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A taste of home: Shovana Narayan remembers Rohu Poshtodana, Chutneys and the comfort of her mother’s kitchen
The Kathak exponent on her mother’s fish in mustard and rohu in poppy seed paste.
Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan (Express Photo by Sumit Malhotra)
My mother was known for her mouth-watering non-vegetarian dishes such as rohu machhli poshtodana (fish in poppy seed paste), machchli bhujiya (fried fish), sarson ki machhli (fish cooked in mustard sauce), mutton taash (baked and steamed mutton in plantain leaves) and goshta ishtu (mutton stewed in onion curry).
Even Shafaat Ahmed Khan, the tabla maestro, used to reminisce of these dishes that he had when Ma was alive. In spite of being a meat eater and not inclined towards fish, he yearned for fish cooked in mustard by Ma.
Rohu machhli poshtodana, with the fish coated in creamy, rich yet subtle flavours from the poppy seed paste, was comfortingly simple, yet so distinct. Poshtodana is a key element in Bengali cuisine, known to add flavour, thicken gravies and elevate every dish. This one is best had with steamed rice.
My mother also made poppy seed chutney (salted) along with sweet tomato chutney, coriander leaf chutney, chana dal chutney, parwal chutney. Winter is when various kinds of vegetables, spinach (palak, bathua, kusum, lal saag, methi) and lentils are used in Bihar. Even the list of delectable snacks was long.
Though born in Calcutta, my growing up years in Bihar bring back memories, images that are full of food and aromas: of my father helping my mother make pedakia (gujiya) edges, made with such artistic flair; the steamer ride crossing the Ganges from Mahendru Ghat at Patna to Pahleja Ghat on our way to Muzaffarpur in north Bihar, eating lai ke dane that melted in the mouth; of helping Ma make skewered vegetables for the poshtodana curry that looked so appetising from afar; of grounding garam masala paste or the poppy seed paste on the silbatta-lodha.
Rohu Posto (Photo: Getty Images)
Recipe:
Ingredients
- Rohu fish: 4-6 pcs
- Poppy seeds (Posto): 2-4 tbsp, soaked and ground into a smooth paste
- Mustard oil: 4-6 tbsp
- Nigella seeds (kalonji): 1/4 -1/2 tsp for tempering
- Green chillies: 4-6, slit (some for the paste, some for cooking)
- Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp total
- Salt: To taste
- Optional: Chopped onion/tomato/garlic for variations
Method
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- Rub the fish pieces with turmeric and salt, and let them sit
- Soak poppy seeds in water for about 30 minutes, drain and grind to a paste with green chillies and salt
- Heat mustard oil in a kadai until smoking hot. Lightly fry the marinated fish until they are light golden brown. Remove and set aside
- In the remaining oil, temper with nigella seeds and a few slit green chillies. If using onion/ tomato, add and cook them until soft
- Add turmeric and poppy seed paste. Cook over a low flame for about a minute, adding a splash of water to prevent burning
- Pour in about a cup of hot water, bring the gravy to a boil. Place the fried fish into the gravy. Cover and let it simmer so the fish absorbs the flavours
- Drizzle raw mustard oil and add slit green chillies before serving
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