Fish Boitta Sak Curry Recipe 

The choice of fish in Fish Boitta Sak Curry is also significant. Not all fish curries taste good with Sak. And that is particularly true for a bitter tasting Sak. Shol Mach (striped snakehead fish) is the ideal choice for Fish Boitta Sak Curry. But Sing Mach (Indian catfish) can also be used.

Bengali cuisine is full of super star dishes like Khichuri, Biriyani, Hilsa fish curry, Mezban, and so many more. Even the spices are show stoppers at times and are highly appreciated and talked about by almost everyone. Black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard, and cardamom are all spices originating in the Indian subcontinent and are regularly used in food all around the world.

So these rich in flavor dishes and spices have most of the spotlight. And it may paint the picture that this is what Bengali cuisine is all about. Well that would be a beautiful painting but it would not be true. Bengali people do not eat Biryani or Khichuri or Hilsa fish everyday. There is a famous saying ‘মাছে-ভাতে বাঙালি’ (Mache Bhate Bangali) which roughly translates to fish and rice make a Bengali.

This tells you about the significance of fish in Bengali cuisine. And it is a no brainer if you look at the geography of the region. Even after years of climates change and environment pollution, the lands are full of fresh water bodies and have access to the Indian ocean through Bay of Bengal. So of course the people of these lands will live on fish.

But still one very important aspect of a regular Bengali meal is missing. It is not flashy nor does it have the flavors of the aforementioned rich dishes. So mostly they go unnoticed. But a Bengali, especially someone living in the rural sides, excluding this. I am of course talking about Sak or leafy green vegetables. And trust me when i say this, it may not be talked about much but Bengali cuisine does not have a shortage of Sak. Spinach (Palong sak), Mustard leaves (Shorshe sak), Amaranth leaves (Lal sak), Jute leaves (Pat sak), Boitta Sak, Fenugreek leaves (Methi sak), Bottle gourd leaves (Lau sak) are just a few from the myriad of Sak everyday Bengali people consume.

Sak not getting the spotlight, even after being such a consequential part of Bengali cuisine, is completely understandable. Because I already mentioned it is not flashy. Yes you can cook Sak in a plethora of ways. You can just just boil the Sak and then cook it using minimum ingredients. Or you can fry some of the Saks. And of course like most other items in Bengali cuisine, you can also make Sak Bhorta (Mashed green leafy vegetables) from some Saks.

You can also add Sak to vegetable or fish curries, today’s dish Fish Boitta Sak Curry being one of them. Sak in meat curry is rather uncommon but not unheard of. But what all these dishes lack is the glamor; well they also lack strong flavors and the usage of rich spices.

A metric I like to use to understand where a dish is in the hierarchy of dishes is to ask: Is the dish presentable for guests in a Dawat(invitation)? And unfortunately Saks are not. You will never see any Sak item on the menu of a Dawat unless the theme is local or such. This limits the opportunity of posting pictures or stories about Sak on social media.

The online presence of Sak is also held back by the fact that it is not tasty or attractive to the younger generation. Nobody has a craving for Sak or leafy green vegetables at any point of the day. People even go as far as to remove the leafy part from any of their meals. So Sak is not talked about much and with years its popularity is dwindling. Which is a grave matter because Bengali culture would not be what it is without the presence of Sak in the stomach of the mass population.

The dwindling popularity and ignorance amongst the younger generation is evident when I say that I have never eaten, seen, or heard of Boitta Sak prior to today. But I did ask around. Apparently it’s a bitter tasting green leafy vegetable. The most popular way of consumption is frying it. But it is used in different different fish curries as well. Boitta Sak is famous in Manikgonj and surrounding regions.

The choice of fish in Fish Boitta Sak Curry is also significant. Not all fish curries taste good with Sak. And that is particularly true for a bitter tasting Sak. Shol Mach (striped snakehead fish) is the ideal choice for Fish Boitta Sak Curry. But Sing Mach (Indian catfish) can also be used.

Shol Mach and bitter tasting leafy vegetables – neither are particularly liked by me. I would eat them, and some days I might even enjoy them. But these items are not something I would ever get excited about. So Fish Boitta Sak Curry is in a strange place for me. The dish is good and I would recommend it but it is not something I would ever personally cook. But if the description intrigues you, give it a try. You will not be disappointed.