Recette de cuisineHomemade recipes · Hainaut
Favorites
Gutum macher jhol, small fish with tamarind and mustard

Gutum macher jhol, small fish with tamarind and mustard

Main dishes

A spicy Bangladeshi dish: small gutum fish poached in a tamarind-based sauce with mustard, garlic, and spices, finished with green chili peppers and cilan…

Enlarge photo

Recipe from Sàádî, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

↓ Jump to recipe

"Gutum is a small freshwater fish found in the rivers, canals, and ponds of Bangladesh, and it is very common in markets during the rainy season. This spicy and sour dish, a staple of Bengali cuisine, is typically eaten with rice.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time25 min
  • Resting10 min
  • Total1 hr 5 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodsaucepan
  • Estimated cost$4.16 $1.04 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.

Ingredients

4 people
  • $0.51
  • $0.19
  • $0.48
  • $0.11
  • $0.24
  • $0.17
  • $2.10
  • $0.33
  • $0.03

Prices from US supermarkets for 7 of 9 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Remove the heads and guts from the fish by opening them up with your fingers instead of using scissors, and be sure to remove the dark membrane from the belly, as this can make the sauce bitter. ≈ 8 min
  2. Rub them with a little turmeric and salt, and let them sit for 10 minutes: this will reduce their stickiness and make them easier to cook.
  3. Gently heat the mustard oil in a kadai, then sauté the onion until it turns translucent, but not brown. ≈ 3 min
  4. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, without burning it.
  5. Add the turmeric, chili powder, cumin paste, and salt, and cook over medium heat, adding 2 tablespoons of water if needed, until the oil separates.
  6. Add the mustard paste and cook for another 2 minutes to mellow its raw flavor.
  7. Pour the in tamarind juice and bring to a boil again.
  8. Add the water, reduce the heat to a simmer, and adjust the salt and acidity to taste.
  9. After 5 minutes, carefully place the fish one at a time, without disturbing them, and cover.
  10. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, shaking the kadai occasionally by its handles.
  11. Sprinkle with green chili peppers and cilantro, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

The bill

Gutum macher jhol, small fish with tamarind and mustard

  • 1 cup of finely chopped onion$0.51
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic paste$0.19
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric, plus 1/2 teaspoon for fish$0.48
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder$0.11
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin paste$0.24
  • 2 tablespoons of mustard seed paste$0.17
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro$2.10
  • 4 tablespoons of mustard oil$0.33
  • salt$0.03

Total$4.16

that's $1.04 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

Affiliate links

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 500 g of small freshwater fish (e.g., catfish or perch), cleaned
  • 1 cup of finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric, plus 1/2 teaspoon for fish
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin paste
  • 2 tablespoons of mustard seed paste
  • 120 ml of thick tamarind juice
  • 6-7 green, slightly damaged chili peppers
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  • 4 tablespoons of mustard oil
  • salt
  • 500 ml of water

The screen stays on while cooking mode is open.
🎬 Have a video of this recipe? Suggest a YouTube link

Did you film this recipe, or do you know a video that shows it? Axelle watches it before adding it to the page.

Nothing is published before approval.

✏️ A mistake, an idea for this recipe? Suggest a correction

Reviews (0)

Rate this recipe Be the first to rate it!

Your rating