Bhapa Koi/Steamed climbing perch

Bhapa or steaming is one of the most popular kind of cooking method in a Bengali kitchen. From poppy seed paste to prawns, from cottage cheese to chicken, from yoghurt to fish – a plethora of items are cooked using this method of cooking.

Ingredients:

  • Koi/Climbing Perch
  • Mustard seeds
  • Poppy seeds
  • Green chillies
  • Yogurt
  • Turmeric powder
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Mustard-oil

Preparation:

  • Make a paste of mustard seeds, poppy seeds, green chillies along with a dash of salt and water
  • Mix salt (take care since some salt has been added previously too), sugar, yogurt and mustard oil to the paste mentioned above and rub well on the fish
  • Add a few slit green chillies
  • Cook properly covered in microwave for about 10 minutes, or you may heat oil in a pan, add the marinated fish and cook in low heat properly covered for about 10 minutes. The other method of cooking could be the traditional way of steaming in the pressure cooker.