Fish Steak with Beans Recipe
“Mache Bhaate Bengali” (মাছে ভাতে বাঙালি) or “Fish and rice make the Bengali” is an old proverb used to describe the Bengali. Rice and fish are the staples of a Bengali meal. Rich or poor, there is no substitute for fish and rice.
Thousands of rivers cast a net on the land of Bangladesh. And these rivers are home to more fish species than anyone can name. So naturally Bengali people looked at fish for their main source of protein.
And as time went by, fish was not just limited to being served with rice. Yes, fish curry is probably how 90% of fish is cooked in Bangladesh (it is a made up number, do not quote this). But there are plenty of different fish recipes in Bengali cuisine.
If you think about traditional fish recipes that are not fish curries, you have Hilsha polao – one of my favorites. There are different types of fish bhorta recipes as well.
Of course there are the fish recipes inspired by western cuisine as well, dishes our ancestors could not fathom. And that is where this fish steak recipe comes in.
But as I said, fish steak is not something the Bengali palette is native to. So at first I was a little confused on what is the difference between fillet and steak? Fillet and steak are different cuts of fish. A fillet is a cut of fish taken parallel to the spine, while a fish steak is cut perpendicular to the spine. That’s why a fillet is a completely boneless cut of fish, but a steak cut can contain some bones, and even part of the backbone.
And in case you are wondering what is the Bengali way of cutting fish? I will give you the gist of it. It starts with separating the head and tail. Then the whole fish body is cut horizontally into two pieces. The lower stomach area is then cut into square pieces (known in Bangla as “peti”), and the upper part is cut into slices or pieces (called “gada”).
Now for the other key ingredient of this Fish steak with beans recipe, the beans. To be exact, the recipe requires white beans or শিমের বিচি (shim bichi).
I have had fish curry with shimer bichi or white beans before, fish curry with white beans is one of my more favorite ways of making fish curry. The white beans complement the savory fish curry perfectly.
But this is my first time having fish steak with beans. I don’t exactly know where she got the inspiration for this recipe, but Moni Dadi nailed the recipe.
After searing, the fish gets a nice crust. The natural fats contribute to the richness of the dish. And the cumin, coriander, curry powder, and red chili, give a warm, mildly spiced profile—fragrant and slightly smoky.
Meanwhile, the other star ingredient, the white beans add a creamy texture and a subtle, mild flavor that absorb the surrounding spices and sauce beautifully.
As you thicken the sauce, it clings to the fish and beans. This creates a cohesive and satisfying dish. How much you want to thicken the sauce is up to you. And the softened tomato chunks add a kind of rustic feel to the sauce, and bring some color to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. Fish fillet cut into 4 pieces
- ½ tsp. Cumin powder
- ½ tsp. Coriander powder
- ½ tsp. Red chilli powder optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 1 tomato cut into medium chunks
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can white beans drained
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Marinate fish pieces with the spices Coat all sides equally.
- In a pan heat olive oil and sear the fish until browned from both sides.
- Remove and set aside.
- Add more oil and onion cook onion until transaculant then add garlic cook for 1 minute.
- Then add the tomatoes cook until the chunks are soft and released it’s water, add the beans stir all together then arrange the fish on top.
- Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until the sauce thicken.
- Enjoy with fried brown rice or white rice or alone.
