← All recipes · Species guide: Rohu
Bengal · Rohu

Bengali Rohu Fish and Potato Curry

Rui Macher Jhol

Macher jhol is the everyday fish curry of Bengal, on both sides of the border. Steaks of rohu, a big river carp, are fried in mustard oil and simmered with potatoes in a thin, gingery cumin and turmeric broth, then poured over rice.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: avijit / Adobe Stock
Served with: Bengali Red Lentil Dal ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the curry

Affiliate links

🛒 Where to buy the real ingredients

Hard to find at the supermarket? These are the authentic ones.

Daana mustard oil · Amazon ↗

As an Amazon Associate, BigJoe earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and helps keep this site free.

Method

Step by step, the way it is done there.

  1. Season. Rub the fish with turmeric and salt and leave 15 minutes.
  2. Fry the fish. Heat the mustard oil until it smokes, lower the heat and fry the steaks 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Set aside.
  3. Fry the potatoes. In the same oil fry the potato wedges until golden at the edges. Set aside.
  4. Build the curry. Add the nigella seeds and slit chilies to the oil. Stir the ginger, cumin, turmeric and chili powder with a splash of water into a paste and fry it 2 minutes. Add the tomato if using.
  5. Simmer. Add the potatoes, salt and hot water. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
  6. Finish. Slide in the fried fish and simmer 5–6 minutes more. Scatter cilantro and serve with plenty of plain rice and the thin broth.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Bengali Red Lentil Dal
Bangladesh & Bengal

Bengali Red Lentil Dal

Musur Dal

Thin, golden red lentils tempered with nigella seeds and green chili. In Bengal the meal starts with dal and rice before the fish arrives.

  • Prep 5 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1 cup red lentils (masoor), rinsed
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil or ghee
  • ½ tsp nigella seeds
  • 2 green chilies, slit
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

How to make it

  1. Boil. Simmer the lentils with the water and turmeric 15–20 minutes until soft. Whisk smooth and add the salt.
  2. Temper. Heat the oil, add the nigella seeds, chilies and onion and fry until the onion is golden.
  3. Combine. Pour the tempering into the dal and simmer 2 minutes. It should be thin and pourable.
  4. Serve. Top with cilantro and serve over rice.

More ways to cook Rohu

Same fish, a different kitchen.

West Bengal, IndiaBengali Rohu in Poppy Seed Gravy
Chandpur, BangladeshBangladeshi Hilsa in Mustard Sauce