(Inset) Perzen Patel; Batata Saung, a Karnataka speciality, is one of the dishes mentioned in the book

Ilish Bhanpe
Indian shad, hilsa or ilish, Bangladesh’s national fish is the pride of every Bengali. From the pride that a Kaku (uncle) feels when he walks past the envious stares of his neighbours and mates, with a big ilish tail peeking through his fish-carrying bag; to the pride of a Kakima’s (aunty’s) fish filleting skills with a sharp iron cutting device (Boti); it’s pride all the way! And the best of it all has to be, when their young child starts eating the fish, without the fine bones stuck to his throat. I remember many such enthusiastic trunk calls made when cousins and neighbours found this skill in their child.
A perfectly cooked piece of ilish is ideally soft, flaky and full of flavour. I prefer making steamed ilish in a mustard sauce (Ilish Bhanpe) over and over. It tastes the best when the fish is fresh. The flavour of this flaky white fish lies in the numerous tiny bones all around its body, which makes eating it a skill.