By Smriti Dey
March 15, 2026
Every Sunday, Jharkhand's streets are full of different kinds of dried fish, providing locals in tribal homes ideas to cook with dry fish in a way that keeps it authentic and is rich in natural flavours. Get to know how to make this local delicacy that keeps food fresh in the old-fashioned way to serve a simple, warm meal.
80 g dried fish, cleaned 2 tablespoons mustard oil 1 medium onion, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1–2 green chillies, slit ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder Salt, to taste 150 ml water
Soak the dried fish in warm water for 15-20 minutes, then rinse it well to get rid of the extra salt and rehydrate it.
Heat the mustard oil until it begins to smoke before adding the dried fish to fry lightly until it is aromatic; take it off the heat and set it aside.
Add the onion, garlic, green chillies to the same oil to cook until the mixture is soft and lightly browned.
Put the fried fish back in the pan then, add the turmeric and salt. Mix gently.
Add water, cover, and cook on low heat until the fish is soft as well as the gravy is a little thicker. Serve it in a bowl alongside rice with a dollop of ghee.