KATLA REZALA ( CHEAT'S VERSION)

 It's only about, roughly 35- 40 days to go for the biggest festival of Bengal, heneforth to be celebrated all across the world. As I gear up to welcome the deity, the daughter on her homecoming, how can I forget you all, my lovely readers!!

Appologies are on the way for this long absence, long enough for you to forget me and the page.  The abunndence of that one virtue in you I admire, which I have never had enough of : Patience.  But I comeback bearing new recipes, new flavours that are sure to broadcast a big smile on your face. Not only because the flavours will tantilise your senses, more so, as they are not labour intensive. A lazy man neve fails to device or discover cheat's way to famedom. Jump on this boat and let's take the flavour ride together. Read on!

The foremost important ingredient is :KATLA, as goes by the name of "paka-rui" as well. The rest of it is jotted down in haste for you to follow:

1. 8 pcs of paka rui/ Katla to start with:  Clean, scale, and throughly wash. Massage these with some salt and a miserly pinch of turmeric powder. Keep aside.

2. Make a paste of 300 gm red onions (white ones will also do). Soak 50 gms of cashews (whole/broken) into some lukewarm water for 20 mins, paste it in a mixer and keep aside.

3. Pound about 12 fat cloves of garlic with 2" ginger. Pound into an fine paste. Keep aside. in a smallbowl soak a pinch of saffron, in 2tbsp lukewarm milk.

4. Whisk 250 gm yoghurt in a bowl, with 1 tsp cumin powder + 1 tsp red chilli powder, to get rid of lumps and to make it smooth pourable consistency. 

5. Heat a iron kadhai/ pan and pour 4 tbsp of pungent mustard oil. Allow the oil to fume, reduce the flame, start adding the marinated fish pieces into this oil, in batches. Skin side down and fry lightly. Take them out once you see a golden shadow on both sides. Repeat, till all are done. Keep it aside.

6. The potent mustard oil is now empowered with the goodness of fish oil. Onto this add about 2 tbsp of mustard oil to the pan.  Follow the same steps of fuming as before.

7. Time to add in the onion paste into the pan. Cook on medium flame till the raw aroma disappears and it starts changing colour.

8. Next add in the g+g paste. Mix well. Once the aroma indicates its done-ness, add in about 6-7 tbsp good quality cow ghee & the beaten yoghurt. Hurry and give it a good mix. We will cook it till oil appears on the sides of the pan and the surface. 

9. The next to go in the cashew paste and about 3 tbsp of coconut milk, second extraction (this is what imparts the much adored sweetish tinge to the rezala gravy). Ofcourse give it a good mix and cook on medium flame. 

10. Once the oil appears on the sides, like before, add in 6-7 slit green chillies along with the fried slices of fish. ( pour it along with the oil accumulated at the bottom of the bowl, where fried fish was kept). Give it a gentle mix ( or jsst shake the pan with ease) with this rich spice base. Add this time taste for salt & adjust.

11. Once the spices have adorned the fish with pulpable tenacity, pour 1. 5cup  hot water to the pan, and allow it to come a boil. Add in the kesar/ saffron.. Cover and cook for 5-7 mins on medium flame.

13. Once done remove cover, increase flame, do a final testing, for me that is important. Finish it with 2 drops of screwpine/kewra water and take it off the hob. Sprinkle some beresta/ fried onions on top. 

14. You have to eat it with plain beresta pulao or white steamed rice. Enjoy it warm.

As always, this lifeless recipe is waiting for you to instill life in it, as home-cooks, isn't that what we always do!! Your days of festival are sure to turn into a blockbuster hit, once you will serve this to family and friends. Not to forget self love, so yes, your tastebuds will walk out of your house to thank me, mark my words. The old experience know-it-all cannot not throw in a few words of caution. Here it goes: 

1. I would advice to add in a tsp of cornflour/ flour to the yoghurt while whisking. This will prevent it from splitting once u add it to the hot mix.

2. Do use a mix of peti & gada for this. Personally I feel its the fat oozing out from the Peti is what adds to the oomph factor.

3. Heat in terms of chillies is ofcourse your own consideration.

4. Be careful with the qty of the screwpine. In this case too much can lead to disaster.

5. Be armed wth a cover, if you aren't taht brave while adding in the onion paste. I will gurantee that come what may, it is bound to splutter.

Well, now I am off. Off to finding such newer user friendly recipes for you all. Take care till then ! Do let meknow the reaction of your kith and kin, in case you trial run this piece.  It would be fascinating to hear of your Durga Puja plans, if any. Write to me in the comment section 

Chow!