Of cabbages and hilsa and head to tail eating
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#brishtiporchhe is what I wrote when I shared this picture in the afternoon.
It’s a rainy day. Perfect for bringing out the remaining hilsa from the fridge. Which was the mudo/ head (which went into the cabbage) and the lyaja/ tail (which was fried). This #headtotail lunch was like a minefield for me as these pieces have the most thorns in what is already a fish full of thorns. I had served (myself) the fish and cabbage on the plates that didu had given me. Wish I had her skills of navigating thorns in ilish.
She had grown up in Dacca near a river from which hilsa would be caught and had fresh with minimal spices.
Mine had been in the fridge for more than a couple of weeks!
It’s ironical that someone who grew up surrounded by ilish rarely gets to eat it now. It’s too expensive and not easily accessible in the market. I bought her a whole ilish once. Turned out to be too big for her tiny fridge. On later trips I’ve taken ilish from hotels for her I am not sure if her constitution can handle it now. She barely has any appetite.
Accompanying my ilish lunch was bhaaja (dry roasted) moong dal. Made by #scootytai using my recipe. I gave her the recipe of the cabbage with fish head through a voice note last night as I am too sleepy when she comes to work. It turned out well. #bankunbanu was given a crash course in badhakopir ghonto (slow cooked cabbage) by my mom and she finally makes it well. My version requires a lot of patience. My mom’s, where the cabbage is parboiled, is easier. That’s the one I gave to #scootytai today.
Badhakopi diye ilish macched mudo recipe, narrated ‘grandma’ style:
Smear the fish head with salt and turmeric, fry and sit aside. Shaada (refined) oil works as well as mustard.
Finely chop cabbage. Parboil it.
Heat oil. Add whole cumin and tezpatta.
Add finely chopped ginger. Quartered tomato (optional). The fried fish head. The cabbage. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powders, salt (proportions and combinations would differ from house to house) and slow cook. You are looking for a texture that borders on being mushy.
You can add some garam masala at the end of you are using kaatla and not ilish.