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Ilish polao
Hilsa fish rice
ইলিশ পোলাও (ilish polao): Barisal and Chandpur rice cooked in hilsa oil and stock with fried hilsa steaks
Monsoon is hilsa season: as the fish run up the Meghna and the boats come back heavy into Chandpur ghat and the Barisal river markets, the richest cooks make ilish polao, a fragrant rice cooked in the oil left from frying the fish and in a light stock from the head and tail. Fried hilsa steaks are tucked into the rice to finish in the steam, so they stay moist and take on the scent of cardamom and bay. It is a dish for the hilsa season and for honoured guests, served with fried onions, a wedge of lime and a green chilli. The usual misjudgement is stirring once the fish is in; the steaks are fragile and fall apart into bones. Chef's tip: keep the oil the fish was fried in, because the whole dish depends on that hilsa-scented fat.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 ½ tsp saltdivided
- ½ cup mustard oil
- 3 ¾ cups water
For the rice
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 cinnamon stick5 cm
- 4 cloves
- 16 oz chinigura, kalijira or basmati ricewashed and soaked 20 minutes
- 6 green chillieswhole
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 lime (optional)in wedges
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Rub the 1 hilsa, cleaned and cut into steaks, plus the head and tail steaks, head and tail with 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder and ¾ tsp salt and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Heat ½ cup mustard oil in a wide pot over a medium-high heat and fry the steaks for 2–3 minutes on each side until lightly golden but not hard. Lift out. Fry the head and tail for 4 minutes and lift out too.
10 minStep 3: Simmer the head and tail in 3 ¾ cups water with a pinch of the salt for 20–25 minutes, then strain the stock and keep 800 ml.
25 minStep 4: In the hilsa oil, fry 2 onions over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until golden; lift out half for the top.
10 minStep 5: Add 2 bay leaves, 5 green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 2 tsp ginger paste to the pot and fry for 1 minute.
2 minStep 6: Drain 16 oz chinigura, kalijira or basmati rice and add it with 1 tsp sugar and the remaining 1 ¾ tsp salt; stir gently for 2–3 minutes until every grain is glossy.
3 minStep 7: Pour in the hot stock, add 6 green chillies, and boil until the liquid drops just below the surface of the rice.
5 minStep 8: Lay the fried steaks on top of the rice without stirring them in.
2 minStep 9: Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes until the rice is tender and the fish is opaque and flakes at the centre.
18 minStep 10: Rest for 10 minutes covered, then serve with the reserved fried onions, 1 lime and a green chilli, lifting the steaks out carefully.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ilish polao take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 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.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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