Doi Diye Mach(Fish with Yogurt)

I have always used yogurt in my chicken gravy but not in fish ,so doi mach remained a totally new zone for me.My mother nor my mother-in-law likes to add yogurt or milk to fish gravies.For them milk products and Fish doesn’t go well together.
Long time back I used to prepare a fish recipe that I read in some news paper by Jiggs Kalra , Machi Pehalgami.Now Pehalgam is a region in Kashmir and People in Kashmir like to have their fish or mutton cooked in milk or milk products.That recipe was based on four main ingredient-Fish+yogurt+fennel+ginger.I used to make that recipe before marriage but in my Shoshur Bari (parent-in-laws) joint family that was something very unusual.They have never came across such vivid recipe and many were not very comfortable eating that.And over a period of time it slipped away from my to-do list.
After a decade I tried again making fish with yogurt last Sunday minus fennel.This time I chopped onion/garlic /ginger finely and added cumin+coriander powder to the fried masala.When the gravy slowly started simmering with fish pieces in it.I added whisked plain yogurt at the end when fish pieces have incorporated the flavouring well. Now I don’t know if I have done right by adding it at the end.Do let me know when you like to add yogurt to your fish gravies.

Doi mach(Rui Fish with Yogurt)
Serves 4-5
Recipe requirements
Rui fish pieces-4-5
2 medium size onion chopped very finely
4-5 garlic chopped finely
1 inch ginger chopped finely
3-4 green chillies
1 small tomato chopped
Flavouring
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2-3 tsp of red pepper powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
2 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of garam masala
Salt as per taste
Pinch of sugar
½ cup of yogurt
Cooking oil-4-5 tbs
Method
Clean the fish pieces for any scales and then wash it in water.
Marinate them in turmeric powder+salt.
Meanwhile fish is marinating , chop onions/garlic/ginger as finely as you can or otherwise pulse it in a mixer.I sometimes just chop onion finely and crush coarsely chopped garlic/ginger with my rolling pin over cutting board.
Heat up a kadai,add cooking oil, fry the fish pieces at medium flame for 3-4 mints each side till they turn out nice brown.
Now in that oil itself, add little bit of more oil,add sugar at this point of time.
Now add garlic/ginger first.Fry them for few mints till they turn golden.
Now add in chopped onions.Fry them for 5 mints.
Add the dry ingredients like-Turmeric powder+red pepper powder+cumin+coriander powder+garam masala and salt as per taste.Sprinkle little water over the masala.
Now fry it well for 5-7 mints or till the oil separates out.Add in slit green chilies+chopped tomato pieces.
Add 1 cup of warm water.Cook for 2-3 mints at high till the gravy starts bubbling.Add the fried fish pieces.Cover it and cook for 5-6 mints at low.
Meanwhile whisk in yogurt well in a cup and then add this whisked yogurt to the simmering fish gravy(I always like to keep the kadai off the stove-top when I am adding yogurt to the gravy)
Cook further for 2-3 mints.Take out in a serving bowl and enjoy with warm cooked rice.
Tip –Sometimes when you find the gravy is looking runny, just add in 1 tsp of atta or maida(flour) to it,whisk well and cook for 2 mints at med-low, the gravy will slowly start to thicken kind of Makha-Makha in Bengali.

Happy Cooking