Know your fish

The catla fish is another mainstay of Bengal and Bihar. It is not as big as the roh, or eaten in as many dishes. It is flavourful and nutritious. But it is still very tasty; it’s best when cooked in mustard oil. Catla is also pretty healthy as it has a substantial concentration of protein while being low in saturated fat.

Indian Mackerel or Bangda has a rich, pronounced flavor. The meat is soft, flaky and moist. The outer bands of dark, strong-tasting meat along the midline may be cut out for a milder flavor. Mackerel is considered one of the more healthful fish because it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Its oil content makes mackerel an excellent candidate for barbecuing or smoking. A lime marinade before cooking smoothes the taste and firms and whitens the meat.

The rohu is a large, silver-colored fish of typical cyprinid shape, with a conspicuously arched head. The rohu occurs in rivers throughout much of northern and central and eastern India.

Prawns are delicious and are full of flavors with a hint of semi-sweet and salty taste to them. They are quite tender and are similar to certain white fish. There are a lot of methods to cook and prepare shrimps. You can grill, broil, fry, sauté, or steam them and also cook with or without the shells. You can eat them with rice and even curry at times.

Tengra or Tengna is a small size catfish and one of the tasty fish in Bengali recipes of Tangra Macher Jhal. Tengra fish is an excellent source of proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids. Tengra fish mostly found in rivers of Indian state of Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Bengal.

Tilapia is probably the most ancient fish that is used as a farm-raised fish in the world. Tilapia fish has a sweet, mild taste with lean flesh and a medium-firm, flaky texture.

Surmai belongs to the mackerel family. Surmai is a delectable fish known for its flavour and texture. Known also as Indo-Pacific king mackerel and seer fish. Seer fish is considered a delicacy due to its taste and texture. Meaty with large bones, surmai makes for great fish steaks. It’s best enjoyed shallow or deep-fried. But in some cuisines, surmai is cooked in a thick gravy of tomato, onion, spices and served with rice.

“Basa is a type of Catfish and therefore have a rather flattened head which is broader than it is long with barbels resembling cat whiskers and deeply forked tails.
The meat of Basa is white to off-white with a tender flake and fillets which are thinner. Basa are moist, sweet and mild flavored with tender white flesh”

“The flavor of Atlantic salmon is milder than that of the wild salmon species.
The meat is moderately firm and oily, though not as fatty as that of the wild chinook, or king, salmon. The flesh color varies, depending on the amount of pigment in the feed, but generally Atlantics’ meat is a rich orange or pinkish-orange color. The fatty meat appears almost marbled when raw. Atlantic salmon retains its color when cooked and has a large, moist flake.
Fillets of Atlantic salmon are pleasing to the eye and should be used with recipes that show off the fish. With the Atlantic salmon’s delicate flavor, avoid accompanying flavors that overpower the fish. A light dill-and-yogurt or cucumber-dill sauce works well, and sliced cucumbers and new potatoes are ideal companions.”

Lobster is luxurious, delicious and the perfect food for a special occasion. Lobster has a sweeter, comparitively less ‘fishy’ taste, but has a flavour which is rich and satisfying. Thanks to the high amount of muscle in lobster tails, it is meaty and quite simply… stunning! The most traditional and common way to cook lobster is with butter, which makes it melt-in-the-mouth and enhances the taste so it’s even better.

A very popular Bengali fish and the national fish of Bangladesh, Hilsa is found in Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. It is a delicacy not just in India but is also enjoyed all over South Asia. Hilsa is filled with vital nutrients and vitamins, especially omega-3 fatty acids.