Ilish Macher Matha diye Kochu Shak / Taro Stem cooked with Hilsa fish head: Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

Ilish is special to any Bengali. During the Ilish season we hardly give importance to any other fish. Of all the two-three months of its availability, it becomes a staple in every Bengali household. 

When cooking Ilish or Hilsa, there are a great variety of preparations that are equally loved by us. From mustard and curd to brinjal and raw banana, the options are innumerable. But another thing, which goes amazingly well with Ilish mach, but is on the verge of extinction (thanks to its unavailability and the incapability and lack of knowledge of our generation) is Kochu Shak.

Today’s recipe "Ilish MAcher Matha Diye Kochu Shak" is basically Hilsa head cooked with taro stems or kochu shaak as we call them. A ‘very’ favorite of mine, this dish takes me back to my childhood days. So when mom-in-law decided to satisfy my hungry soul with this delicious recipe, I thought of including it in the “Phire Khawa” series. If you don’t know already, I have started a series on the blog where I upload vintage recipes which sometimes due to our lack of time and sometimes due to our lack of knowledge, are slowly being forgotten. It is high time we preserve these precious recipes and the memories attached to them...

INGREDIENTS:-
Kochu Shak / Taro Stems
Hilsa Fish heads (Cleaned, washed well and marinated with salt)
Kalonji Seeds
Salt to taste
Turmeric
Sugar to taste
Green chilies
Mustard Oil

STEPS:-
Peel the stem of the Taro stem and cut the them into pieces. Sprinkle salt and then boil till they become soft. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

In a pan heat mustard oil and add kalonji seeds, salt, turmeric, sugar and the green chilies.
Saute a little and dunk in the fish head. Fry the them well.
Once done, add in the boiled taro stem and mix everything well together. Cook on medium flame till oil separates. 

That’s it. So simple, but simple delicious. Try and let me know.
Do you have any recipe that reminds you of the good old days? Comment down below …