipes. Mustard oil has a pungent taste, but because it has a high smoking point, it is perfect for high-heat cooking like frying, grilling, and roasting. It is our favourite cooking oil. When the spices mix with this oil at the right temperature, it helps you create magic in your kitchen. But you need to know the right way to add the spices, or else the entire dish will be ruined and taste bitter.
For this recipe, I prefer to add oil to every step of frying Fish and veggies instead of adding all the oil.
Eggplant
What do you call it? Eggplant? Brinjal or Aubergine? We call it Begun in Bengali. Globe eggplants or American eggplants that we mostly get in our supermarket. So I use them for my cooking. While frying, Eggplant soaks a lot of oil. But, they release all the oil when you add them to a gravy or Broth. So many people prefer to bake eggplants. But for Jhol or curry, I prefer to fry Eggplant separately with enough oil. Not much or less!
Ilish Macher Jhol Alu Begun Diye
Potato
My Thakuma (grandmother) used to add potato wedges in this Jhol. And we all loved it, so I added Potatoes in my Ilish Beguner Jhol. And who knows, a piece of potato could become a saviour for me if there is a bone stuck in my throat. 😁
Try to use the potatoes which you use for Baking and roasting. For example, here in Australia, I use Nicola and kestrel potatoes for any Jhol recipes.
Spices
When it comes to adding aromatics and spices to this Jhol, less is better!
Whole spice- Nigella seeds are the only whole spice we are going to add to this recipe. These are tiny black seeds with a slightly bitter and pungent taste. But have a distinct flavour and is perfectly paired with green chillies and Mustard oil. Trust me, when you add Nigella seeds and Green chillies to the smoky hot mustard oil, you create a flavour explosion in your kitchen.
Ground spices- The typical ground spices in Indian cooking are cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli. We need all of them for this recipe but in minimal quantities. We have to make sure the flavour of the spices shouldn’t dominate the flavour of the fish.
Ilish Macher Jhol Alu Begun Diye
How to make it?
Here is the detailed step-by-step recipe.
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