Bhetki Macher Paturi
October 1, 2013

A bengali favorite Bhetki (Sheephead) fished wrapped in banana leaf with mustard paste and cooked in steam through slow cooking.

Cuisine Bengali
Course Main Course
Serves 6
Method Steam
Difficulty Hard
Cook Time 40  minutes
  • Cuisine Bengali
  • Course Main Course
  • Serves 6
  • Method Steam
  • Difficulty Hard
  • Cook Time 40  minutes
Ingredients
bhetki (sheephead) fish - around 10-12 pieces
1   kilogram
big banana leaf
1  
grated coconut
1   cup
mustard seeds (to be pasted)
100   grams
mustard oil
4   tablespoon
salt
1   teaspoon
turmeric powder
1/2   teaspoon
green chilies
10  
simple stitching thread
 
Instructions

1. Take about 1 kg of Bhetki Fish cut into medium sized pieces ( 10 to 12 pieces), bone less if possible

2. Take one large banana leaf (not very matured) enough to wrap the fish pieces .Cut into rectangles(6x10)pieces.

3. Take the grated coconut and keep in a bowl. Make a paste of about 100 gms of mustard seeds. Also make a paste of about 10 green chilies. Keep all the ingredients ready.

4. Mix the grated coconut, mustard seed paste, green chili paste, salt (1 teaspoon),turmeric powder(1/2 teaspoon) and 2 tablespoon of mustard oil in a bowl.

5. Take banana leave pieces over a dish, take mixed paste 1 table spoon on the piece of banana leaves, place one piece of fish on the paste and put another table spoon of paste on the top of fish piece so as to cover the fish piece by the paste from both sides.

6. Fold the banana leaf to wrap the content from all sides and tie with a piece of thread or a toothpick. Repeat the process for all the fish pieces.

7. Heat a frying pan coated with little mustard oil

8. Place the wrapped fish pieces ( say 5 pieces at a time) on the heated pan and roast for 6-7 minutes covering the pan with a lid.

9. Take off the lid to turn the wrapped fish pieces in order to roast the other side

10. When all the fish pieces are cooked, take it on a big dish.

11. The baked fish and the gravy is taken out from the banana leaves and served with hot rice. Steaming the fish in banana leaf makes the fish very soft and tasty.