Indian · Bengal · main

Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard)

Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard) reads sweetness 4.8, heat 4.4 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Bengal main, about 1 hr 6 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 0.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 4.8 · Heat 4.4 · Salinity 3.6 · Herbaceous 2.7 · Earthy 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Bitterness 1.9 · Umami 1.7 · Sourness 1.6 · Citrus 1.4 · Fruity 0.7 · Richness 0.6 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (11)

• hilsa
• turmeric — 5 g
• salt — 7 g
• yellow mustard seeds — 44 g
• brown mustard seeds — 15 g
• green chilies — 400 g
• kalo jeere — 1 g
• mustard oil — 68 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• water — 250 g
• sugar — 2 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 6 min (39 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 127.9 kcal, 2.4 g protein, 11.4 g fat, 5.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Rub the fish pieces with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt and leave them to sit for 20 minutes. Hilsa is oily and full of fine bones; it wants only a short seasoning, never a long marinade.
2. Meanwhile soak both mustard seeds in a little warm water for 20 minutes, then grind them with 2 of the green chillies, a pinch of salt and enough of the 250 ml warm water to make a smooth pourable paste, about 100 ml. Grinding mustard with salt and chilli keeps it from turning bitter; grinding it dry or over-long makes it acrid.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the mustard oil in a wide karai until it just begins to smoke and the raw pungency burns off, about 2 minutes, then take it off the heat for 30 seconds so it stops smoking.
4. Return the pan to medium heat and drop in the nigella seeds. They will crackle and smell of onion and thyme within about 20 seconds.
5. Pour in the mustard paste with the remaining warm water, the sauce turmeric, the sugar and the rest of the salt. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on low, stirring, until the raw mustard smell softens and the sauce thickens to the consistency of single cream. Do not let it boil hard or the mustard will turn bitter.
6. Slide in the fish in a single layer with the 2 whole green chillies, cover and simmer very gently for 8 to 10 minutes, spooning sauce over the pieces once. The flesh should just flake at the thickest point.
7. Take the pan off the heat, pour over the last tablespoon of raw mustard oil, cover and let it stand 5 minutes before serving with plain rice.

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• Aloo Posto (Potatoes in White Poppy Seed) — Indian · Bengal
• Lomi Lomi Salmon — American · Hawaiian
• Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup — Caribbean

Keep reading: what sweetness, heat, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.