Doi Maach/Fish in Yogurt Sauce

Doi Maach is a signature fish curry in Bengali households made for festive occasions, family gatherings, weddings etc. A delicious slightly sweet yogurt sauce cooked in mustard oil with onion-ginger and aromatic spices makes this curry wonderfully velvety texture and rich flavor. We use Rohu or Katla type fatty fish for this curry that belongs to carp family found in rivers in South East Asia and Indian sub continents. Frozen Rohu or Katla can be found at some groceries but I use fresh wild Grass carp that tastes exactly like Rohu available at Oriental supermarkets.

Every family has their own recipe with different spice combinations along with ghee(clarified butter), nut paste and raisins. The color range varies from whitish, light yellow to golden yellow. This one my mother used to make with very basic ingredients but I tweaked little bit. For extra color I added tomato and paprika. One important note is to use room temperature yogurt and whisk corn starch, plain flour or tapioca flour with yogurt before adding in the hot gravy to prevent it from curdling.

Ingredients~
5 pieces of fresh grass carp(about 1 lb.)
1/3 cup oil(preferably mustard oil)
5 tbsp Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp tapioca flour
1 small tomato, thinly chopped
2 tbsp minced
1 tbsp ginger paste
4-5 green chilies, (1- slit)
1/8 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp sugar or to taste
1  2 inch  small cinnamon stick, 2 whole cardamon pods, 2 cloves, grind to a smooth powder(garom moshla)
1/8 tsp ghee
1 small cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cup warm water

Method~
Wash and dry fish stakes. Sprinkle little salt and turmeric over stakes. Rub well. Heat oil in a cast iron or steel pan over medium heat. Fry fish stakes both sides until just light brown and drain them on a  paper towel. Be careful as oil splatters during frying.

Now temper bay leaf and cinnamon stick in the same oil. Saute minced onion, ginger paste and half garom moshla. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato, 1 slit green chili, cumin- coriander powder and saute for a few minutes. covering with a lid if it splatters too much. Pour warm water and bring to the boil. Add turmeric, paprika and salt. 

Carefully add fish stakes. Simmer with the lid on for 8-10 minutes on low-medium heat. Whisk yogurt, tapioca flour and sugar together. Reduce heat to low. Add yogurt mixture to the gravy and keep stirring gently. Add reaming chilies. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add half gorom moshla powder, ghee and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with plain rice or polao and salad on the side. Enjoy this delicious fish curry with family and friends! 

Happy Cooking!