Koi komola, a type of orange-colored fish from Bengal

Ingredients

• 400 g of perch (or other similar freshwater fish)
• 6 grams of salt
• 2 grams of turmeric
• 35 g of mustard oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cardamom pods
• One piece of cinnamon
• 4 grams of turmeric
• 2 grams of Kashmiri red chili powder
• 60 g of cooked and blended onion
• 12 grams of ginger paste
• 160 ml of fresh orange juice
• 160 ml of hot water
• 2 to 3 grains of citric acid (optional)
• 8 grams of salt
• 16 grams of sugar
• 8 green chili peppers
• 12 to 15 segments of peeled orange

Wash the fish, rub it with 6g of salt and 2g of turmeric, and let it rest.

Chop the onion into four pieces, cook it in a little water until it is soft, then blend it into a smooth paste.

Carefully peel an orange, reserving the zest.

Squeeze about 160 ml of fresh orange juice.

Separate segments from another orange, remove the white peel, cut them in half, and remove the seeds.

Heat the mustard oil until it starts to smoke slightly, then fry the fish for about 90 seconds on each side; set aside.

In the same pan, brown the bay leaf, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining turmeric and Kashmiri chili, and stir for 30 seconds.

Turn up the heat, add the onion mixture, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the ginger paste, salt, and sugar, and cook for a few more minutes, until the raw smell disappears.

Pour the hot water and half of the orange juice; add a little citric acid if needed to adjust the acidity.

Add the fried fish and cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat, until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Turn off the heat, then add the remaining orange juice, green chili peppers, and orange segments.

When serving, squeeze the zest that was set aside above the dish to release its fragrant oils.