Macher paturi (fish wrapped in banana leaf and steamed) is one of the most famous dishes in Bengali cuisine. Here’s a quick and easy take on the pride of the Bengali home dish.
What You Need
*500 gms white fish steak (Ideally Bhetki-Lates
Calcarifer, if not available, use Basa)
*2 Tablespoons dark mustard seeds soaked in a little
warm water
*1 Tablespoons light mustard seeds soaked in a little warm water
*½ Coconut (Fresh)
*4- 8 Green chillies (use it as per desired
hotness of the dish)
*1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
*1 Teaspoon fresh juice of lime (can be
substituted with a pinch of Aaam Chur)
*1 Teaspoon sugar
*Salt to taste
*1 Tablespoon Mustard Oil (Do not substitute
Mustard Oil with any other oil)
*Whole 8-10 green chillies to put inside the
parcel (optional)
*1 Full size banana leaf (ideally a tender one)
*Threads for wrapping
How To
*Wash and dry the fish steak, cut into 8 to 10
pieces, keep aside
*In a blender, add Mustard seeds, coconut, greens
chillies and a pinch of salt
*Make it a smooth paste by adding a little water
from time to time
*Add sugar, turmeric powder and lime juice to it
*Add salt as required and finally make a smooth
marinade
*Dip the fish pieces into the marinade and rub
them with your fingers
*Leave the marinated fish for 30 minutes in room
temperature or 2 hours in refrigerator
*Once the marination is done, pour in the
mustard oil and mix it well
*Now cut the banana leaf into 8 inches square
*Take the banana leaf in a platter glossy side up, rub a little mustard oil onto it
*Place a piece of fish at the centre and add some marinade to it
*Place one green chilli on top of it
*Fold the leaf from each side and make it a square parcel
*Wrap it with the thread so that it doesn’t open while cooking
*Wrap the rest of the fish pieces and make a parcel for each of them
*Now heat water in a steamer
*Add the parcels into the steaming rack or basket
*Steam the parcels for 10 minutes
*Remove from steamer, discard the threads from the parcels
*Serve piping hot with steamed rice
Eat! Slurp! Burp!
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