Chital Macher Peti is a classic Bengali fish curry traditionally served with steamed rice. Chital ( Chitala Fish) is a big bony fish which is found in the rivers of Bangladesh,Nepal and India. It is also called Knife Fish. I had never seen or heard of before I got married so when I saw the size of the Chital Fish steaks I was really surprised.
The back of the fish (Gada) has too many bones, the fish is scraped out and made into Muitha . This is a delicacy, and cooked in a different way.
The tummy part is called the PETI in Bangla. The bigger the Chital fish the bigger and tastier the Peti. When you go to buy the fish they usually sell it already cut into half along the spine lengthwise. The stomach part has less bones and is eaten by making curries. the other half is called Gada in Bengali and that has too many bones, so there is a special way to extract the meat and cook it . you can find the recipe for that in this blog. https://dollylahiricooks.com/2021/06/09/chital-maacher-muitha/
The following recipe is my mother in law’s, and she used to call it Macher Roast.
Fried Chital Maacher Peti.
I made the Gravy and then cooked the fried fish in the gravy for a bout 5 minutes and then transferred it to a serving dish.
Ingredients
- 2 Chital macher peti
- 2 medium onion, preferably ground
- 1 tomato grated or pureed,(you can use 1 teaspoon canned puree if you wish)
- 1/2 cup of mustard oil
- 4 or 5 green chilies slit a little
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- a small piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
- a pinch of sugar.
How to make the gravy
- In a big pan or kadai( wok), heat the oil very well, then fry the fish petis lightly. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
- Now make the Gravy.
- Remove some of the oil carefully into a small bowl and keep aside
- To the remaining oil in the pan, add the green chilies first, after a few seconds add the whole Cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
- Add the ground onions, and keep frying till the onions are brown and the oil separates on the sides.
- Add the tomato puree and fry a bit
- Add the Turmeric, salt, sugar, chili powder. Keep frying till the raw smell of tomato, and the other spices are gone, and little oil separates on the sides.
- Add a cup of water, and the graram masala powder, bring it to boil.
- Once it starts boiling, gently add the fish, cover and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, if you can the flip the fish pieces then do so and simmer for a couple of minutes more before switching off the flame
- Garnish with a few slit green chilies.
- Serve with cooked white rice
Note.
You can use the same proportions of onions, etc. to make this onion gravy for 4 medium sized pieces of Rui Or Katla maach too.
Chital Macher Peti (Bengali Chital Fish Curry)
[recipe_description]
Chital Macher Peti is a traditional Bengali delicacy made from the stomach portion of the Chital or Knife Fish. The rich fish is cooked slowly with aromatic spices to create a flavorful gravy. This classic Bengali fish dish is best enjoyed with hot steamed rice.
[/recipe_description]
[recipe_ingredients]
- 500 g Chital macher peti (stomach portion of chital fish)
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 onion paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 bay leaves (tej patta)
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3–4 green cardamom
- 3–4 cloves
- 2 dry red chilies
- 3–4 green chilies slit
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
[/recipe_ingredients]
[recipe_instructions]
- Wash the chital macher peti pieces carefully and pat them dry.
- Rub the fish lightly with salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10–15 minutes.
- Heat mustard oil in a kadai until hot. Lightly fry the fish pieces and keep aside.
- In the same oil add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and dry red chilies.
- Add sliced onions and fry until golden brown.
- Add onion paste, ginger paste, and garlic paste. Cook for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, salt, and sugar. Stir well.
- Add a little warm water and cook the masala until oil starts separating.
- Add the fried fish pieces and gently mix with the gravy.
- Cover and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat.
- Add slit green chilies and sprinkle garam masala.
- Cook until the gravy thickens and oil floats on top.
[recipe_notes]
Serve hot with plain steamed rice for an authentic Bengali meal.
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[…] This fish is usually cut along the spine and then separated into the stomach side and the back. The stomach side has big bones and also fewer bones than the back. The stomach part is cut into pieces like steaks. It is called the Chital Maacher Peti. I have the recipe for the peti in this blog. https://dollylahiricooks.wordpress.com/2020/06/26/chital-macher-peti/ […]