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Muki and Maas, or eddo and fish curry is something I’ve grown up eating regularly. I loooved eddo curry because it has the taste of a potato but it’s slimy—like okra—which I also love! It’s definitely not for everyone, but it’s worth trying at least once, you never know you might end up loving it too. This is my mother’s simple recipe that’s really easy to follow and so very delicious.

Bengali cooking, like all cooking, varies from household to household. Of course I believe my mom’s recipes are the best in the world, so I’ll share a few that I’ve learned over the years. what makes her recipes different is how simple they are. From her, I’ve learned sometimes it’s better to be light handed with dry spices-especially in a fish curry.

This fish and eddo curry only uses a handful of ingredients: oil, garlic, onion, Thai chili, eddo, fish, and a couple of spices (turmeric and chili powder). It’s very easy to put together, and before you know it you can be enjoying a home style curry that is usually never found in restaurants-only homes!

What is Muki (Eddo)?

Muki, or eddo, is a starchy root vegetable that is often used in Caribbean, African, and Asian cooking. It has a mild flavor and a slightly nutty taste, making it an excellent complement to savory dishes. Eddo has a texture similar to potatoes when cooked, and it absorbs flavors well, making it a fantastic addition to curries and stews.

Cooking the Base

The base of the curry is, as most Bengali curries, onion and garlic and chili cooked in oil. I like to use olive oil for everything so that’s what I use in my curries too, but you can use any oil. A neutral would be best. Cut onions very fine and mine garlic. Then add a slice down the middle of a couple of Thai chilis.

Add oil, onion, garlic, and chili to a pot on medium heat. Add a good amount of salt, give it a mix, then cover and cook on low until the onion are caramelized. This can take some time—it’s best not to rush this process!

If the heat is too high, chances are the onions or garlic will burn and the process will have to be started over. Even slightly burned garlic and onion can add a bitter taste to the entire curry and it will not taste good.

Once the onions are caramelized, add spices. The most popular spices in south Asian cooking is turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, and cumin. However for a fish curry my family only uses turmeric and red chili powder-and only a little at that! It really helps to let the natural flavors of the ingredients being used come through, instead of smothering it with spices. But of course, it’s a personal choice for us!

Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 tsp of chili powder. If you don’t want it to be spicy, you can even add 1/2 teaspoon of chili and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika so it still has a nice vibrant color. But traditionally, fish curry should be spicy!

Sauté the spices in the onions and oil for a few minutes just to toast them and get rid of any raw taste. After that, the base is done! This base can be used for anyyyyyyyyy fish curry and vegetable combo—the options truly are endless. Some examples are potato and fish, cauliflower and fish, spinach and fish, unripe papaya and shrimp, fish and zucchini, shrimp and pumpkin, and so much more.

Preparing the Muki

To make the muki and Maas combo, prepare your muki/eddo. Peel the skin with a peeler—this takes a little elbow grease because the skin is quite tough and has an oddly rough texture. If you want, you can peel it with a knife by slicing off the skin and leaving as much of the flesh as possible.

Once peeled, wash and slice into large chunks; the size is up to you, as long as they’re mostly uniform. The larger the size, the longer it will take to cook. But don’t make it too small, because it can over cook and disintegrate into the curry. Then add the eddo to the curry base and cover.

Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes to give the eddo a chance to release any juices. Then add a cup of water and simmer gently, covered, until the eddo is just about cooked through. If you stick a knife in it, there should be only a slight resistance, if that.

The Fish

Once the eddo is mostly cooked through, add the fish. I am using cod because it’s a nice firm white fish with a meaty taste that we really enjoy and compliments the heartiness of eddo well. You can also use other whitefish, like tilapia or catfish.

Add the prepared fish to the eddo and add another 1/2 cup of water. Cover again and simmer gently until the fish and eddo are both cooked through, this only takes about ten minutes.

At the end, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. If you want to get really traditional, add in a few Thai chilis slices down the middle.

Serve this curry with some fresh fluffy white rice and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil or any neutral oil
• 1 large onions, sliced fine
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 Thai chili peppers, sliced down the middle
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 3-4 eddo/muki, peeled and cut into even chunks
• 6-7 pieces of cod fish
• Cilantro to garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pot, add onion, garlic, Thai chili, and salt. Cook covered on low until caramelized, mixing occasionally

2. Add turmeric and chili powder and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes or until toasted

3. Add eddo and 1 cup water. Simmer gently until almost cooked through

4. Add cod fish and another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water and simmer gently, covered until the eddo and fish are cooked through

5. Garnish with cilantro and serve with fluffy white rice. Enjoy!