Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Dinner

Kosha Maach

Fish simmered in a thick, concentrated dry-ish spice masala with onion and ginger — bold, intense and deeply flavoured from prolonged frying.

🧺 Ingredients

• Katla or rui steaks: 600g
• Onion: 200g, finely chopped
• Tomato: 100g, chopped
• Ginger paste: 1½ tsp
• Garlic paste: 1 tsp
• Turmeric: 1½ tsp
• Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Garam masala: 1 tsp
• Mustard oil: 5 tbsp
• Salt: 1½ tsp
• Sugar: ½ tsp
• Whole dried red chilli: 2
• Kosha means "fried-down" — resist adding too much water
• The dark onion base is non-negotiable for authenticity
• Can be made with hilsa for a festival version

👩‍🍳 How to make Kosha Maach

1. Season fish; fry in hot oil until crisp golden.
2. Remove.
3. In same oil with dried red chilli, fry chopped onion slowly until very dark golden-brown — almost but not burnt.
4. This bhuna (dry frying) is what makes kosha.
5. Add ginger, garlic pastes; fry 3 min.
6. Add tomato; cook until dry.
7. Add all powdered spices, salt, sugar; bhuna (fry dry) with splashes of water, 3 min, until masala smells deep and roasted.
8. Return fish; toss gently in masala.
9. Add just 50ml water; cover and cook 5 min.
10. The gravy should be very thick and cling to fish.
11. Sprinkle garam masala.

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