Shutki Bhuna
Dried fish cooked down with onions, garlic and chilli into an intensely savoury dish.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total
- 50 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Shutki bhuna is built on sun-dried fish, a preservation method that predates refrigeration across coastal Bangladesh and Sylhet, cooked down hard with onion, garlic and chile until intensely savory.
It has one of the strongest flavors on this list by design; dried fish concentrates everything about the original fish into something much more pungent.
Part of our 20 best Bangladeshi recipes list.
method
Soak the dried fish in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes to soften it slightly, then rinse well, clean off any scales or bones, and tear into pieces.
Heat the mustard oil in a pan, and lightly fry the dried fish pieces until they turn a shade darker and smell toasted. Set aside.
In the same oil, fry the dried red chiles briefly, then add the sliced onions and cook until deep golden.
Add the garlic, ginger and green chiles, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the turmeric and red chile powder, then add the fried fish back into the pan.
Cook over medium heat, mashing the fish lightly with the back of a spoon, until everything comes together into a thick, dry mixture, about 10 minutes.
Season with salt, and serve hot with plain rice.
chef's tips
- A thorough soak and rinse before cooking is essential; it softens the fish and clears out some of its strongest raw smell before it hits the hot oil.
- Shutki bhuna is meant to be intense and pungent; if the smell while cooking feels strong, that's normal for this dish specifically.