Ilish Pulao ll Bengali Hilsa Pulao Recipe(Kumro Patai Ilish Pulau)

Ilish Pulao, Bengali Hilsa Pulao Recipe (Kumro Patai Ilish Pulao):

A 10 years old girl running to the riverside of the Ganges river and calling the fisherman, who was passing by. The fisherman was in the middle of the river in the boat and catching Hilsa fish. After a long line of shouting to call them near the side of the river, she started bargaining with them for a whole Hilsa fish, minimum weight is 1 kilo for 1 paisa. After the mission was complete she happily went home, with the help of her sister in law who is the same as her age starts cleaning and washing the fish. After cleaning they cut the fish into pieces and fried the fish in mustard oil. Other family members are not home at that time so they ate the whole fried fish alone. Her sister in law tried to tell her to save a piece for her brother(brother is the husband of her sister in law)but she tells, be quite else you will not get your share too. She likes Hilsa fish and very happy to mind that no one is at home, so she doesn't have to share. After consuming and with a satisfied tummy both girls decide if someone finds out about the whole deed, they will be in trouble so they clean all utensils even brush their teeth. The story doesn't end here. Soon after her mom came back home and smell the fried Hilsa fish. The fact is, whatever you do for hiding, the smell of Hilsa fish is not very easy to hide. Now her mom laughs a lot after listening to the whole story. Then nicely asked them how they ate a whole Hilsa fish alone. Her mom even asked Shanti( the name of the girl) while eating you never thought of your brothers. She shamelessly said no and hold her sister-in-law's hand and run from there. I am talking about my grandma( mom's mother), she was very fond of Hilsa fish. She used to tell me about her childhood stories and I have featured the whole story of how it happens at that time. 

Something comes with a gene you know, my love for Hilsa fish I think I got from my grandma. My husband proudly tells everyone that I will give anything without thinking but when it comes to Hilsa fish I am the opposite. This recipe is also what I learned from my grandma. The taste of this dish is delectable.

Course -  Main course

Cuisine - Bengali

Author - Usashi Mandal

Serving - 4 

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - 1 hour + 

Similar Recipes:

Rui macher Pulao
Doi Ilish
Chingri Macher Biryani(shrimp biryani)
Macher dimer bora
Aar Macher Jhal
Ilish macher mathar Pulao

Ingredients:

For preparing fish:
4 piece Hilsa fish
12 - 15 pumpkin leaves
10 green chilies
2 tbsp poppy seed paste
2 tbsp mustard seeds paste
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 cup mustard oil
Salt for seasoning
Cooking strings

For pulao:
2 cups of Basmati rice
2 tbsp ghee or butter
1 tbsp sugar

Instructions:

Marinating Fish:

1. First, move out the scale from the fish then wash it. Drain the excess water then smear turmeric and salt on it. Keep aside.

2. Wash pumpkin leaves and pat them dry.

3. In a mixing bowl add poppy seeds paste, mustard seeds paste, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp of turmeric powder, mustard oil, and slitted green chilies.

4. Add fish pieces to it, let it sit for 20 minutes, then check the seasoning, if needed add salt as per your taste.

5. For every fish piece if your pumpkin leaves are medium or big you will need 4 leaves, if small then 6. Arrange pumpkin leaves like a base and place 1 fish piece with a handful amount of marination with it.

6. Fold the leaves and bind them with the cooking string.

Making Pulao:

1. First, wash the rice two or three times it will help the starch out and the rice will be fluffy and will not stick together.

2. Soak rice in water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Then drain the water and spread them over the kitchen towel to dry.

3. Heat ghee/ butter in a big pot add rice and fry until it is light yellow. I am not adding garam masala or onion because it will kill the smell of Hilsa fish, which I don't like at all. 

4. Now add sugar and a pinch of salt and fry for a bit then switch off the flame. Take out half of the rice from the pan. Make a smooth layer of the rest of the rice, now place pumpkin leaves wrapped Hilsa fish pack over it.

5. Now layer the rest of the rice over it.

6. Boil 4 cups of water. The ratio of water always doubles of the rice you take. Though I will suggest not adding all of it keep 1 or 1/2 cup aside, if needed add it later. Rice came in different quality some take more water some take less. More water means rice will overcook and it will not be fluffy.

7. Now switch on the flame, cover the pan, and cook it on a medium flame for 10 minutes. 

8. After ten minutes check on the rice if it is half cooked and water dried then cook for another 5 minutes adding water. If it is cooked 90% then switch off the flame and let it cover for 10 minutes.

9. Fish will get cooked if the rice is cooked. Hilsa fish need very little time to cook.

10. Very careful when you take out the fish packs, it will be very soft and break easily.

11. Serve it hot.  It will be so delicious, soft, and creamy, and the rice will also catch the smell of the fish. No side dish requires, however, if you need fry some extra Hilsa fish pieces to eat with it.