Poi Machha Munda Chencheda
Poi machha munda chencheda is a very famous Odisha fish recipe, made especially with fish head and tail, malabar spinach known as poi, various vegetables, and spices. There are various ways to make this poi machha munda chencheda, but here I am sharing how my father used to make this recipe. This is a delicious fish head recipe, which goes well with pakhala or steamed rice. This is a non-vegetarian recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 fish heads cut into halves.
- 1/4th cup of chopped pumpkin.
- 1 medium sized potato washed, peeled, and chopped.
- 1/4th cup of chopped brinjal.
- 4-5 saru/arbi (taro root) washed, peeled, and chopped.
- 2 medium sized onions finely chopped or thinly sliced.
- 1 tsp turmeric powder.
- 1-1/2 tsp red chilli powder or to taste.
- 1 tsp coriander powder.
- 1 tsp panch phutan.
- 1 bay leaf.
- ½ tsp cumin powder.
- ½ tsp garam masala.
- 250 grams of malabar spinach leaves cleaned, washed, and finely chopped.
- 2-3 malabar spinach stem cleaned, peeled, and cut into 2-3 inch length.
- Salt to taste.
- Water as required.
- 6-7 tbsp mustard oil or any kind of cooking oil of your choice.
- 1 medium sized tomato finely chopped.
- 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste.
Instructions
- Wash the fish head nicely and marinate with salt to taste and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- Keep the marinated fish head aside for 10-15 minutes.
- After the fish marinated for 10-15 minutes, take pan and turn on the flame.
- When pan is hot, add 2-3 tablespoons of mustard oil.
- When oil is smoking hot, add the marinated fish head carefully and shallow fry them on a medium flame until they are well cooked and golden in colour by turning over few times.
- When fish heads are well fried, turn off the flame and with help of a spatula break the fish head into small pieces and transfer them to a plate and keep aside for later use.
- Take a kadai and turn on the flame.
- When kadai is hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of mustard oil.
- When oil is hot, add all the chopped vegetables except the malabar spinach leaves and brinjal.
- Saute the vegetables on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the sauteed vegetables to a plate and keep aside for later use.
- In the same kadai, add 2-3 tablespoons of mustard oil.
- When oil is hot, add bay leaf and punch phutana and let the punch phutana to crackle.
- Add chopped onions and saute on a high flame until onion turns golden brown in colour.
- Add garlic ginger paste and saute and on a low to medium flame for 2-3 minutes or until raw flavour of garlic ginger paste is gone.
- Add chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and turmeric powder and mix well.
- Cover the lid and cook the tomatoes on a medium flame until tomatoes are soft and mushy by stirring often.
- Add red chilli powder to taste, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
- Mix all these spices well and cook the masala on a low to medium flame for 7-8 minutes or until masala is well cooked and oil gets separated from the masala.
- When masala is well cooked, add fish head pieces and cook with the masala on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes by stirring often.
- Add all the sauteed vegetables along with malabar spinach leaves and brinjal.
- Mix all these ingredients well, cover the lid and cook on a medium to high flame for 5 minutes by stirring often.
- Add water as required and mix well.
- Check for the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Cover the lid and cook the poi machha munda chencheda on a low flame for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are well cooked and tender by stirring often.
- When poi machha munda chencheda is well cooked, turn off the flame and transfer this into a serving bowll and serve hot with steamed rice or with pakhala.
Notes
You may increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients depending on your taste and for how many people you are making for. You may add any other vegetables of your choice. Cut all the vegetables in same shape and size.
1 comment on “How to Make Poi Machha Munda Chencheda at Home”
yummy…..