FISH with FLATTENED RICE

Ingredients

• 750 g Fish (rohu/rui recommended), cut into pieces (3 powas converted to approximately 750 g. Rohu (rui) fish is specifically recommended in the original recipe. Ask your fishmonger to cut into curry pieces.)
• 250 g Flattened rice (poha/chivda) (1 powa converted to approximately 250 g. Use medium-thick poha if possible.)
• 125 ml Neutral cooking oil (½ powa converted to approximately 125 ml. Used for frying the fish.)
• 125 ml Ghee (clarified butter) (½ powa converted to approximately 125 ml. Half is used to fry the flattened rice, the other half forms the base of the gravy.)
• 125 ml Plain curd (yoghurt) (½ powa converted to approximately 125 ml. Use full-fat plain yoghurt for best results.)
• 250 g Onions (½ powa converted to approximately 250 g. These will be made into a paste.)
• 30 g Fresh ginger (½ chhatak converted to approximately 30 g. This will be made into a paste.)
• 24 g Salt (2 tolas converted to approximately 24 g (about 4 teaspoons). Adjust to your taste.)
• 12 g Ground turmeric (1 tola converted to approximately 12 g (about 2 teaspoons). Used as a dry rub on both fish and flattened rice.)
• 4 chillies Fresh green or dried red chillies (The original calls for 'a few chillies'. Use 3–5 depending on your heat preference. These will be made into a paste.)
• 500 ml Water (Enough to create a gravy that will later be cooked down and absorbed. Add more if needed.)
• 1 pinch Powdered garam masala (Optional, as stated in the original recipe. Add a small pinch at the very end if desired.)

Instructions

1. 1Peel and roughly chop the onions and ginger. Place them in a blender or food processor along with the chillies. Blend everything together into a smooth paste, adding a tiny splash of water if needed to help it blend. Set this paste aside. This is your combined ginger, onion and chilli paste.
2. 2Rinse the fish pieces thoroughly under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the fish in a bowl. In a separate bowl, rinse the flattened rice (poha) briefly under cold water using a fine-mesh sieve, then drain well. Divide the salt and turmeric evenly between the two bowls. Toss the fish pieces in their portion of salt and turmeric until fully coated. Toss the drained flattened rice in its portion of salt and turmeric. Set both aside.
3. 3Heat the cooking oil in a large, wide frying pan or kadhai over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully add the seasoned fish pieces in a single layer — do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches if needed. Fry for about 3–4 minutes per side until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fried fish with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Do not discard the oil.
4. 4In a separate clean pan, melt half the ghee (approximately 60 ml) over medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add the seasoned flattened rice (poha). Stir and fry gently for about 3–4 minutes until the poha is lightly crisped and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside. Be gentle as you stir to keep the flattened rice as intact as possible — the recipe advises trying to keep the ingredients whole.
5. 5In the same pan used for the flattened rice, heat the remaining half of the ghee (approximately 60 ml) over medium heat. Once it is hot and liquid, add the prepared ginger, onion and chilli paste. Stir the paste constantly, cooking it over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes until it turns a deep brown colour. Be patient — this step develops the deep flavour of the dish. Once deeply browned, add the curd (yoghurt) and stir continuously for a further 3–4 minutes until the curd is well incorporated into the paste and the mixture looks thick and uniform.
6. 6Pour the water into the pan with the browned paste and curd mixture. Stir well to combine everything into a gravy. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a full boil.
7. 7Once the gravy is boiling, gently add the fried fish pieces and the fried flattened rice into the pan. Stir very carefully to submerge everything in the gravy without breaking the fish or the flattened rice — the aim is to keep the ingredients as whole and intact as possible, as the original recipe advises.
8. 8Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered, stirring very gently and occasionally, until nearly all the liquid (soup) has been absorbed and dried up. This should take approximately 8–10 minutes. The final dish should be moist but not soupy — the gravy should cling to the fish and flattened rice rather than pool at the bottom of the pan.
9. 9If desired, sprinkle a small pinch of powdered garam masala over the dish and gently stir it in. This step is entirely optional as noted in the original recipe. Serve immediately, handling gently to keep the fish and flattened rice pieces whole.