A rainy Sunday & some soul fulfilling Muri Ghonto ( Fragrant rice & fish head curry )

As the rain lashes down the front yard , the heart is completely content today . It feels like ages since i cooked something in the kitchen and what joy it was to do some of it again today. Totally rustic and simple to make , this beautiful bong adaptation of the fish head curry is something you must try if you are an avid fish lover. Made supremely fragrant with gobindo bhog rice , lots of ghee and a heady portion of home made garam masala, a 'Murighonto' is an age old one pot dish which makes both beautiful comfort food that can be enjoyed on any weekend or a special item for your special occasion. I firmly believe that in menu's where there is no mutton curry - a well made Murighonto can easily replace and leave your guests yearning for more ! Even though a tad bit rich in nature - this dish , paired with a dash of lime is most definitely a foodgasm by itself.

Let me share that the main core ingredient of this preparation is rice and fish head and the quality of both is very vital . Also , the ratio of rice to fish head should be 1:3 in proportion . Also , tradition says that the larger the fish head , the more flavorsome will be the quality of your curry. Rohu head and ‘Gobindo bhog’ rice are always preferable for this preparation but if you can’t find ‘Rohu’ near you, grab something similar . For rice , you can always go with Gobindo Bhog but alternatively you can also use ‘Basmati’ as it never goes wrong for anything. But personally , I don’t suggest to alter anything in this recipe. Take a look !

Things you will need

To marinate the fish head

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon red chilli Powder

Other ingredients for the curry

• 2-3 Rohu fish head (Rui macher matha) - cut into pieces

• 1/3 cup gobindo bhog rice

• 2 potatoes, cut into chunks

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 cardamoms

• 3 cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches

• 2 dry red chilies

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

• 1 and ½ teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

• 1 teaspoon ghee (Clarified Butter)

• Salt to taste

• 1/3 cup mustard oil for cooking

• 1 and ½ cups of water for cooking the rice

Steps to follow

• Marinate fish head with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

• Wash the gobindo bhog rice and keep it aside.

• Heat the mustard oil into the pan and wait till smoking hot , then lower the head and fry the fish head pieces in medium high flame for 5-6 minutes until they become crispy brown . Keep aside.

• In the same pan, add potatoes and fry for 5-6 minutes. Keep aside.

• In the same pan, temper the remaining oil with the whole spices cumin seeds, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, dry red chillies and let them crackle.

• Next , add the Gobindo bhog rice and give every thing a good mix.

• Add Salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder into the pan and mix them thoroughly

• Fry the rice in medium low flame for 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently , with some sprinkle of water if needed to avoid the spices from burning .

• Next , add in the fried potato chunks into the pan along with the cumin powder, Coriander powder , broken fish head and saute everything together on low flame for a minute. Add 1 and ½ cups of water into the pan and give a nice stir.

• Cover the pan and put the pan on high until the water simmers.

• Now , put the flame on low and add the Garam Masala powder into the pan.

• Cover the pan and cook until the rice is done. At the end, add Ghee into the pan and give everything a good nice mix.

• Transfer the Muri ghonto into a serving bowl & serve hot with plain rice !