Assamese cuisine- Fish head with bottle gourd

 This is a very easy and yummy curry that Assamese people love to eat with steamed rice.  

Ingredients:

1 Rahu or Catla fish head

1 small Bottle gourd( approx 20cm long)

1 potato

2-3 medium-sized tomatoes

2/3 tablespoons oil. ( I prefer mustard oil).

2/3 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 of a small onion

2/3 green chilies

1tsp turmeric powder

salt as per taste.

Methods:

1. Clean the fish head properly and rub turmeric powder and salt. 
2. Peel the bottle gourd and potato and cut into chunks.
3. Put oil in a heavy-based pan or korai and let it be hot over medium flame.
4. then fry the fish head and break it into small pieces, fry properly and take out from the pan.
5. Keep it aside.
6. Now on that same oil add mustard seeds and let it spatter. Add onion pieces, crushed garlic, and one slitted green chili.
7. Then add the cut pieces of bottle gourd and potato. Mix it well.
8. Add turmeric powder and salt.
9. Cover it with a lid.
10. Once half cooked add tomato pieces, cover again, and let it cook properly.
11. Then add two cups of hot water.
12. When it boils add the fried fish head. cover it and cook in high flame. 
13. You will get a think gravy.
14. Add crushed green chili.
15. Adjust the salt and serve hot with steamed rice.

                        Alternative methods

Pressure cook the potato, tomato, and bottle gourd pieces in a pressure cooker with two cups of water and a little bit of salt. On the hot leftover oil, add mustard and then onion and crushed garlic. Fry this adding turmeric powder and add some of the boiled potato and gourd pieces. Mashed those pieces and pour all the pressure cooked. Let it boil and add the fish head. Let it cook and you will get the thick gravy.

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