This Bhapa Ilish recipe has been adopted from my Maa. In this Bhapa Ilish recipe raw Ilish/Hilsha pieces are steamed in mustard and coconut paste along with turmeric, green chili, salt and mustard oil.

Ingredients of Bhapa Ilish
Ilish/Hilsha fish 8 pieces, without head & tail
Black Mustard 3 to 4 tablespoons
Scraped coconut 1 cup
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Green chili 4 to 5, as per taste
Mustard oil 4 tablespoons
Salt 1 teaspoon

How to make Bhapa Ilish Recipe
Take the Hilsha fish pieces and marinate them with salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Make a fine paste of mustard seeds along with some salt & few chilies with little water with it.
Now take a bowl, put the mustard paste, scraped coconut, turmeric powder, salt & 1/2 cup water and mix all together.
Put the fish pieces into the mixture and marinate the fish with the mixture.
Take a nonstick flat pan, sprinkle some mustard oil at the bottom, place all the marinated fish pieces into the pan, drizzle the oil on the top, cover with a tight lid and place the pan on low heat for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes turn off the heat, but do not open the lid. Open the lid just before serving. Serve “Bhapa Ilish” with hot steamed rice.