Bhapa Rui or Steamed Rohu

Bhapa Rui or Steamed Rohu is a very traditional bengali recipe of cooking fish which is very healthy and gives an excellent taste. Healthy in the sense that you need very less oil to cook this dish. You need very less ingredients and very less time to cook this dish, but do not alter the recipe or ingredients. If you're expecting a sudden guest, you can prepare this dish and dish out this serve a simple but exotic dish to your guests in no time.

There are certain ways, you can prepare this dish. Traditionally, marinated fish pieces are kept in a closed box and put in the middle of the pot where rice is just cooked. So that from the heat of the hot rice, fish slowly can absorb the spices from the marinade and can be cooked at the same time. You can also steam it inside a pressure cooker. Even you can bake in the oven and get similar result. I steamed the fish inside my steamer. Not only Rohu, any sweet water fish can be cooked in this method using this recipe. Shrimp and big prawns are cooked too using this recipe, in that case add a little bit of grated coconut.

Ingredients :
Rohu Fish : 4 pieces
Mustard Oil : 2 tblsp.(for frying fish) + 1 tsp.
Black Mustard seeds : 1 tblsp.
Yellow Mustard seeds : 1 tblsp.
Poppy seeds : 1 tblsp.
Green chilli : 2+2
Curd/yoghurt : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1/2 tsp.
Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped

Method :

• Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Heat 1-2 tblsp. oil on a tawa and fry the fish pieces very lightly on both sides. 
• Prepare a paste grinding poppy seeds, black and white mustard seeds , a pinch of salt and 1-2 green chillies with very little water added. In a bowl, take yoghurt, above prepared paste , sugar and salt to taste. Mix together and coat the fish pieces with this paste.

 

• If you're baking in oven, then take a oven-proof dish, place the fish pieces coated with yoghurt-mustard paste. Drizzle a little mustard oil over the bowl. Drop 1-2 slitted green chillies. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves. Cover the bowl with an aluminium foil and bake for 10-12 mins. in 180 degreeC. 
• I did in my steamer, so I put the bowl inside my steamer and steamed it for 10-15 minutes. 

 

• You can make it inside a pressure cooker, too. Place the bowl inside a pressure cooker, close the lid, then remove the whistle. Steam it for 7-8 minutes. 
• Serve immediately with hot rice.