Bengali Macher Pulao
Macher pulao cooks fried fish into a Bengali pulao made with short-grain gobindobhog rice.
Jump to recipe ↓
1 hr 15 mintotal
55 min hands-on20 min hands-off
Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Medium
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Includes prep-ahead time.
Method
Heat the mustard oil in a pan until it just smokes, which takes off its raw edge. Shallow-fry the turmeric-marinated rohu until the outside is pale golden, stopping short of crisp. Lift the fish out and set aside.
Commandeer a heavy-gauge pot, bringing the premium ghee to operational temperature. Introduce the surgically sliced onions, executing a relentless sauté until they suffer total caramelization into a deep golden-brown state.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chillies. Fry for 2 minutes to cook off the raw sharpness.
2 min
Add the washed and thoroughly air-dried gobindobhog rice to the pan. Toast it in the fat and onions over low heat for 3-4 minutes, folding continuously, until the grains smell deeply nutty.
3–4 min
Pour in the measured warm water. Add the remaining turmeric, the garam masala and the salt. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat right down.
Very carefully lay the part-fried fish on top of the simmering rice. Do not stir: the fish will break apart if you do.
Cover the pot tightly with a heavy lid. Simmer, without lifting the lid, for 15 minutes, until the grains are cooked through and the rice has taken up the flavour of the fish. Fluff it very gently before serving.
15 min
How to tell it's done
Sticky, aromatic short-grain rice soaked through with a deep fish stock, topped with very tender, spiced pieces of fish.
Getting it right
Tip
Gobindobhog rice suits macher pulao best: it cooks faster than basmati and has a sweet, buttery aroma that sits well with the earthy flavour of river fish. If you use basmati instead, adjust the water and the cooking time.
What to serve it with
Serve it hot, with a sharp-sweet Bengali tomato khejur chutney (tomato and date) and cool cucumber slices.
More Indian recipes to cook
Hyderabadi Mutton Keema Biryani
Mutton keema biryani layers spiced mince under rice, so the fat runs through every grain.
Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Fried Rice
Chilli garlic fried rice is the Indo-Chinese street version, hot with green chilli and heavy with garlic.
Indo-Chinese Paneer Fried Rice
Paneer fried rice tosses cubes of paneer through Indo-Chinese fried rice.
Jain Corn Capsicum Pulao
Corn capsicum pulao cooks rice with sweet corn and peppers, made without onion or garlic.
Jain Fada Ni Khichdi
Fada ni khichdi uses broken wheat instead of rice, cooked soft with mung dal and no onion or garlic.
Jain Kaju Draksh Pulao
Kaju draksh pulao cooks rice with cashews and raisins, sweet and mild and made without onion or garlic.