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Indian

Bengali Bhetki & Orange Salad

Bhetki and orange salad pairs cooked fish with citrus, a Bengali club-kitchen dish.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Bengali Bhetki & Orange Salad

25 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

Twenty-five minutes, most of it steaming and cooling the fish. Segment the orange while it cools.

Method

  1. Steam the boneless Bhetki fish fillets with a tiny pinch of salt for 8-10 minutes until fully opaque and cooked through. Let it cool, then gently flake the flesh using a fork.

    8–10 min

  2. Carefully segment the orange, removing all the bitter white pith and seeds. Cut the juicy segments in half.

  3. In a delicate mixing bowl, combine the flaked steamed fish, orange segments, sliced onion, and chopped green chillies.

  4. Sprinkle salt and fresh coriander over the mixture.

  5. Drizzle the raw mustard oil right on top. Toss very lightly to ensure the fish flakes and delicate orange segments don't turn into a paste. Serve fresh.

How to tell it's done

Soft, flaky, melt-in-the-mouth fish contrasting with bright, juicy bursts of citrus and sharp onions.

Getting it right

Tip

The combination of pungent raw mustard oil and sweet-tart orange juice creates a magnificent, naturally emulsified dressing.

What to serve it with

A highly sophisticated appetizer for special occasions, showcasing the premium texture of Bhetki.

Common mistakes

The salad turns into a paste.
Flake the fish in large pieces and fold two or three times only. Steamed fish breaks down completely under a spoon, and this dish depends on the flakes staying visible.
It tastes bitter.
Remove every scrap of white pith when segmenting the orange. The pith is the only bitter thing in the bowl, and it carries right through the mustard oil.

Substitutions

  • Any firm white fish works in place of bhetki; the flesh needs to flake in large pieces rather than crumble.
  • Grapefruit or pomelo can replace the orange and give a sharper, more bitter edge.

Storing and reheating

Serve fresh. Steamed fish keeps a day in the fridge and orange segments a couple of days, but assembled with raw mustard oil the salad is at its best immediately.