Doi Maach (Fish in light mustard yogurt sauce)

Doi (Yogurt in Bengali) and Maach (Fish , Bengali) is a very staple main course from Bengali cuisine. Its a very light recipe and can be even eaten daily. We all know that fish is good for us , right? It requires minimum spices and also the sauce is very mild. Growing up in Bengali culture, we used to eat fish every other day. But they were all fresh water fishes and always caught wild. Nothing can be compared to the sweet, juicy and heavenly taste of those fishes. I had a hard time adjusting with the taste of the fishes here in States. I therefore always prefer cooking with wild-caught Buffalo fish , which is very abundant in Minnesota.

All we need::
Ingredients..
3 fresh tilapia or catfish fillets cut into pieces, even Mahimahi works great!!
Spices to marinate fish in: 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp each of turmeric, red chili powder,and salt

Marinate the sliced pieces of fish in above mix for 15-20 minutes. Don't over-marinate as lemon juice will start cooking the fish raw.

For Sauce:
3-4 Tbsp of mustard oil
1/2 Kalunji or Nigella seeds
1/2 cup grated red onion
1/2 cup grated tomato
1 tbsp each of finely chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 cup yogurt beaten with 1 tbsp ground mustard paste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Fry the fish in mustard oil until partially done (but not fully cooked). Remove and keep aside. In the same oil add nigella seeds. Wait until they crackle. Add onion, green chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry until oil separates. Add tomato and stir for a minute. Add salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Add yogurt and cover tightly with a lid. Simmer of 3 minutes. Gravy should be light , if its not add water until it reaches the consistency of a soup. Add fish and simmer covered. Just before serving top with sliced green chillies and lots of cilantro.