π Ilish Bharta β Mashed Hilsa Recipe Β
Ilish Bharta (Mashed Hilsa) is a traditional Bengali delicacy famous for its aromatic flavors, delightful spiciness, and unique taste derived from freshly-caught Hilsa fish. Letβs prepare this authentic Bengali recipe step-by-step!
π Ingredients: π Fresh Hilsa Fish (Ilish) β 500 gm, cleaned and cut into pieces π§
Onion β 2 medium-sized, finely chopped πΆοΈ Green Chilies β 4-5, finely chopped π§ Garlic Cloves β 6-8, finely minced π§
Shallots (small onions) β 6-8 pieces, sliced thinly (optional, enhances flavor) π Fresh Coriander β handful, finely chopped π₯ Mustard Oil β 3-4 tbsp (essential for authentic flavor) π§ Salt β as per taste πΆοΈ Dry Red Chili β 2-3 pieces (optional, for extra spiciness) π Lemon Juice β 1 tsp (optional, enhances flavor) π³ Cooking Process: Step 1 β Steam or Boil Hilsa Fish: Gently steam or boil the cleaned Hilsa fish pieces with a pinch of salt and 1 cup water for about 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain water and keep the fish aside to cool. Step 2 β Debone and Mash: Carefully remove the bones and skin from the cooked Hilsa. Mash the fish gently by hand or fork until you have a smooth, fine texture. Step 3 β Prepare Spiced Mixture: Heat mustard oil in a pan until smoky hot. Add minced garlic, sliced shallots, chopped onions, chopped green chilies, and dried red chilies. SautΓ© the mixture until golden brown and aromatic. Step 4 β Combine Fish & Spices: Add the mashed Hilsa fish into the pan. Mix thoroughly with the spiced onion mixture. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Step 5 β Final Touches: Turn off the heat, sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves, and drizzle lemon juice (optional). Mix gently, cover, and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. π½οΈ Serving Suggestions: Serve hot with steamed rice π or Bengali flatbread (luchi or paratha) π«. Garnish with extra green chilies πΆοΈ or lemon wedges π as per taste. π Tips from the Chef: Always use fresh Hilsa fish for the authentic taste. Mustard oil is essentialβavoid substitutions to retain original flavors. Adjust green chilies according to your spice tolerance. π Footnote: Enjoy the authentic taste of Ilish Bharta at the upcoming Sundarban Hilsa festival (Sundarban ilish utsav ) and celebrate Bengalβs culinary heritage with freshly caught Hilsa!
Recipe inspired by traditional Bengali culinary practices.
I travelled with my cousin-brotherβs family on 31st Dec to 2nd Jan 22. I got very good support from Sonakshi travel, we were 7 adult and 2 kid. The complete... read more team, tour manager Subrata, boat captain Bapi da and our guide Tanmoy da was very cooperative and helpful. Our stay was in Sobuj Deep Resort, the location is next to the river and rooms are quite good in size, there 4 bedrooms can accommodate 2 families with one kid comfortably. The facilities and services of boat and resort was excellent. My objective was to spend some time with family in the nature, and a wild wish if we could spot the graceful royal Bengal tiger in the wild was 100% fulfilled. When I was researching for this tour, I found Sundarbans travel (Sonakshi travel) rated 4.5 among all, and I am not disappointed as well. Next time when I will visit Sundarbans again my choice will be Sundarbans travel. All over experience βThe tour is mind blowingβ.
Kaustav ChatterjeeMarch 17, 2022
I had travelled along with my 2 kids and my parents to Sundarban on 13th of nov. The tour was organised by Sundarban Travel. We had opted for 1N 2D... read more package. Here are few points I would like to mention regarding the tour. PROS: 1) The tour organiser, Mr Talukdar gave us a very clear account of the package and there were no hidden cost. 2) We were appointed a manager ( Mr Subrata) during the tour, who was very polite in his dealings. Since I was travelling with my 4 yr old daughter, I had requested him to make few extra arrangements ( in meal) for her β¦.for which I never had to remind him again and all my requirements were taken care off. 3 ) since we were only 3 families travelling on one boat, we had enough space to ourselves as compared to other boats I saw during the trip were overly crowded. 4) Food was good and the preparation was quite homely. 5)As we had to spend considerable amount of time on the boatβ¦. I was little apprehensive about the cleanliness of the washroom on the boat. But to my surprise, the washroom was sparkling clean. CONS: 1) Though the hotel we were made to stay was very well locatedβ¦ but the rooms were very basic. Rooms are newly made but not very well maintained. The floor of the rooms felt like they were not dusted and mopped in days.There were cobwebs here and there and bathroom had few centipedes. To my opinion..rooms could have been better than what was provided. Overall, it was a well organised trip and Mr Talukdar kept checking on us during the trip which I truly appreciate. We thoroughly enjoyed. And I would certainly recommend Sundarban Travel to my friends and family.
Vaishali SenguptaMarch 17, 2022
superb experience every step of the way. it was our first sunderban trip and we didn't know what to anticipate but we were taken care of right from pickup to... read more end point by professional guides who displayed very courteous behavior. definitely talukdar ji will be my preferred choice for all trips in future as well.
Auditro Hi-Fi SystemsDecember 17, 2022
I travelled to Sunderban during 3rd to 5th December, 2021 along with my other 3 family members. In view of the threat of cyclone βJawadβ during that period, Sonakshi Travels... read more customised their programme for our convenience at their best. The boat waiting for us at Gadkhali was decent, neat & clean. The cooperation and helpful gesture of the Boatman Bapibabu and crew Pulak charmed us. The trip through the creeks and distributaries of the rivers of Sunderban became more enjoyable with the excellent taste of food cooked by Bhaskar in the running boat. The property named βSabuj Dwipβ under Lahiripur Gram Panchayat where we were parked at the day-end, was a resort having cottages with clean Rooms, modern Bathrooms & standard amenities including Generator along with a few shortfalls like lack of Geyser, AC, Toilet-shower, Kitchen/Kitchenet, Waste paper bin, Wall Hangers etc., though all such lacuna were covered by the sincere and hearty efforts of the servicemen. The owner may solve these minor problems by purchasing items of trivial value like Emersion Heater, Toilet-shower, Electric Cattle, Waste paper basket & Wall hangers. On 5th December, when the cyclone turned its face to Sunderban, the superb teamwork of Sonakshi rescued us through an alternative safe land-route maintaining our all urbane comfort upto the satisfaction. The courteous behaviour and delicious tasty food are the value-added satisfaction of this trip over the honest, humble and sincere approach of the owner Shuvabratababu which is highly appreciable. I highly recommend Sunderban Trip through this Travels.
Snehansu GangopadhyayMarch 17, 2022