Innovative hilsa dishes this season

When it’s pouring outside, all that a petuk Bengali craves is khichuri with ilish maachh bhaja. While ilish bhapa, sorshe ilish, ilish tawk jhal and ilish paturi remain our all-time favourites, there’s no way we can ignore the new-age, experimental concoctions that are being whipped up by several city restaurants of late. These innovative hilsa preparations not only sound
interesting but also taste heavenly. Here are a few…
Ilish anarosh
Anarosh (pineapple) has become a common ingredient in pizza and other continental dishes. But have you heard of ilish anarosh? This sweet and sour ilish recipe is cooked with pineapple, ginger and fennel seeds. The crisp, fried ilish with a sweet and tangy gravy tastes best with hot steaming rice.
Ilish tikka
Yes, your favourite spicy tikka kebab is now available in hilsa too. Ilish tikka goes well with pickled onions and of course, some dhaniya and green chilli chutney.
Hilsa Dimsums
What if we told you that your bite-sized, soft and succulent dimsums can be savoured with ilish maachh filling? Sounds like the perfect pick for a rainy evening, right?
Hilsa Tacos
For this, hilsa is first slow-smoked on pecan wood and then slowly and carefully deboned. It is then mixed with parsley, tomatoes, chopped onions and seasoned with pepper. Corn meal taco shells are baked in oven and the hilsa mixture is then spooned into the baked taco shells. Fresh lemon juice is squeezed onto them and served with sour cream on top. We are hungry, are you?
Hilsa Risotto
This one is made using the authentic Mexican style of smoking on pecan wood and cooked in traditional Italian saffron sauce with mild herbs. Utmost care is taken to ensure that hilsa retains its natural aroma and taste, making it everyone’s absolute favourite.