There are some recipes that have a special place in our hearts. And for Bengalis, most recipes with mustard and fish do it. Bhetki macher paturi, also known as bhetki paturi, is a relatively recent addition to the Calcutta culinary landscape. Ilish used to be the standard fish for paturi, but with the increased prices and difficulty of picking out small bones at wedding buffets, boneless bhetki fillets took its place. Read on to learn how to make bhetki macher paturi.
Ingredients For Bhetki Macher Paturi:
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5 Bhetki Fish Fillets
Salt
Soaked Mustard (Yellow + Black)
Green Chillies
Turmeric
Mustard Oil
How To Make Bhetki Macher Paturi:
Step One: Clean and wash the five fish fillets under cold water. Be sure to dry the fish well using a cloth or paper towel.
Step Two: In a separate bowl add all the fish fillets and add a pinch or two of salt and massage the salt into the fish.
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Step Three: Now it's time to make the showstopper of the dish, the mustard paste. In a grinder, add two tablespoons of soaked yellow and black mustard seeds. Be sure to soak the mustard seeds overnight before making the paste.
Step Four: Add three green chillies into the grinder, you can increase the amount according to your spice level. Add salt to taste and one teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Step Five: Make a dry paste, using very little to almost no water. This paste is the base of the dish.
Step Six: Wash and clean the banana leaves. Cut them up into five separate pieces to make individual envelopes.
Step Seven: Make a mixture of the mustard paste and one tablespoon of mustard oil.
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Step Eight: Generously coat all the fish fillets with the mixture.
Step Nine: Cut a green chilli in half from the middle and add it on top of every fish fillet. Wrap the fish fillets in the banana leaves and make individual envelopes for each fillet. Remember to toast the banana leaves before forming the parcels. Doing this will prevent the leaves from cracking.
Step Ten: Heat up one tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan and spread it. Add the parcels of fish into the pan. Cover the pan and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Remember to flip the parcels after the first five minutes of cooking.
There you go! The mouthwatering bhetki paturi is ready to serve.
#ProTip: If the flavour of the mustard paste is too strong for you, you can add ½ tablespoon of charmagaz paste and a teaspoon of hung curd into the mustard paste to make it mellow.
