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Ilish Matha diye Kochu Shaak

Taro greens cooked down with a fried hilsa head and coconut — a thrifty, deeply flavoured classic from Bengali villages.

Ingredients

• 1 hilsa head and tail, cut in pieces
• 500 g taro leaves and stems (kochu shaak), chopped
• 3 tbsp grated coconut
• ½ tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 4 green chillies, slit
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ghee
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the chopped kochu shaak in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the water.
2. Rub the hilsa head and tail with salt and turmeric. Fry in smoking mustard oil till crisp. Keep aside.
3. Crackle nigella seeds and green chillies in the same oil.
4. Add the greens, ginger paste and salt. Stir and cook 8 minutes.
5. Break the fried head into pieces and add it to the greens with the coconut and sugar. Cook 10 minutes on low, stirring often, till dry.
6. Finish with ghee and serve with rice.

Tip: Kochu can itch — boil it well and add a squeeze of lemon at the end if you're unsure.