Why it works: Turmeric and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,279 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Bhapa Ilish Patey
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Cut the hilsa fish into darnes and wash well in cold water.
Apply turmeric and salt on the fish and set aside for 20 minutes.
Make the marinade
Blend together freshly ground fine mustard paste, green chilli paste, oil, cream and turmeric powder (1 tsp).
Dip the pieces of marinated fish in this masala and put in the steaming casserole of the pressure cooker.
Steam and serve
Pour four cups of water in the cooker and bring to a boil.
Adjust the steamer casserole and steam under simmering temperature for 8 minutes.
Take off the fire and release the steam.
Serve hot with boiled rice garnished with slit green chillies.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 100g cooked | 208 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Mustard Oil | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Turmeric + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,279 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Fish + mustardtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together238 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Fish + turmerictop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together194 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Fish + creamtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together937 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Mustard + creamtop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,935 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hilsa fish
- Forms the main body of the dish, cooked gently by steam until flaky.
- Mustard seed paste
- Gives the sauce its pungent, sharp flavour that defines the dish.
- Mustard oil
- Carries the spices and adds moisture and richness to the coating.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a smoother texture to the mustard masala.
- Green chilli paste
- Adds heat and fresh, green aroma to the masala.
The step that matters
Steaming at a gentle simmer. Steaming under a vigorous boil can break the delicate fish apart and toughen its texture. Holding a gentle simmer cooks the fish through while keeping its flakes intact and the coating moist.
Swap the turmeric
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, mustard, cream):
- Capersfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Celeryfits better
- Turmericthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against fish, mustard, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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