Making unique fish dishes for holuds

Tired of the usual fish dishes you see during every wedding? Why not change things up this time and include these fresh new recipes to make sure your, or your loved one's holud is the one everyone remembers for years to come.

POPCORN CRUSHED FISH FINGER

Ingredients

250g fish (cut into fingers)

1 lemon juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp chilli sauce

½ tsp black pepper powder

1 cup flour

2 egg white

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup crushed popcorn

Salt to taste

Method

Marinate the fish with lemon juice, soy sauce, chilli sauce, pepper powder and salt for about 15 minutes. Mix bread crumbs and crushed popcorn together and keep it aside. Now take a fish finger and roll in flour and dip in the egg white and finally in the popcorn, bread crumb mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

RUI FISH GLASSY

Ingredients

1 kg fish (big curry cut)

½ cup onion paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

1 tbsp cashew nut paste

1 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp ghee

2 green cardamom

1-inch cinnamon stick

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

1 floret mace

2 cup milk

½ cup sliced onions

5-6 green chillies slit

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method

Dry roast cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves mace, nutmeg, and grind the spices to a fine powder. Clean and wash fish, add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, ground spices, milk, cashew nuts paste, raisins, salt, and oil. Let the fish marinate for 1 hour. In a pan, add ghee, and fry onions until golden brown. Add marinated fish and stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water. Cook the fish covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and add green chillies. Cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning, and turn off the flame. Garnish the fish glassy with fried onions and serve.

A pair of fish for the bride, please! A look at the wedding tradition of exchanging fish

Traditions and rituals hold special places on cheerful occasions like weddings. Embedded in the culture and tradition of the place of origin, it is never a bad idea to dig deeper and unearth the significance of such rituals that have stood the test of time and stayed with us. Fish and its role in Bengali wedding rituals is one such association.

Wearing a red shirt paired with green chequered lungi, and a sweet paan in his mouth, he tows along affectionately behind his beloved. She, who is in a red sari with a sequin border and a dangling nose ring, timidly enters the house in a palanquin. This beautiful pair, undoubtedly of Rui fish origin, is playing the part of an intrinsic Bengali wedding ritual; the gifting of fish to the bride by the groom on their holud ceremony. Smearing raw turmeric paste on the would-be couple is an age-old tradition and so is the ceremony of giving fish.

This special gift signifies good luck and prosperity, a way of extending best wishes for the bride's happiness as she embarks upon a new beginning. 

In Hindu weddings, the bride's wedding sari is wrapped in a way that resembles a fish. Similarly, sweets are also decorated in the form of a fish when they are sent as gifts to either household. One of the first rituals a Hindu bride takes as she steps into her new household is to appreciate an array of decorated fish. Fish holds immense significance in a Bengali household, and simply looking at the fish is said to mark her auspicious start in the new household.

The best fish and the biggest catch of the day are sorted from the bazaar, and then the pair dressed as a bride and groom and sent to the bride's house in the hope that they would serve the fish in the evening when the groom's family comes over for the holud rituals. 

In the olden days, people stuffed Tk 500 notes in the fish so that whoever cuts the fish would get a reward. The fish was then fried and served to the guest along with 'deshi pithas' and 'pulis.' Nowadays, it is the same except simple fried fish is no longer the fancied item on the menu. The recipe has changed and tilted towards the uncommon and tastier versions. Most families are in the race to make the menu as diverse as possible.

As the wedding season is upon us, Star Lifestyle is featuring a few great fish recipes to try this season.  Flip to Page 8 and try some of Salina Parvin's mouth-watering recipes.

-- RBR

RUI MACHER DOM CURRY

Ingredients

5-6 pcs rui fish

½ cup onion paste

2 tsp ginger paste

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

3 tbsp mustard oil

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the bay leaves and cumin seeds in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain from water, and grind to a smooth paste. Add the onion paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, and salt to the prepared mixture. Add the fish pieces to the masala, and coat well. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat pan. Gently place the marinated fish along with the marinade in the pan. Cook over low flame for 8-10 minutes. Add ½ cup of warm water, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Finish with a generous drizzle of mustard oil. Serve hot with steamed rice.

VERMICELLI COATED FISH CHOP

Ingredients

500g fish (cut into fillets)

1 lemon juice

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp green chilli paste

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup crushed vermicelli

Salt to taste

Method

Marinate the fish with lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chilli paste, and salt for about 15 minutes. Now take a fish fillet and roll in flour and dip in the beaten eggs and finally coat in the crushed vermicelli. Keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Now heat oil in a pan. Fry the fish fillet until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

TANDOORI FISH

Ingredients

6 fish fillets

For the marinade —

1 cup plain yoghurt

¼ cup oil

4 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

For the garnish —

1 red onion, cut into thin rings

2 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

Cut the fish fillets into 2-3-inch chunks. In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, yoghurt, oil, ginger, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, and sea salt. Place the fish pieces in the bowl and toss them with the marinade to coat well. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the fillets on the grill. Brush with oil and sprinkle with additional seasoning. Cook the fillets for about 3 minutes. Use a wide spatula to turn the fillets over and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate. Garnish and serve.

Food and Styling: RBR