Keski fish with shatkora

Keski fish (Ganges river sprat) is the tiniest fish that I have come across. Available in frozen blocks across the UK in Bangladeshi grocers, it is one of those fishes I find I need patience for. Because it is so small, you do not need to discard the heads etc. and they can be eaten whole, but they are usually frozen with bits of rubbish which you have to spend time sifting through and separating, which is why I only cook this once in a while.

Today I am cooking it with shatkora, a Bangladeshi bitter citrus fruit also known as Citrus Macroptera.You need only the tiniest amount of shatkora, otherwise it will overpower the delicate taste of the keski fish.

For this I used:

1 block Keski fish, defrosted and salted (the salt will wash away when I rinse the fish before cooking)
2 tbsp. oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, very finely sliced (you can puree it also)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander stalks
6 small green chillies
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
2 slices shatkora cut into small pieces
Coriander to garnish

In a small saucepan, put in your oil, and once hot add your garlic. When the garlic has browned slightly, add your onions and salt and mix well. Cover and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened slightly.

Add in your coriander stalks and green chillies and stir. Pour in a little water at this point so the onions do not stick. Cover and cook on a low heat for a further 5-10 minutes until the onions have gone sort of mushy.

To the onions, add your powdered spices and cook for another 5 minutes, until the oil has separated. Take your washed and rinsed keski, and add it the onions. Stir gently until all the fish is covered in the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

During this time, get your shatkora and cut into 5 small pieces each. After 5 minutes, remove lid and add the shatkora, and a little bit of water according to how saucy you want the curry to be. Cover and cook on a medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Switch off heat and garnish with coriander!

I love keski with clementine peel too. Just add the clementine peel during your powdered spices stage, and once the peel is cooked, add your keski fish. One of my favourite curries!

Hope you enjoy!

Yaz ♥