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Hutki shira
হুটকি শিরা (hutki shira): Sylhet's thin, fiery dried-fish curry with brinjal and potato
Hutki is what Sylhetis call shutki, sun-dried fish, and a pot of hutki shira, a thin, soupy curry, is pure home cooking from Sylhet, Sunamganj and the haor villages, where fish dried in the dry season feeds families through the rest of the year. The broth is fiery with fresh and dried chilli and full of garlic, softened with chunks of potato, brinjal and sometimes tomato or shatkora, and it is ladled over plenty of plain rice. The smell of the dried fish is strong as it cooks, but it mellows into a deep savoury taste. Skipping the soak is the error that ruins it: unwashed hutki is gritty and far too salty. Buy dried fish from a busy, reputable Asian grocer, and choose pieces that are dry, firm and free of mould. Chef's tip: keep the broth loose; shira should be soupy enough to drown the rice.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 oz dried fish (such as loitta, chhuri or puti shutki)broken into 5 cm pieces
- 4 ¼ cups hot waterfor soaking
For the curry
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 10 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp hot red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 potatoespeeled and cut into wedges
- 1 long brinjalcut into 5 cm batons
- 1 tomatochopped
- 1 /2 tsp salttaste first, the fish is salty
- 2 ½ cups water
- 6 green chilliesslit
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 4 oz dried fish (such as loitta, chhuri or puti shutki) in 4 ¼ cups hot water for 20 minutes, then rub each piece under running water to remove scales, grit and sand; change the water and rinse twice more until it runs clear. Drain.
20 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a pot over a high heat until it just smokes, then lower to medium.
2 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp hot red chilli powder and 1 tsp ground cumin with a splash of water and cook until the oil separates.
2 minStep 5: Add the dried fish and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring gently, until it smells toasty and is coated in masala.
4 minStep 6: Add 2 potatoes, 1 long brinjal and 1 tomato and stir for 2 minutes.
3 minStep 7: Pour in 2 ½ cups water, add 6 green chillies, taste and add 1 /2 tsp salt only if needed, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the fish is soft and cooked through.
15 minStep 8: Keep the curry thin and soupy, adding a splash of hot water if needed, scatter with 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with plenty of plain rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hutki shira take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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