Tel Koi (Climbing Perch Fish in mustard oil)

Tel Koi (Climbing Perch Fish in mustard oil) -

Tel koi is fish in mustard oil lightly spiced with ginger and cumin and flavored with nigella seeds.

Ingredients:

Koi maach (climbing perch fish) : 12
Green chillies : 4-5
Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Cumin powder : 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
Red chilli powder : ¼ tsp or optional
Nigella seeds/ kalonji / kalo jeera : 1 tsp
Mustard oil : 2-3 tbsp
Salt and sugar to taste
Cilantro : few twigs

Instructions:

Wash and clean the koi mach and rub it with salt and turmeric powder. Leave it aside for 15 minutes.
Take a flat-bottomed pan and heat one tablespoon of mustard oil till its smoking point and carefully drop the fishes in hot oil and lightly fry them for couple of minutes.
Fry all the fishes one by one and remove it from the pan.
Add more oil if requires, heat it slightly and temper the oil with kalo jeera / nigella /kalonji and slitted green chillies.
Make a paste of ginger and cumin powder with little water and add this to the tempered oil.
Saute the ginger and cumin paste for a while and add the turmeric and red chill powder. Fy the spices little longer on slow heat, add the salt and sugar to it.
Add enough water (around 1 + cup) to just cover all the fishes and place the fishes in the pan and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens little.
Garnish with fresh twigs of cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice.