Muri Ghonto
Indian
Intermediate
Main CourseMuri Ghonto Recipe: A Bengali Melange Of Fish Head And Rice
Muri Ghonto
90 mins
Cooking Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
26
Ingredients
Seafood
Diet
Muri ghonto is a Bengali fish head curry that transforms what many cultures discard into a celebrated delicacy. The word derives from the Bengali ‘muro’ or ‘muri’ meaning head, while ‘ghonto’ refers to a mixture or mish-mash. Large freshwater fish heads from the region, typically rohu or katla, are fried, then braised with the fragrant gobindobhog rice, potatoes, and spices. There’s a Bangladeshi version which uses moong dal, while West Bengal preparations incorporate aromatic rice. The final dish is soft and mushy, infused with ghee and garam masala, creating an aroma that defines Bengali comfort food.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
2¼ cupsFish head (preferably rui/rohu) (cut pieces, loosely packed)
1¾ tspSalt (for marinating)
1 tspSunrise Turmeric Powder (Haldi) (for marinating)
1½ cupsGobindobhog rice
3-3⅓ cupsHot water
¼ cupMustard oil
2 tbsp + 1 tbspGhee (for finishing)
1¾ cupsPotatoes (cut into 3-cm cubes)
⅓ cupGreen peas
¼ cupCashew nuts
¼ cupRaisins
2Dried red chillies
2Bay leaves
1 stickCinnamon (about 1 inch)
4Sunrise Clove (Laung)
1 tspSunrise Whole Cumin (Jeera)
2 tspSunrise Cumin Powder (Jeera)
½ tspSunrise Red Chilli Powder (Lal Mirch)
½ tspSunrise Shahi Garam Masala (extra for garnish)
4 podsSunrise Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
1 tbspGinger paste
6-8Green chillies (slit)
2 tspSalt
2½ tbspSugar
Fried fish head and fragrant Gobindobhog rice take centre stage in this Bengali classic, with potatoes, cashews and raisins adding contrasting textures. Sunrise Cumin Powder deepens the earthy flavours, while a touch of garam masala and ghee lends a rich finish.