Bacha Mach Begun Recipe

When it comes to fish lexicon, I am not the most literate. Just a few days ago I learned that Bhetki fish is another name for Koral fish. Koral is one of my favorite fish, yet I did not know the local name for it.

When I looked at today’s fish’s name, Bacha Mach, I drew a complete blank. The translation for the word “Bacha” is picked. But I do not remember ever picking this fish.

So I had to rely on the internet to inform me about the identity of the mysterious fish. acha Fish, as I discovered, refers to the charming Mystus fish. It is a type of small catfish easily recognizable by the distinctive barbels..

Seeing the images flicked a slight recognition. I am sure my mother, the culinary anchor of our family, has surely cooked Bacha Mach at some point. It’s the kind of ingredient that is used with mixed vegetables to make a simple curry.

The fish itself did not ever stand out to me in a curry. Its delicate taste blends harmoniously with other components. But me not being able to recall is not a negative testament to the fish’s flavor. Because if I did not like it, I would’ve remembered it. Bacha Mach, like most of Bengali cuisine’s hidden gems, just exists in harmony, without drawing too much attention to itself.

When I dug a little more about Bacha Mach, I found out that it truly is a hidden gem of Bengali cuisine. There are only records of the fish being found in rivers of Bangladesh and West Bengal. This is why the fish lacks any online presence.

Thinking about the fish reminds me that most of Bengali cuisine is just like this. The subtle nuances and ingredients of Bengali cooking that often go unnoticed. The phrase “Mache Bhaate Bengali” (fish and rice make the Bengali) is not derived from the ever popular Hilsha, Koral, Rupchanda (pomfret), etc.

The deep connection of Bengalis to ‘Mache Bhaate’ (Fish and Rice) is born from the sheer abundance of fish in Bangladesh’s rivers. These abundant fish have shaped the people’s diet over centuries. Yet these fish go unnoticed nowadays.

Consider the “machh er chorchori,” the quintessential Bengali fish curry which can be made with almost any freshwater fish of bangladesh. This isn’t a dish designed to showcase a single, star ingredient, nor is the dish itself a star.

Instead, it’s a harmonious blend of various vegetables, perhaps some greens, a touch of spice, and small fish like the Bacha. All of these local ingredients are cooked down together until the flavors meld into a comforting and nutritious whole.

Today’s recipe, Bacha Mach Begun or Bacha Fish with Eggplant sounds like a similar machh er chorchori, or a fish curry. But it is neither. This bacha mach recipe is a more western twist on the traditional fish.

This Bacha Mach recipe leans towards a semi-dry curry or a “bhuna” style preparation. Here the ingredients are first well-coated with a spice mixture and then cooked.

Apart from the fish, the cooking is done until the eggplant is tender and the flavors have melded together. The fish is fried to add a textural element. The fresh cilantro and chilies at the end provide a vibrant contrast to the earthy and warm spices.