Coconut Fish Stew with Caulflower and Potatoes

This simple Coconut Fish Stew with Cauliflower and Potatoes is my go-to dish, anytime I crave comfort.  A homey fish curry, the kind I have grown up with. It summons the power of simple flavors, the nostalgia of childhood and the importance of a family meal all in one.  Every Bengali home has their version of this simple and subtle fish stew/curry and this one is mine. It is called phoron macher jhol in Bengali, which translates to tempered fish curry. The word phoron, meaning tempering. It is much like a bouillabaisse, delicate and so very flavorful.

The Story of the Coconut Fish Stew

It is a cold evening, the ending of a busy day. As I am looking for comforting food, I find myself making this familiar dish from my childhood. It takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. A simple and sustainable kitchen, the kind that I have been striving to maintain so many thousands of miles away.  This is something that she whipped up on short notice with the freshest of fish and lots of vegetables.  Today, I whip this up for a hungry brood. My fish of choice is halibut.

Panchphoron – The Magic Ingredient

This dish is seasoned with lots of ginger, dried red and fresh green chilies and panch phoron. We have used panchphoron in tempering these red lentils. The Bengali Five Spice Blend consists of five whole spices – fennel, cumin, fenugreek, nigella seeds and mustard seeds. These offer a complete and balanced body of flavor. Tempered in mustard oil, it is the flavor base for this chowder like fish stew.  For me panch phoron is more than a spice. It is an emotion a sense of identity. It bridges the gap between my grandmother’s Kolkata kitchen and my Hudson Valley kitchen. And it is also what makes this and many other dishes special.

The two kinds of chilies impart heat in two different ways. The dried red chilies are smoky while the green chilies are herbal in their effect. The green chilies are also added much later in the cooking process to ensure that the curry is not overly spiced.

This evening I am tired. I need the restorative power of this fish curry.  Served as a one-dish meal over steaming fragrant rice, it nourishes my body and soothes my soul. But, most importantly, it feeds the hungry family. Nostalgia is great, but the hungry family needs to be fed.

The Fish and Vegetables

At a bare minimum, this stew/curry uses potatoes and cauliflower. However, any tender and seasonal vegetables work.  My go to vegetables is, squash (both summer and winter), eggplant, snap peas among others. Any firm fleshed white fish is fine for this dish. It is finished with a small amount of coconut milk. Just enough to add richness to the broth. If you are looking for other light and lively stews, you might want to explore this light and lemony chicken stew.

A great start to Bengali Cooking and how to enjoy this dish.

If you are looking for an easy introduction to Bengali cooking, this simple yet classic dish should have you covered. It is great with a side of rice.  To make a more complex meal, serve this with lentils and a vegetable stir fry.