MURI GHANTO - FISH HEAD CURRY BY SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

IMAGE OWNER: SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

IMAGE OWNER: SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

IMAGE OWNER: SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

For a Bengali God’s gift to mankind has to be fish, followed by rashogolla. Bengali cuisine while diverse in encompassing meat both fowl and fur, and even some exemplary lip smacking vegetarian variety; it is with fish that it transcends into an art. The brilliance of the Bengali mom to turn the egg of fish into nuggets, or the gut into finger licking fried nuggets to be savored with rice just shows how every part of the fish can be converted into something that is excellent. So why not the otherwise inconsumable bones and head. Voila they have a solution for you in the form of muri ghanto.

As the name suggests muri ghanto is a mish mash using the fish head or muro. The dish is essentially a festive dish served for occasions like baby showers, bachelor or bachelorette parties and such occasions of gaiety. While the body of the fish is used for cooking a curry or gravy the head is used with rice to make the delectable muri ghanto. Rohu or rui as it is commonly called is the fish of choice for making this. This quintessentially Bengali food has subsequently spawned variants as it has migrated to other lands like Singapore and Malaysia.  In those lands the head of a red snapper is used to make a stew dish as against the traditional Bengali dish being more of a mish mash dry preparation.

Muri ghanto is traditionally a dish that looks more like a pilaf. It is typically made of the fish head, rice and potatoes. The inherent moisture of the cooked rice gives the dish its juicy feel along with the contents of the fish head which are often succulent. It’s a heady mix of spices and hence finger licking good.

Unlike most dishes where we have to arrange for the main element of the dish, the star of this dish is a wastage product of another dish. The head of a rohu or a catla used to make some other dish is used to make muri ghanto. All you need to check is that the size is big. The head of a fish in excess of 1.5 kgs is sufficient for this though a 2 kg fish gives the ideal size. The cooking involves a meticulous preparation of the pilaf and usually about a 45 minute offer with a reasonable amount of difficulty involved. 

The various ingredients required for the cook making a portion serving 4 are:

• Fish head of rui(rohu) or katol (catla)-1
• Mustard oil or cooking oil 6 tablespoons
• Basmati rice 100 gms
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
• Tomato 1
• Potato 2 large
• Onion2 medium
• Ginger garlic paste 2 tablespoon
• Green chilies 3
• Garam masala 1
• Bay leaves 2-3
• Ghee 1 table spoon
• Tablespoon   cumin seed ½ tablespoon.

To begin preparation for this dish peel the potatoes and die them into medium small cubes. Slice the onions and the tomatoes also. Now use a mix of turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder and coat the fish head evenly. After leaving it for about 5 minutes to properly grip the surface deep fry the head in mustard oil. Bengali fish tastes best with mustard oil and the zing it provides. One the head is deep fried, remove from oil and keep aside to cool. This is a very critical step in the cooking and the fish head has to be cooked just right so that the inside still retains its juice while the outside gets crispy. Once this cools, crush and break the head into smaller pieces and set aside. Wash the rice thoroughly and set aside. Shallow fry the potato pieces and set aside. We are now ready for the actual cook.

In a heavy pan or wok heat the oil. Again mustard oil is the preferred cooking oil. Add salt to taste, a dash of sugar, bay leaves, green chilli and cumin seeds to the heated oil, and sauté. Add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Now add tomato and sauté for a few minutes. Add ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for a few more minutes. To add a zing to the taste a bit of green chilli paste may also be added now. Add the rice to the mix and stir fry for about 5 minutes now. Add about half cup of water and cook for some 5 minutes occasionally stirring to ensure proper mixing. Now add the pieces of the fried fish head to this mix and stir vigorously to ensure even mixing. Care also needs to be taken to not further break the fish head. Add water to measure about half a cup and then cover the pan letting the mix to cook for about 15 minutes. This would ensure that the potato and the rice are properly cooked.  Add a dash of ghee and evenly spread Garam masala. Cook till the water dries off and transfer to a serving vessel. This can be served on its own or with a serving of hot rice.

The diligence and love for everything fishy that Bengalis display is show cased in this dish where even waste material is converted into something inexplicably delicious. So in such a dish my mom’s secret ingredient in cooking becomes that much more crucial. So add a generous dose of love, as generous as a bongs need for adda, and a smile as big as the one he sports in front of a sweet shop and make this dish turn on its fishy head. Bon appétit.