• Marinate the hilsa pieces with salt and half of the turmeric powder. Leave the same for 10 mins
• Cut the vegetables into long pieces. Ensure to clean and remove the skin
• Cut the bitter gourd and eggplant keeping its skin intact. Ensure these two are marinated with salt and turmeric powder
• Heat Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil in a deep pan
• Shallow fry the fish for 30 secs each on both sides
• Shallow fry the vegetables one by one. Keep the potato, sweet potato, and plantain for a bit longer
• Temper the remaining oil with 2 bay leaves, panch phoron and radhuni
• Now add the ginger paste, mustard paste, and poppy seed paste
• Cook it for 1 minute or more by adding 1 tbsp of water to it
• Add salt and sugar and mix it well
• Now add 1 tbsp of powdered panch phoron. Cook for a min or two
• Add milk and 3 cups of water to bring it to a boil upon adding salt and sugar
• Add the fried potatoes, sweet potato, and plantain. Cook till these all soften
• Add drumstick, fried eggplant, fried bitter gourd followed by the fried fish pieces
• Cook all on a low flame for 5-7 mins by covering the pan with a lid. Add some water if needed
• Add ghee and switch off the flame after mixing

Enjoy delicious Bengali Ilish shukto with white steamed rice