Sorshe Maach - Fish in mustard and coriander sauce

I love being busy, I thrive in it, bask in it, and drown in it.

I have let my busyness consume me to the point that I can no longer see the end of it. I need the constant buzz of activity to keep me going. I feel validated when I am doing things, when I am being productive and when I am providing value.

Which I now realize is not such a good thing.

In this quest of appearing busy I have stopped enjoying simple things in life, so stopping to eat has become the only time when I sit down, take a deep breath, and really be in this moment. I have started to put a lot of thought into what I am eating when I am eating and how I am eating.

I have always cooked with love but now I cook with intention as well because this is the food that will nourish my soul and get me to stop and savor the moment. So, in that quest, I made this very comforting ‘Sorshe Maach’ – Fish in Mustard, which I served with Rice and Begun Bhaja, deep-fried Eggplants. Since we are not big Mustard eaters, I added Coriander to the gravy to make the taste more palatable for us, a tip that I learned from Kalyan of @finelychopped.

The light mustardy gravy is not too overpowering which works beautifully with the soft fish and the deliciously fleshy eggplant and makes for such a comforting meal, that always makes my heart sings.

Ingredients:

· 500 gms Salmon, skinless and chopped into medium-sized pieces

· 2 tsp Nigella seeds

· 2 Green chilies (slit)

· 1 ½ tsp Turmeric powder

· 1 tsp Sugar/sweetener

· Salt as per taste

· 3 tbsp Mustard oil/ veg oil

To make the mustard paste:

· 1 ½ tbsp Black mustard seeds

· ½ cup plain yogurt

· ½ cup coriander, stalks chopped and washed

· 3 green chilies

Instructions:

1. Soak the black mustard seeds in 3 tbsp hot water and leave them aside for 15 minutes. You can soak the seeds directly in the grinder in which you will make the paste.

2. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and leave aside for 10 minutes.

3. Heat mustard oil in a wok till reaches smoking point. Turn off the heat and let it cook for 5 minutes before turning the heat back on and lightly fry the fish pieces till golden on all sides. Leave to drain on a kitchen towel.

4. Once the water in which you have soaked the mustard seeds is cool, add the yogurt, 3 green chilies, and coriander and grind to a smooth paste. You need to ensure that the paste is smooth and not grainy.

5. Heat the same pan in which you fried the fish, you can use the leftover oil or add a tbsp more, then add the nigella seeds and green chilies and gently pour the mustard paste. Lower the temperature and add salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder and let it cook gently for 5 minutes till the oil starts to separate on the sides.

6. Add the fried fish and cook for another 5 minutes, add more salt if needed and the sugar before turning off the heat. We are looking for a thick gravy which coats the rice well. Serve with warm rice and eat with your hands.