Ilish paturi is the celebration version of shorshe ilish. The same mustard paste, the same hilsa — but here the fish is wrapped in banana leaf before it cooks, and the leaf does something a pan cannot: it seals the steam in and transfers a faint green sweetness into the mustard.
In Jessore, where the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers carry hilsa upstream each monsoon, this is the dish made for Eid, for weddings, for the afternoon a daughter comes home. Unwrapping it at the table is part of the meal.
Zone: River Delta
SOURCE: Translated from a recipe shared by a home cook from Jessore, Bangladesh, on a Bengali-language food forum, 2020.
LOCAL NAME: ইলিশ পাতুরি
INGREDIENTS
- 4 hilsa fillets (approx. 150g each (or mackerel — see notes))
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 banana leaf squares (approx. 30cm × 30cm)
- 3 tbsp yellow mustard seeds (soaked in water for 2 hours)
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds (soaked in water for 2 hours)
- 3-4 green chillies (roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp mustard oil (plus extra for drizzling)
METHOD
- Drain the soaked mustard seeds. Blend together the yellow and black mustard seeds, green chillies, salt, mustard oil, and water to a smooth paste. It should be thick, pungent, and slightly bitter — this is correct.
- Rub the hilsa fillets with turmeric and salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Pass the banana leaf squares briefly over an open gas flame or a hot dry pan for 5–8 seconds per side. They will turn a deeper, glossy green and become pliable without tearing.
- Lay a fillet in the centre of each leaf. Spread a generous tablespoon of mustard paste over the top and underside of each piece. Drizzle with a little extra mustard oil.
- Fold the banana leaf over the fish parcel-style, tucking the sides in firmly. Secure with a toothpick or tie with a thin strip of banana leaf or kitchen twine.
- Steam the parcels in a bamboo steamer or in a covered pan over simmering water for 18–20 minutes. The fish should be completely cooked through and the leaf will have darkened further.
- Serve the parcels sealed, at the table. Each diner opens their own.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Frozen banana leaves from Caribbean, African, and South Asian grocers (Whitechapel, Brixton, Tooting); occasionally Waitrose. Fresh hilsa from South Asian fishmongers in Southall or Green Street; mackerel is the recommended substitute — same oily, assertive flesh and similar thickness. Parchment paper can substitute for banana leaf when nothing else is available, though the aromatic transfer is lost and the result is a different dish.
US adaptation: Frozen banana leaves from Latin American grocers, H-Mart, or Filipino grocery stores. Hilsa from Bangladeshi grocers in Jackson Heights, Queens, or New Jersey. Mackerel recommended substitute. Parchment paper as fallback for banana leaf.
Cook’s note: This Jessore household uses more black mustard than most West Bengal versions — the paste is intentionally pungent and sharp. If you want a milder result, reduce the black mustard seeds by half and increase the yellow accordingly.