Palong Saag Machher Matha O Chingri Chorchori
A traditional Bengali chorchori made with spinach and mixed vegetables, enriched with browned fish head and prawns. Panch phoron, ginger, garlic and green chilli create its distinctive rustic flavour, while the vegetables are cooked until tender and almost dry.
Recipe Highlights
- Traditional Bengali home-style preparation
- Made with spinach and mixed vegetables
- Enriched with fish head and prawns
- Tempered with aromatic panch phoron
- A complete accompaniment for steamed rice
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Nutrition and Macros
Total Recipe
- Calories: 418 kcal
- Protein: 34 g
- Fat: 23 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
Per Serving
- Calories: 209 kcal
- Protein: 17 g
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
Nutrition information excludes the steamed rice served alongside.
Ingredients
- 150 g rohu or katla fish head, cleaned and cut into pieces
- 50 g prawns, cleaned and deveined
- 100 g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
- 100 g cabbage, sliced
- 50 g onion, sliced
- 50 g tomato, chopped
- 30 g pumpkin, cubed
- 30 g aubergine, cubed
- 10 g mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon panch phoron
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dried red chilli
- 1 green chilli, slit
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, divided
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, divided
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- Salt, to taste
- A small quantity of water, if required
Method
1. Marinate the Fish Head and Prawns
Season the fish-head pieces and prawns with a little turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Fry the Fish Head and Prawns
Heat the mustard oil in a heavy pan or wok.
Add the fish-head pieces and fry until properly browned on both sides. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool slightly before breaking them into manageable pieces.
Briefly fry the prawns in the same oil until they begin to change colour. Remove and set aside. Avoid cooking them completely at this stage.
3. Prepare the Masala
In the same pan, add the panch phoron, bay leaf and dried red chilli. Allow the spices to crackle.
Add the sliced onion and cook until golden. Stir in the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté until the raw aroma disappears.
Add the remaining turmeric and red chilli powder along with the cumin and coriander powders. Sprinkle in a small amount of water to prevent the spices from burning.
Add the chopped tomato and cook until it softens and the oil begins to separate from the masala.
4. Cook the Vegetables
Add the pumpkin and cabbage first. Mix with the masala and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Add the aubergine and slit green chilli. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the chopped spinach and season with salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender.
The spinach will release moisture, so add water only if the vegetables begin sticking to the pan.
5. Finish the Chorchori
Add the fried prawns and fish-head pieces to the cooked vegetables.
Fold everything together carefully and cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes, allowing the flavours to combine and any excess moisture to evaporate.
The finished chorchori should be moist and well coated with masala but not watery.
Serve hot with steamed rice, lemon and green chilli.
Ippitizer Note
This is the kind of Bengali cooking that transforms humble vegetables into something deeply satisfying. The fish head adds richness, while the prawns bring gentle sweetness without overpowering the spinach and aromatic panch phoron.
Tips
- Brown the fish head properly before breaking it into pieces; this develops flavour and helps it hold its structure.
- Add the vegetables according to their cooking time—pumpkin and cabbage first, followed by aubergine and spinach.
- Do not overcook the prawns during the initial frying.
- Cook uncovered at the end so the chorchori remains almost dry rather than watery.
- Panch phoron is a Bengali five-spice blend containing cumin, nigella, mustard, fenugreek and fennel seeds.
