Bangda Udid Methi

Name: Bangda Udid Methi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients: 3 Mackerel, cleaned and cut into pieces; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp oil; 1 tsp Mustard Seed; 1 tsp Fenugreek Seed; 1 tsp urad dal; 1 cup Coconut, grated; 5 Red Chili, dried; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 1 cup water; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped

The most distinctive preparation of Saraswat Brahmin cooking — fresh mackerel (bangda) cooked in a thick, dark gravy of urad dal (udid) and fenugreek seeds (methi) ground together with dried red chilli, tamarind, and coconut. The urad dal is dry-roasted until golden before grinding, giving the gravy a nutty, earthy body unlike any fish curry style in India; the fenugreek adds a pleasant bitterness that balances the mackerel's oiliness. No other coastal community cooks fish in a lentil-based gravy; this dish is the signature preparation that identifies Saraswat cooking immediately. Eaten with steamed red rice as the centrepiece of the Saraswat lunch.

Cuisines

Mangalorean Saraswat Goan

Best for

Lunch Dinner

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Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 30 min Total: 50 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

	3	Mackerel , cleaned and cut into pieces
	1 tsp	Turmeric powder
	1 tsp	Salt
	1 tbsp	Oil
	1 tsp	Mustard Seed
	1 tsp	Fenugreek Seed
	1 tsp	Urad dal
	1 cup	Coconut , grated
	5	Red Chili , dried
	1 tsp	Tamarind paste
	1 cup	Water
	1	Onion , finely chopped
	2 tbsp	Cilantro , chopped

Instructions

1 Clean the mackerel, remove the head and gut, and cut each fish into 2-3 pieces.
2 Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric powder and salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3 In a pan, heat oil over medium heat and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
4 Add fenugreek seeds and urad dal to the pan and sauté until golden brown.
5 Add grated coconut and dried red chilies to the pan. Roast until the coconut turns golden.
6 Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool. Once cooled, grind it into a smooth paste with tamarind paste and water.
7 In the same pan, add the ground paste and bring it to a boil.
8 Add the marinated fish pieces to the boiling curry and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
9 Add the finely chopped onion to the curry and simmer for another 5 minutes.
10 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Tips

For a more authentic flavor, use fresh coconut instead of desiccated coconut.