Hutki shira

Hutki shira is a fermented fish curry made with seasonal vegetables, leafy greens, and fish or prawns, and cooked without oil or fat. The dish is popularly eaten in Bangladesh, particularly in the Sylhet Division, and in neighbouring Indian regions, and it has many variations. Its Sylheti name means fermented fish broth, and it also appears under spellings such as Hukoin shira, Fukoin shira and Futki shira. The vegetables change with the season, with gourd leaves, radishes and eddoe all used. Traditionally the cook uses the fish called hidol, with lotia fish as a substitute, and a regional version called mukir hutki shira is built around eddoe. A typical pot combines hidol hutki with crushed garlic, pureed onion, potatoes, spinach, aubergine, red pepper, chili powder, salt and turmeric. The fermented fish is first soaked in cold water, then cooked covered over a high flame with onions, garlic, ground spices, salt and shrimp. Pumpkin and aubergine go in next, enough water is added to make a broth, and Naga chili is stirred in at the end. It is often eaten over cooked rice.