Bengalis love fish Kalia, as this dish is a taste bomb. Kalia is derived from the Persian ‘qaliya’. Indeed, korma and kalia both originated in Persia. Qorma or korma is often made with dairy, while qaliya or kalia is a thin gravy made with onions. Large pieces of river fish, especially katla or Catla, are cooked in a gritty sauce made of onions and a variety of spices in a meal called Macher Kalia, which is popular among Bengalis. 

History:

Although fish kalia has become a part of Bengali cuisine, its origins are rather different. In reality, the origins of the macher kalia dish were found in the Bengali Nawabs’ Mughal kitchens. There are several origin stories. The macher kalia dish has been influenced by Awadh cuisine since the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali. Basically, this kalia or other Bengali kalias have been significantly altered from the ancient Mughal kalia, which was not as spicy. These likely evolved when the Bengali Nawabs introduced regional flavors and ingredients.

In Bangladesh, any biye bari or wedding brings back vivid memories for Macher Kalia. It is frequently served at a wedding dinner or is served at special events like ‘jamai ador’, ‘annaprashan’,’ Akika’, ‘sunning khatna’ etc. which involves eating rice with fish kalia. Every time a platter of Macher Kalia arrives, the waiters almost get to be bribed to add additional gravy. It is almost impossible indeed to resist eating large slices of katla or rui mach covered in a reddish brown sauce made with onions. 

Fish choosing: 

I make this spicily tasty kalia whenever we have a huge-sized fresh fish (boro mach). The main ingredients for this macher kalia are paka (mature, i.e. 3 kilograms or above) katla (catla), or rui (rohu fish), both of which are well-liked freshwater fishes in Bangladesh. It is perfect if you can purchase a live katla, rui, or any big-sized fish and prepare it on the same day. The main game changer is the fresh fish and a big freshwater fish. The best option is preferably a huge or big size catla or katla fish. 

To prepare macher kalia or fish kalia, however, you may also use rui mach or Rohu. If you’re wondering what I mean when I say “big size,” let me explain that the fish should weigh no less than 3 to 4 kg. You can use gada, the bony part of the back side, or peti, an oily belly section with fewer bones.

Everyone here in my family loves macher kalia, also known as Bengali fish kalia. We all enjoy fish, and we all enjoy this curry made by my maa. It seems special even though Maa cooks the kalia as often as she cooks the other Bengali fish dishes. Because it is so delicious, of course.  This curry does not, while being rich, include any cream or nut paste. Yogurt is what gives this fish curry its delectable creaminess. It also helps to reduce the spiciness that freshly ground chilies and chili powder have. However, you can always decide how spicy you want this curry to be. Serve this hearty dish with steamed plain rice or polao or khichuri.

When served with rice, the kalia curry’s pleasantly thick consistency works as pure bliss. A Bengali who loves fish can’t ask for anything more! I often cook this fish kalia curry for my husband and myself for lunch. So we may eat it to our hearts’ pleasure!

However, fish kalia is a very quick and simple dish. Even pre-preparation won’t take up much of your time. The fish pieces must be fried before being added to the dish, just like in the majority of Bengali fish recipes. The fact that you can cook the curry in the same fish-flavored oil, means that the dish can still be made in a single pot. When it comes to the oil, I followed traditional mustard oil in these fish kalia. When properly cooked, the mustard oil’s smokey flavor turns into a flavorful sweetness, enhancing the flavor of the curry.

Even so, you may still cook the kalia with regular vegetable oil if you don’t like the smokey smell of mustard oil. But mustard oil enhances the flavor of this dish. When family and friends come over for dinner, this fish kalia dish is a superb suggestion to try out on the weekends.