Sheem Bichi diye Koi Maach
Choto Mashir sheem bichi diye Koi Maach. An offbeat combination of flat bean seeds and koi maach. A sublime no onion-no garlic curry . Perfumed with freshly ground cumin and coriander .Yet another classic from a Bangal household .Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 7-8 medium sized koi maach
- 100 g dried flat green bean seeds (sheem bichi in Bengali)
- 2 potatoes cut into batons
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- green chillis slit
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 1/3 cup mustard oil
- salt to taste
For the masala paste
- 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 dry red chilies
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
For the masala paste
- Soak the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies and bay leaves in water for 3-4 hours. Drain from water, grind to a fine paste with just a splash of water.
For the curry
- Soak the dry flat green bean seeds (sheem bichi) overnight . Drain from water. One seed at a time, gently press the seed with your thumb. The fine seed membrane shall peel off easily. Remove for all the seeds.
- Pressure cook the seeds in salt water, 1 whistle or so.
- Smear the koi maach with just a pinch of turmeric and salt.
- Heat 4 tbsp oil in a kadhai, shallow fry the koi maach. Keep aside.
- In the same pan, fry the potatoes, keep aside.
- Add the remaining mustard oil into the same pan, throw in the cumin seeds, bay leaves and dry red chillies. Allow the spices to splutter.
- Stir in the ground masala paste, ginger paste and the remaining turmeric powder. Continue to stir fry over a medium flame until the masala starts to release oil.
- Pour 2 cups of warm water, throw in the potatoes, chillies and boiled flat green bean seeds. Gently place the fried koi maach in the curry. Cover and cook over a medium flame for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot.