Salty treat

Bangalis and salt go hand in hand. A meal without it is never complete, irrespective of the fact that table salt is harmful to health. We could not care less. Be it in mashed vegetables (bhorta), beef or fish curry or even lentils, the need for salt is ever-present.


But name one dish that does not require salt. Keep thinking…if you try long enough you just might get the answer.

Allow me to provide a little hint the primary ingredient of the dish is salt and is based on salt water fish. Of course, not much of a clue but you just may have got it. Some more hints: the fish is a delicacy, and possibly the most popular in Bangladesh. Although taken with mustard, this particular variant goes well with aubergines. It tastes a lot like dried fish (shutki) and indeed it is, but the preparation takes much longer with a whole lot of effort.
If you have not guessed it yet, it is 'nona ilish' I am taking about.

Nona ilish is possibly not the most popular form of taking the silver fish but it has its ardent followers. Although a rarity on the dinner table in recent times, hilsa of the river Padma was once a familiar sight at Kitchen markets. During the months of June-July, the river gave away its bounty of sparkling, 'ilish maach' in abundance and people often resorted to saving this special food for months on end. It is possibly this very necessity that gave rise to this queer preservation of the fish.

The hilsa is first cut into small pieces and not washed during the entire preparation. In a small clay pot, salt is poured to make a layer and the fish placed on top. Another layer of salt is made and the system repeated with consecutive layers. It is essential that the pieces of Hilsa do not come into contact with the clay pot or outside air.

It is possible to store ilish for up to two to three months. Before cooking the fish is washed with a lot of water as it becomes extremely salty. The fish is cooked without any additional salt.

News Source:  The Daily Star

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