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Macher Tela Jhol

A Bengali fish curry made with rohu fish, mustard oil, and a spicy tomato base.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Turmeric and coriander match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,253 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Macher Tela Jhol

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the fish

  1. Cut the fish, preferably rohu, into darnes after descaling and apply salt and turmeric. Set aside.

  2. Deep fry the fish till crisp and reserve.

Make the jhol

  1. Smoke oil and crackle kalonji seeds.

  2. Make a paste of turmeric and red chilli in water and add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

  3. Add chopped tomato, slit green chillies and salt and simmer. Add fish pieces and simmer.

Serve

  1. Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

242Calories
22 gProtein
14 gFat
6 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Salmon100g cooked208
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Turmeric1 tsp ground (3g)9
Mustard Oil1 tsp (5g) yellow3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Seednot in our table0
Coriandernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

  1. Turmeric + coriandertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,253 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  2. Tomato + coriandertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,967 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

  3. Turmeric + mustardtop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,279 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  4. Mustard + coriandertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together967 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  5. Turmeric + tomatotop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,612 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

River fish
Forms the main protein; frying gives it a crisp exterior that holds its shape in the gravy.
Mustard oil
Carries flavour and fat into the dish and, when smoked, adds a pungent aroma.
Kalonji seeds
Released into hot oil, they add a sharp, aromatic flavour to the base.
Tomato
Adds acidity and body, thickening the gravy as it simmers.
Red chilli powder
Provides heat and colour to the gravy.
Turmeric powder
Gives the fish and gravy a golden colour and earthy flavour.

The step that matters

Deep fry the fish till crisp. Frying until crisp sets the outside of the fish so it keeps its shape and firmness when it simmers in the gravy, rather than breaking apart.

Swap the mustard

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, turmeric, tomato, coriander):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Cucumberfits better
  3. Eggplantfits better
  4. Mustardthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against fish, turmeric, tomato, coriander. 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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