This is how I revealed to my now-husband that I could actually cook.
Growing up, I quietly obsessed over flavours, but I kept it low-key. Cooking didn’t seem as cool as skateboarding or singing, and watching my mom, like many moms, whip up incredible meals every day without much recognition made it feel even less so.
One day, I invited Mark over for lunch and served Maacher Jhaal – a recipe my didu passed down to my mom, who then passed it down to me. That day, I shared a piece of my world with him, and I realised that staying true to yourself can create the most meaningful relationships.
Now, through our videos, I’m sharing my love for food with the world, hoping to create bonds that go far beyond our kitchen.
Maacher Jhaal
Ingredients
- Onions: 3 medium size
- Tomatoes: 3 small size
- Garlic: 10-12 cloves
- Rui (or Katla): 500-600 grams
- Nigella seeds (Kalaunji): 1 tsp
- Green chillies: 2-3 whole
- Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
- Red chillli powder: 3 tsp
- Chopped coriander: 2 tbsp
- Mustard oil: as required
- Salt: as required
Method:
- Marinate the fish with turmeric and salt. Heat mustard oil until it loses its raw smell, then fry the fish for 5 minutes on each side (less if the pieces are small). Keep the flame on medium. Once done, set the fish aside and use the same oil for the curry.
- The curry should have a semi-gravy, gaa makha consistency. Start by making a fine paste of onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Temper the oil with nigella seeds and slit green chillies.
- Add the paste and fry it for a couple of minutes. Then add the turmeric, red chilli powder, and a bit of salt—not too much at this stage.
- Once the masala is well-cooked, add some water, bring it to a boil, and gently place the fried fish into it. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated.
- Garnish with coriander and serve hot with white rice. Enjoy!
Watch this recipe here – Maacher Jhaal
About the Creators Behind Powered by Garlic
Mark began his career as a Core Mechanical Engineer building ships, while Shilpa spent four years as a Feature Writer covering lifestyle, celebrity, crime, art, and health. In 2022, they both transitioned into Product Design, aligning their careers with a mutual passion for creativity.
Food has always played a significant role in their lives, both socially and culturally. That’s why they chose food, combining Shilpa’s love for storytelling with Mark’s dream of making short films, to create Powered by Garlic. Through PBG, they bring their perspective as designers to blend food, art, and life-served as cinema!
Translations and detailed descriptions are provided to give a better understanding of the story to people from different cultural backgrounds across the globe.