Pohela Boishakh 2025: Feast on some wholesome Doodh Maach to ring in the Bengali New Year

Apr 15, 2025 12:38 PM What better way to say Shubho Nobo Borsho than with a piled up plate of creamy maach bhaat? Stereotypes can often be offensive, but it almost feels like a criminal offence to not gorge on a delectable fish preparation on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. The decadence in the kitchen and on our plates must know no bounds today, and this doodh maach recipe is the perfect star dish for your festive lunch — exciting to the taste buds and it’s light, creamy texture, agreeable with the soaring temperatures. Follow the recipe below. Doodh Maach recipe for Bengali New Year 2025(Photos: Pikturenama, Debjanir Rannaghar) Doodh MaachIngredients: Kaatla maach or rohu fish – 8 pieces, boiled milk – 500ml, cashew nuts – 50gms, onions – 4, ginger paste – 1tsp, garlic paste – 2tsps, green chilli paste – 1tsp, whole green chilli – 2 to 3, corinader – 1/4 bunch, bay leaf – 1, whole green cardamom – 3, whole black cardamom – 1, dry red chilli – 1, cinnamon stick – 1 inch, Bengali garam masala powder – 1tsp, sugar – 1tbsp, salt to taste – 1tsp, mustard oil – 5tbsps, ghee – 1tbsp Method: Apply about 1/tsp salt to the fish pieces and let them sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 2 onions and blend them into a smooth paste; finely dice the remaining onions. Soak the cashew nuts for about 10 minutes before grinding them to a thick paste. Next take a fat-bottom pan and heat the mustard oil till it changes colour. Fry the diced onions in this till they become crispy and brown. Keep the fried onions aside and fry the salted fish in the same oil. Take the fish pieces out once fried through and add ghee to the remaining oil. Now in goes the bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, dried red chilli and cinnamon stick — these are to be tossed around well to add fragrance and flavour to the ghee-oil blend. Once fragrant, add the ginger paste and garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is killed. Next warm the boiled milk for a minute or two before carefully adding to this ghee-oil spice mix. Season with salt and sugar and let all the ingredients come together. Once the curry starts thickening, add the fried fish pieces and cook on a low flame for the next 5 to 7 minutes. Slit the green chillies down the middle and use as garnish with fried onions. This goes best with plain and hot steamed rice, though it is a great addition of decadence to other rice preparations like Basanti pulao. (recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar) We wish you a blessed Bengali New Year! News / HTCity / HTCity Foodies / Pohela Boishakh 2025: Feast on some wholesome Doodh Maach to ring in the Bengali New Year See Less