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Hilsa

Fish & seafood · Oily fish

Hilsa

Rich, oily, bony shad prized in Bengal and Bangladesh; steamed or simmered in mustard for shorshe ilish.

Also called: ilish, ilish fish, hilsa shad, palla, pulasa

Around the world: ইলিশ, ilish (bn) · hilsa (hi) · palla (ur)

A kind of fish

1 recipe with it

Photo: Roddur 123, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-4.0)

What it is

Tenualosa ilisha, a herring-family fish that swims from the Bay of Bengal up the Padma, Meghna and Ganges rivers to spawn. It is the national fish of Bangladesh, cut into steaks across the bone. Its flesh is soft, fatty and full of fine bones, with a flavour unlike any other fish.

Tenualosa ilisha

How it’s used

  • Cooked in mustard paste (shorshe ilish)
  • Steamed in banana leaf (ilish paturi)
  • Fried and served with its oil over rice
  • Simmered in light jhol with aubergine

Characteristics

Taste
Rich, sweet and distinctly oily.
Texture
Soft, flaky and very bony.
Sold as
fresh, frozen
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying

Storage

Frozen. Cook fresh fish the same day; frozen steaks keep for 2–3 months.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Fish.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Eat slowly and carefully: hilsa has many fine bones.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
197 kcal
Protein
16.93 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
13.77 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Fish, shad, american, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Mackerel — Another oily fish; less bony and stronger tasting.
  • White fish fillet — Firm white fish works but is much leaner.

Related ingredients

Recipes with hilsa

More oily fish