Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Bengali · Indian

Macher jhol

Non-vegetarian

মাছের ঝোল · mācher jhol

A light, everyday Bengali fish curry: mustard-oil-fried fish and potatoes simmered in a thin, turmeric-gold broth with cumin, ginger and green chillies.

Macher jhol is a Bengali curry from India, ready in about 50 minutes and made with rohu (carp), mustard oil and potato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A savory fish curry served with fresh sliced tomatoes and lime, perfect for culinary delights.
Photo: Jahra Tasfia Reza / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
377

Ingredients

4 servings

Spice paste

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the fish with half the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt and leave 10 minutes.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Keep raw fish chilled until cooking.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the mustard oil (opens in a new tab) in a wide pan until it just smokes, then lower the heat. Fry the fish 2 minutes per side until golden; remove. Fry the potato (opens in a new tab) (and aubergine (opens in a new tab)) until golden at the edges; remove.

  3. Step 3

    In the remaining oil, crackle the whole cumin (opens in a new tab), fennel and fenugreek (opens in a new tab) seeds. Add the ginger paste, ground cumin, coriander, chilli and remaining turmeric (opens in a new tab) with a splash of water, and fry until fragrant. Add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the water, remaining salt, potatoes (opens in a new tab) and green chillies and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Slip in the fish and simmer gently 4–5 minutes without stirring. Finish with coriander — the gravy should be thin and soupy.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Fish is done when opaque throughout.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
West Bengal, India · Well documentedEqually central to Bangladeshi home cooking.Also popular in BangladeshMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
savoury, mild, aromatic / warmly spiced, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
Mustard oil · Potato · Turmeric · Cumin · Fennel seeds · Fenugreek
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom rohu (carp)
  • Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom mustard oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

377 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 409 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 27%
  • Carbohydrate 23%
  • Fat 51%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy377 kcal92 kcal
Protein25.2 g6.2 g
Carbohydrate21.5 g5.3 g
Net carbohydrate18.2 g4.5 g
Sugars2.1 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.3 g0.8 g
Fat21.2 g5.2 g
Saturated fat3 g0.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol83 mg20 mg
Sodium803 mg197 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1001 mg
Calcium
98 mg
Iron
3.9 mg
Magnesium
77 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
35 µg
Vitamin C
41 mg
Vitamin D
30.9 µg
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: eggplant.
  • Rohu (carp): Raw carp used as a stand-in; rohu (Labeo rohita) is a freshwater carp of similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Fry the fish only until the outside is golden; it finishes cooking in the jhol.

Common mistakes

  • Not heating the mustard oil to smoking point first — it tastes harsh and raw.

Serve with

  • Serve with plenty of plain steamed rice and a squeeze of lime.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until hot.

Variations

  • Macher jhol with cauliflower: Use cauliflower florets in place of aubergine in winter.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Rohu (carp), steaks or thick pieces500 g
  • Potato, cut into long wedges2 piece · 400 g
  • Eggplant, cut into long pieces (optional)150 g
  • Tomato, chopped1 piece · 120 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like