Doi Maach (Fish Cooked with Yogurt) – Bengali Cuisine

Doi Maach is a very unique dish with very little spices and the flavor of the fish is the star of the dish. “Doi” is Yogurt or Curds and “Maach” is Fish and the mix of the two is just right and a perfect blend. Rohu is an everyday fish in a Bengal and to get the authentic flavor, that is the best fish to use. Sometimes, it’s hard to find Rohu, here are some of the options: Red Snapper, Halibut, Cod, Haddock, Swordfish. You can use steaks or cut fillets into bite size pieces, it still tastes great. Thank you, Sayanti for this recipe.

Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Rohu/Rui – 1/2 lb (250 gms)
Substitutes:Red Snapper, Halibut, Cod, Haddock, Swordfish

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp or to taste

Onion – 1/2 medium
Mustard Oil – 3 tbsp
Cardamoms – 4
Cloves – 4
Bay Leaves – 2-3
Cinnamon – 1″ pc
Green Chillies – to taste, slit
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Sugar – 1/4 tsp
Yogurt – 2 tbsp
Water – 2 tbsp
Golden Raisins – 1 tsp, optional
Water – 2 cups

Method:

1. Wash and clean the Fish.
2. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of Turmeric and 1/4 tsp of Salt and rub on the Fish.
3. Set the fish aside and allow it to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make a paste of the Onion and set aside.
5. In a mortar and pestle, pound the Cardamom and the Cloves, discard the Cardamom skin. Set aside.
6. In a pan, heat the Oil and lightly fry the fish on both sides, pull aside on a paper towel till ready to use.
7. In the same. remaining Oil, add in the Bay Leaves, Ground Cloves & Cardamom, Onion Paste, Green Chilies, 1/4 tsp Salt.
8. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add in Ginger, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Sugar and mix.
10. Smooth the Yogurt with 2 tbsp of water, turn the flame off and slowly add the Yogurt to the pan, while stirring continuously.
11. Once mixed in, turn the flame back on and add in the Raisins.
12. Cook till the Oil separates from the mixture.
13. Once done, add in the Fish gently.
14. Cook on both sides for a couple of minutes.
15. Add in the Warm Water (2 cups) and mix very gently to mix the masala to the Water.
16. Once mixed in, lower flame, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
17. After 10 minutes, uncover, increase the heat to a high and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
18. Cook till the gravy becomes thick to serve with Rice or Chapati.

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44 thoughts on “Doi Maach (Fish Cooked with Yogurt) – Bengali Cuisine

  1. Thanks so much for all the great recipes. I really enjoy cooking your recipes as they come out wonderful 🙂
    Looking for some more Fish recipes.

  2. Hi Ladies,

    Thanks for all tips and trics. Could you suggest me any recipe were i can use also Sardine fish which i buy in a tin can at the supermarket? Its difficult to get fresh fish here and would be helpfull if suggest a nice recipe.

    Thanking you in advance
    Rebecca

  3. i am surprised that you di not mention mustard seeds ……….crushed and powdered ,is this the authentic mustard fish curry.
    plese reply …thank you
    susan

  4. Hi Anuja & Hetal: I cooked this with cat fish turned out wonderful. My mom used to make Pomfret with oil and spices would you please do one show with Pomfret (Paplait) fish. Also here in Chicago we get lot of smelt fish they are little bitty ones and someplaces deep fry them with batter. May I count on you both to do one of this also with our Indian touch. Thanks.

  5. I am a vegetarian, but I still watch your non-veg recipes.
    Are you both non-vegetarian? I was just wondering. Because I thought Hetal is a vegetarian.

  6. Do think it is possible for you to do some fish dishes with vegetables, this could draw more interest on your site.Thank you for all the hard work that you put in. Great site & work

  7. I liked your fish dish but thought alittle bit more deep fry would have been better.Anyway I am pleased that you are introducing some very interesting recipes as well.
    Much obliged. Sojon

  8. A Little info ..
    Mustard oil in its purest form is one of the best cooking oil particularly for heart patient because it has an Omega 3 & 6 fatty Acid composition in good propsition close to 10.1 rarely found in any other oil.
    Russia is doing some serious research on mustard plant related to cancer..could be an interesting reading…

    1. Intesting! In general, if something is being used for generations and majority of the people are fine, I think it is safe to use no matter what the research says!

  9. Is the fish “Rohu” easily found in supermarkets in the US? And is it called “Rohu” or available by some other name?
    Thanks.

    1. Hi there,
      We buy Rohu from the Indian Grocery store here. It can be bought frozen on ice blocks. It is a type of Sea bass or a carp. We don’t think you get it at the local American Grocery stores.
      We have put in the names of good substitutes for it that are available.
      Hope that helps.

    1. Hi Kiran,
      A lot of cooking in Bengali Cuisine and Oriya Cuisine and a lot of other areas, is all done in Mustard Oil – subzis, gravies and all. It has a very distinct aroma and a very unique flavor.

  10. You can get mustard oil which is just for cooking and which does not say for external use only. Buy it at a Bangladeshi store

    1. Hi Aditi,
      There are so many different recipes for fried fish – every region has a different recipe of Fried Fish 🙂
      We have it on our list and will get it to 🙂

  11. Finally, we have a fish recipe. Looks awesome. I was waiting for one. SMC have very few fish recipes compared to chicken recipes. Pls keep posting more and more fish recipes.

  12. If you go to bangladeshi store, you can find the real mustard oil which is for cooking only, and the oil is more flavorful and smoky than the one you can find in the indian store.

    1. You can use Salmon but it is not the best choice. Salmon is flaky and a delicate fish so you will have to be very – very delicate with it so it does not break. It is do-able but will not taste authentic.

  13. Hi Hetal & Anuja,
    I like yogurt based gravy ,whenever i try it it curdles and ruin the whole dish.Any trick to get it right?

    1. Hi Mimitra,
      Like we mention in the video – there are a few tips:
      – you can add some additional water (like we did in the video or some gravy from the pan) and mix it into the yogurt very gently and the:
      – you can either take the pan off the flame or turn off the stove and mix in the yogurt mixture
      – keep stirring while mixing in the yogurt and after it’s mixed in, then put the pan back on the heat.
      Hope that help 🙂

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