Mustard Oil in Bengali Cooking: 8 Recipes You Must Try

Bengali cuisine has a more sophisticated relationship with mustard oil than any other regional cuisine in India. In North Indian cooking, mustard oil is a cooking medium. In Bengali cooking, it's a flavour — used raw, used cooked, used as a marinade, used as a finishing drizzle, and used in the mustard paste that defines dozens of dishes.

The Bengali word for mustard oil is "sarser tel" (সর্ষের তেল). A Bengali kitchen without it is not a Bengali kitchen.

Here are 8 recipes that show the full range of mustard oil's role in Bengali cooking.

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1. Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard Sauce)

The most celebrated Bengali dish. Hilsa (ilish) is the king of Bengali fish, and shorshe ilish is its throne.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 pieces hilsa fish
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
• 4 green chillies
• 4 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (for finishing)

Method:

1. Soak mustard seeds in water for 30 minutes. Blend with green chillies and a little water into a smooth paste.
2. Marinate fish with turmeric, salt, and 1 tbsp mustard oil for 30 minutes.
3. Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil until it smokes briefly. Reduce heat.
4. Fry fish for 2 minutes each side. Remove.
5. In the same oil, add mustard paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add ½ cup water. Simmer for 3 minutes.
7. Add fish. Cook for 5 minutes.
8. Finish with 1 tbsp raw mustard oil.

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2. Aloo Posto (Potato with Poppy Seeds)

One of the most beloved Bengali vegetarian dishes. The combination of poppy seeds and mustard oil is quintessentially Bengali.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds (posto), soaked and ground to paste
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat mustard oil. Add nigella seeds and green chillies.
2. Add potatoes. Fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add turmeric and salt. Mix.
4. Add poppy seed paste with ¼ cup water.
5. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked and paste has dried.
6. Finish with a drizzle of raw mustard oil.

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3. Chingri Malai Curry (Prawn in Coconut Milk)

A Bengali classic that uses mustard oil for the initial frying of prawns before the coconut milk is added.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 500g large prawns, cleaned
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 400ml coconut milk
• 2 green chillies
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate prawns with turmeric and salt.
2. Heat mustard oil. Fry prawns for 2 minutes. Remove.
3. In the same oil, fry onions until golden.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add turmeric and red chilli powder.
6. Add coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.
7. Add prawns and green chillies. Cook for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with steamed rice.

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4. Doi Maach (Fish in Yoghurt)

A more delicate preparation than shorshe ilish — the yoghurt base is tempered with mustard oil and whole spices.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 pieces rohu or katla fish
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 cup thick yoghurt, whisked
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Whole spices: 2 bay leaves, 4 cardamom, 4 cloves, 1-inch cinnamon
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate fish with turmeric, salt, and 1 tbsp mustard oil.
2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. Fry fish until golden. Remove.
3. In the same oil, add whole spices. Let them splutter.
4. Add onions. Fry until golden.
5. Add ginger paste. Fry for 2 minutes.
6. Reduce heat. Add whisked yoghurt slowly, stirring continuously.
7. Add turmeric, red chilli, sugar, and salt.
8. Add fried fish. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

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5. Begun Bhaja (Fried Aubergine)

The simplest Bengali preparation — sliced aubergine fried in mustard oil with turmeric. The quality of the mustard oil is everything here.

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine (brinjal), sliced into rounds
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix turmeric, red chilli, and salt. Coat aubergine slices.
2. Heat mustard oil in a flat pan.
3. Fry aubergine slices on medium heat for 3–4 minutes each side until golden and cooked through.
4. Drain on paper towels.
5. Serve as a side dish with dal and rice.

Note: The flavour of cold pressed mustard oil is the entire point of this dish. Refined oil produces a flat, uninteresting result.

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6. Macher Jhol (Everyday Fish Curry)

The Bengali everyday fish curry — lighter than shorshe ilish, made with whatever fish is available.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 pieces fish (rohu, katla, or any firm fish)
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander

Method:

1. Marinate fish with turmeric and salt.
2. Heat mustard oil. Fry fish until golden. Remove.
3. In the same oil, fry potatoes for 5 minutes.
4. Add ginger paste and tomato. Cook until tomato softens.
5. Add all spices. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add 1.5 cups water. Bring to a boil.
7. Add fried fish. Simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander.

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7. Panchphoron Tarkari (Five-Spice Vegetable Curry)

Bengali cooking uses a unique spice blend called panchphoron — equal parts cumin, nigella, fenugreek, fennel, and mustard seeds. It's always tempered in mustard oil.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups mixed vegetables (potato, cauliflower, peas, carrot)
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp panchphoron
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat mustard oil. Add panchphoron and dried red chillies. Let them splutter.
2. Add vegetables. Mix well.
3. Add turmeric, cumin powder, and salt.
4. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
5. Finish with a drizzle of raw mustard oil.

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8. Shorshe Bata Diye Aloo (Potato in Mustard Paste)

A simple but deeply flavoured dish — potatoes cooked in a mustard paste, finished with raw mustard oil.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, soaked and ground to paste
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. Add green chillies.
2. Add mustard paste. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
3. Add potatoes, turmeric, and salt. Mix well.
4. Cook for 5 minutes until potatoes are coated and heated through.
5. Finish with 1 tbsp raw mustard oil.

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The Bengali Rule for Mustard Oil

In Bengali cooking, mustard oil is used in three ways:

1. For frying: Heated to high temperature, used to fry fish and vegetables
2. For cooking: Used at medium heat as the base for curries and sauces
3. Raw (kachha tel): Drizzled over finished dishes for fresh pungency

The raw drizzle is the most distinctive Bengali technique. No other regional cuisine uses raw mustard oil as a finishing element as consistently as Bengali cooking. It's the flavour that makes Bengali food taste like Bengali food.

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