Rui Macher Matha diye Bandhakopi tarkari is a classic cabbage stir-fry cooked with Rohu fish head and a handful of spices. This bandhakopir tarkari is most often reserved for special occasions like weddings or family get-togethers where it is served as a part of the lunch menu.
Cooking as well as eating this macher matha diye bandhakopi torkari requires skill. It is one of those recipes which takes time as well as patience during prep and cooking, and then during eating as well. The fish head bones are fried and cracked open while making this bandhakopi tarkari or cabbage stir-fry, thus giving us a mishmash of fish head and the vegetable.
In this post, I will tell you the step-by-step process of how to make macher matha diye bandhakopi tarkari at home using rui macher matha or rohu fish head.
Bengali Cuisine Classic – Badhakopi macher matha diye recipe
While growing up, I saw my parents buy an entire fish, along with the fish head. That meant, in couple of days, we would be treated with a macher matha recipe cooked in Bengali style. Usually there would be an accompanying vegetable into this rui macher matha recipe.
Most often it would be Pui Shak or Malabar Spinach from our garden, to make some Macher Matha diye Pui Shak Chorchori. Otherwise, it would be our family’s absolute favourite, one-pot dish of Macher Matha diye Pulao.
Quite similar to macher matha diye muri ghonto, this pulao recipe would be made using Basmati Rice, instead of Gobindobhog Rice. Another difference is the proportion of rice to the fish head. Muri Ghonto requires a lesser amount of rice, and hence it is often served as a side dish to rice. However, macher matha diye pulao is a complete meal on its own.
This rui macher matha with bandhakopi recipe in Bengali style was often reserved for the winters when season’s fresh cabbage would be available. It is for the same reason that winter weddings often feature this recipe for their lunch menu. There is always an abundance of fish heads while cooking for a wedding, and this dish is the perfect way to use up all those fish heads in an amazing side dish. So, let’s check out the ingredients and get cooking.
How to make Macher Matha diye Bandhakopi Tarkari – Ingredients list
- Rui Macher Matha – Rohu Fish Head
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Ginger & Garlic
- Turmeric Powder
- Salt
- Garam Masala Powder
- Red Chilli Powder or Green Chilies
- Mustard Oil
- Ghee
How to make the Rui Macher Matha diye Bandhakopi tarkari?
- We will start by prepping the fish head by rubbing it with salt and turmeric powder. Make sure all the nooks and crannies have been rubbed properly with turmeric powder and salt. Now, heat some mustard oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish heads till they become golden.
Once done, take them out and keep them aside. - In the same pan, add the sliced onions, chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute them till they become soft.
3. Finely shred the cabbage and add it to the fried onion mix. Keep mixing everything together as you will see the cabbage shrink after releasing the water.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and sugar, and give everything a mix. Keep the heat on medium-high and stir everything periodically to fry the cabbage properly.
5. Once the cabbage has reduced to 1/3rd of its original quantity, add the fried fish heads.
6. Using the back of the spoon, crush the fish heads and break them into smaller parts. Give everything a mix. Once you see that the water released by cabbage has been absorbed completely, add the garam masala powder. Finish with a drizzle of ghee and give everything a mix. Serve with hot rice.
How to serve this Bandhakopir Tarkari?
As a part of the wedding party lunch menu, this macher matha diye torkari gets served with rice, bhaja muger dal, aloo bhaja, some other fish curry and chutney. There can be other side dishes and accompaniments on the menu, but this is as basic as it gets.
A couple of bandhakopir tarkari recipes from my Blog:
- Bandhakopir Dalna | Bengali Stir-fried Cabbage [Video Recipe]
- Bandhakopir Chechki | Bengali Cabbage Stir-fry Recipe
And few fish head or macher matha diye recipes from my Blog:
In case you are looking for more interesting and delicious fish recipes, here are a few of them from my blog.
Katla Mach / Rohu Fish or Rui Maach Recipes
- Rui Macher Jhal | Bengali Fish Stew Recipe
- Aloo Phulkopi diye Rui Macher Jhol Recipe
- Aloo Diye Macher Jhal Recipe
- Doi Maach | Bengali Fish in Yogurt Curry Recipe
- Katla Macher Tel diye Bhat Chorchori Recipe
Baramundi / Basa/ Tilapia Recipes
- Kolkata Fish Fry Recipe
- Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe
- Kolkata-style Gravy Chilli Fish Recipe
- Shorshe Bata Diye Tilapia Macher Recipe | Tilapia in Bengali Mustard Fish Curry
Ilish Mach or Hilsa Recipes
- Sorshe Ilish Macher Jhal | Bengali Hilsa in Mustard Curry Recipe
- Ilish Maach Bhaja & Bhapa Ilish│Bengali Fried Hilsa & Steamed Hilsa Curry Recipe
Some other fish or seafood recipes
- Microwave Bhapa Chingri Recipe | Steamed Prawn Curry
- Loittya Maach er Jhuro | Bengali Bombay Duck Stir-Fry
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Rui Macher Matha diye Bandhakopi tarkari is a classic cabbage stir-fry cooked with Rohu fish head and a handful of spices. This bandhakopir tarkari is most often reserved for special occasions like weddings or family get-togethers where it is served as a part of the lunch menu.
- 1 nos. Rui Macher Matha – Rohu Fish Head
- 1 Cabbage
- 2 Onion
- ½ inch Ginger
- 5 nos. Garlic
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to Taste
- ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder or Green Chilies
- 4 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
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We will start by prepping the fish head by rubbing it with salt and turmeric powder. Make sure all the nooks and crannies have been rubbed properly with turmeric powder and salt. Now, heat some mustard oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish heads till they become golden.
-
Once done, take them out and keep them aside.
-
In the same pan, add the sliced onions, chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute them till they become soft.
-
Finely shred the cabbage and add it to the fried onion mix. Keep mixing everything together as you will see the cabbage shrink after releasing the water.
-
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and sugar, and give everything a mix. Keep the heat on medium-high and stir everything periodically to fry the cabbage properly.
-
Once the cabbage has reduced to 1/3rd of its original quantity, add the fried fish heads.
-
Using the back of the spoon, crush the fish heads and break them into smaller parts. Give everything a mix. Once you see that the water released by cabbage has been absorbed completely, add the garam masala powder. Finish with a drizzle of ghee and give everything a mix. Serve with hot rice.
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