This rui macher matha diye pui shaker chorchori is a classic Bengali fish recipe. Also known as a ‘chyanchra’ (pronounced as chyan-ch-raa), here a fish head is cooked with pui shaak or Malabar spinach. This dish is an absolute favourite among fish lovers who are aware of the technique of eating a fish head.
Next time you buy some rui mach for your macher jhol recipe, save the macher matha or fish head for this ছ্যাঁচড়া (chyanchra) or macher matha recipe. Serve it with some gorom bhaat for an ultimate Bengali traditional meal.
Macher matha diye pui shaker chorchori or chyanchra recipe
Chyanchra, or a traditional vegetable mishmash, is a side dish made using various vegetables like leafy greens, pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, radish, and aubergine, with or without fish heads. This is a dry-ish stir-fried side dish, very popular as a Bengali wedding menu food item. Since fish recipes are an important part of the Bengali wedding menu, this macher matha diye chorchori recipe uses up all the fish heads so that nothing gets wasted.
However, these days, chorchori recipes like this one are rarely used for everyday cooking. Unless you are going to feed 6–8 people, making this would mean sitting with a lot of leftovers for the next few days! So, if you are planning a menu for a special occasion with your friends and family, this chorchori recipe can come in handy.
Macher matha diye pui shaker chorchori recipe ingredients
My way of making such dishes is taking out whatever is left in the vegetable bin and clearing it up with the fish head into a hearty mishmash, or chorchori. So, if you are left with half a slice of pumpkin and a few small aubergines, it’s time to get them together in a delicious dish of Rui Macher Matha Diye Pui Shaak er Chorchori.
- Fish head (Rui macher matha) — 1 no. — split in half lengthwise. I have used rui macher matha; you can also use katla macher matha or ilish macher matha as well.
- Malabar spinach (Pui shak) – 700 gms – leaves and stalks included. Washed, thoroughly cleaned, and roughly chopped
- Eggplant – 1 cup – diced
- Potato – 1 cup – diced
- Pumpkin – 1 cup – diced
- Radish – 1 cup – diced
- Onion – 2 nos., diced
- Garlic – 8–9 cloves, finely chopped
- Green Chilies – 2 nos.
- Mustard Oil – 5 tablespoons
Macher matha diye chorchori recipe or chyanchra instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the fish heads and fry them until golden. Once done, remove them and set them aside.
- Now, add the chopped garlic and onion to the same oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the diced vegetables and let them cook for a bit.
- Next, add the pui shak or malabar spinach greens. If you find your pot too full before you add the whole bunch of the greens, add them in batches and allow them to wilt before adding the rest.
- Season with some salt and add the green chillies and fried fish heads to the vegetables. Cover the pan and allow it to release the water and cook in it. It should take somewhere around 15-20 minutes to fully cook the vegetables and stalks of malabar spinach or pui shak.
- Once cooked, remove the lid and cook on medium-high heat to reduce the water completely. Using the spoon, break the fish head into rough pieces. Mix it well with the rest of the vegetables.
- As it dries out completely and starts releasing oil from the edges, turn the heat off and serve.
Serving suggestion
This macher matha diye pui shaak chorchori is best relished with plain gorom bhat or steamed rice. You can add a few more Bengali vegetarian recipes as side dishes, such as bhaja muger dal, aloo bhaja, and chatni, for a completely traditional Bengali meal.
More fish head or macher matha recipes
More malabar spinach or pui shak recipes
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Macher Matha Diye Pui Shaker Chorchori | মাছের মাথা দিয়ে পুঁই শাকের চচ্চড়ি
Ingredients
- 750 gms Malabar Spinach or Pui Saak washed, cleaned and chopped
- 1 cup Eggplant Diced
- 1 cup Potato Diced
- 1 cup Pumpkin Diced
- 1 cup Radish Diced
- 2 Onion Cubed
- 8-9 Cloves of Garlic Finely Chopped
- 2 Green Chilies Slit in Halves
- 1 Fish Head Slit in Half
- 5 tbsp Mustard Oil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the fish heads and fry them till golden.5 tbsp Mustard Oil, 1 Fish Head
- Take them out and keep them aside.
- Now, add the chopped Garlic and onion in the same oil and fry them till light. now add the diced vegetables and stir them for 2-3 minutes till they turn tender.1 cup Eggplant, 1 cup Potato, 1 cup Pumpkin, 2 Onion, 8-9 Cloves of Garlic, 1 cup Radish
- Now, add the Malabar spinach greens. if you find your pot too full before you add the whole of greens, allow them to wilt before adding the rest.750 gms Malabar Spinach or Pui Saak
- Season with some salt and add the green chilies and fried fish heads. Cover the pan and allow it to release the water and cook in it. It should take somewhere around 15-20 minutes to fully cook the vegetables and stalks of Malabar Spinach or Pui Shaak.2 Green Chilies
- Once cooked, remove the lid and cook on medium-high heat to reduce the water completely. Break the fish heads further using the spoon.
- Once it dries out completely, and starts releasing oil from the edges turn the heat off and serve.
This post was first published on January 9, 2018, and later republished with a more elaborate recipe description.
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