Rohu Fish Curry

Name: Rohu Fish Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 600 g rohu (carp) steaks, cleaned and scored; 2 tbsp mustard oil (or oil + ½ tsp mustard powder for flavour); 1 tsp panch phoron (equal parts cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nigella, mustard seeds); 1 large onion (150 g), finely sliced; 2 medium tomatoes (180 g), finely chopped; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; ½ tsp turmeric; 1.5 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 1 tsp salt; 200 ml water; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp red chilli powder; ½ tsp salt; Mustard oil heated to smoking point and cooled slightly loses its raw pungency — this is the correct preparation; Pan-frying the fish before adding to the curry gives it a crust that prevents it from falling apart in the gravy; Panch phoron (five-spice) is common in eastern India but also used in inland Maharashtra along the Bengal trade routes; it gives this curry a distinctive aroma

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

An inland Maharashtra freshwater fish curry — rohu (carp) cooked in a thick, land-style masala without coconut but with mustard oil, panch phoron, and a tamarind base. Different from coastal Malvani fish curry; this is the fish preparation of farmers living near rivers in Nashik, Marathwada and Vidarbha.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥25 minCook

🕒45 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Rohu Fish Curry

Marinate fish (No heat): Coat rohu steaks with turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Rest 15 minutes.
Fry fish briefly (Heat: medium-high): Heat mustard oil until smoking point — reduce to medium. Fry marinated rohu steaks for 2–3 minutes per side until golden-crusted but not fully cooked. Remove.
Build base (Heat: medium): In remaining oil, add panch phoron — fry 15–20 seconds until seeds crackle. Add sliced onion — fry 8 minutes until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes — cook 6 minutes until fully broken down and oil separates.
Add masalas (Heat: medium): Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder — stir 30 seconds. Add tamarind paste — stir 1 minute.
Build gravy (Heat: medium): Add 200 ml water and salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes until gravy is smooth and fragrant.
Add fish and finish (Heat: medium-low): Gently slide fried fish back in. Cook on medium-low for 8 minutes until fish is cooked through. Turn once gently. Drizzle mustard oil at finish. Garnish with coriander and lime.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 310 kcal | 30 g | 10 g | 17 g | 2 g | Inland Maharashtra — Nashik, Dhule, Nanded and Vidarbha districts — has a fish-cooking tradition based on freshwater fish from the Godavari, Tapi and Wardha rivers. This version of fish curry uses mustard oil (a Bengal-influenced technique that arrived via river trade routes) and is distinctly different from the coconut-oil coastal preparations. River fish markets in these areas are vibrant on mornings after fishing nights. ---

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