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Shorshe Ilish

Name: Shorshe Ilish
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Bangladesh
Ingredients: 4 fillets White Fish Fillet; 3 tbsp Mustard Seeds; 3 Green Chili Pepper; 1 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Salt; 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil; To taste Cooked rice

Main Dish

⏱ 40 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐⭐

The national fish ilish braised in mustard paste — a pungent, aromatic signature fish dish of Bengal.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Ilish (hilsa) is Bangladesh's national fish, especially loved as the rich fish that swims upriver in the rainy season. Shorshe means 'mustard': the fish is braised with ground mustard seeds, green chili, and turmeric. The combination of sharp heat and the fish's rich oil is considered the essence of Bengali cooking.

🌆 Where it's eaten: In monsoon season, silvery ilish are piled high at a market by the Padma River, and the fish taken home becomes a mustard braise for dinner.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

White Fish Fillet 4 fillets
Mustard Seeds 3 tbsp
Green Chili Pepper 3
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil 3 tbsp
Cooked rice To taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Soak the mustard seeds in water for 30 minutes and grind into a paste with 1 green chili and a little salt.
Rub the fish with turmeric and salt and let stand 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan, sear the fish briefly on both sides, and remove.
In the same pan, bring the mustard paste, a little turmeric, and 150ml water to a boil.
Return the fish, top with slit green chilies, cover, and braise on low for 8–10 minutes.
Finish with a drizzle of vegetable oil and serve with rice.

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