Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard Sauce)
সর্ষে ইলিশ Shorshe IlishSay it: SHOR-sheh EE-lish
Shorshe Ilish is what Bengali kitchens reach for when hilsa, Bangladesh's national fish, is at its best — rich, bony and worth the effort. The steaks go into a mustard-seed sauce sharpened with green chilies, nigella seeds and raw mustard oil, so every mouthful is pungent, hot and deeply savoury. Weeknight supper or celebration centrepiece, it needs nothing more than hot steamed rice.
Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard Sauce)
সর্ষে ইলিশ, Shorshe Ilish
Pronounced SHOR-sheh EE-lish
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, mustard. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
Leave the mustard seeds to soak in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the warm water for 15 minutes. Tip the seeds and their soaking liquid into a blender jar with 1 green chili and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then blitz to a thick, smooth paste, loosening with a splash more water if the blades struggle.
Coat the hilsa steaks on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then leave them for 10 minutes.
Warm 3 tablespoons of the mustard oil in a broad, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until it shimmers and the harsh raw edge softens. Scatter in the nigella seeds and let them sizzle and pop for 10-15 seconds.
Slide in the mustard paste and keep it moving for 2-3 minutes, until its pungency settles. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and the rest of the warm water, taste, season with more salt if it needs it, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Lay the hilsa steaks in the pan in a single layer, ladle some sauce over the top, and tuck in 3 slit green chilies. Put the lid on and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, basting the fish once or twice, until the flesh has just turned opaque and flakes at its thickest point.
Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Finish by trickling the last 2 tablespoons of raw mustard oil over the fish, plus a few extra slit green chilies if you want more heat.
Regional variant: Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa with Coconut and Poppy Seeds)
Begin with the same mustard paste, then fold in 4 tablespoons of sour yogurt, 3 tablespoons of freshly grated coconut and 1 1/2 tablespoons of poppy seed paste. Turn the fish in this mixture, pack it into a tight-lidded steel tiffin box along with green chilies and mustard oil, and steam over boiling water — or in a pressure cooker — for about 20 minutes, or 2 whistles, until just cooked through.
Cook's notes
- A 15-minute soak takes the bitter edge off the mustard seeds, but stop grinding as soon as the paste is smooth — overworking it makes the sauce harsh.
- Hilsa dries out quickly, so pull the pan off the heat while the centre is still moist and silky; a minute less is better than a minute more.
- That last spoonful of uncooked mustard oil gives the dish its signature bite, so don't skip it. If mustard oil is hard to find, cook with a neutral oil and finish with food-grade mustard oil if you can get hold of it.
Serve with
Steamed gobindobhog or jasmine rice, plain and hot, alongside a lime wedge and a few extra slit green chilies.
Make ahead and storage
It is at its best straight from the pan; keep any leftovers chilled for no more than 24 hours and warm them through gently in a covered pan with a splash of water.
