Puthi Shidol Shutki – Traditional Fermented Fish Pickle

Puthi Shidol Shutki - Fermented Fish Pickle

Traditional Fermented Fish Pickle

By Barnali Dutta

Puthi Shidol is an old fermented fish preparation. The traditional method was something I first came to know through my family, from the stories of my father and from what my grandmother actually made at home.

Puthi Shidol Shutki, a traditional fermented fish pickle prepared from small Puthi fish and preserved through an old family fermentation method.

Traditional Method of Making Puthi Shidol

1. To make Puthi Shidol, collect good-quality Puthi fish. Do not scale or wash the fish at this stage. Dry them well under the sun for 4 to 5 days.
2. Now wash the sun-dried Puthi fish (Puntius sophore) and soak them in water for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the excess water to drain.
3. Soaking the dried fish is very important in the preparation of Shidol. The fish are then packed into an earthen pot (koloh/motka).

   The earthen pot should be prepared by repeatedly smearing oil on the inside and drying it under the sun. The pot becomes saturated with oil, which reduces the permeability of air through its porous walls. Generally, oil polishing is continued until the wall absorbs no more oil.

4. The mouth of the pot is sealed airtight. Traditionally, the pot may be buried underground during the winter season or stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 months for fermentation. Salt is never added during the traditional preparation of Shidol.

   Regional variations exist: salty Shidol is produced in areas including greater Mymensingh and Sylhet, while salt-free Shidol is typical of Faridpur and Jessore.

Puthi Shidol Fish Pickle Recipe

Prep Time: 7 days | Fermentation (Cook) Time: 60 to 90 days | Yield: 1 earthen pot (1 kg)

Ingredients

• Good-quality fresh Puthi fish (Puntius sophore): 1 kg
• Fish oil: As required for smearing and soaking
• Salt: Optional (omitted in authentic salt-free regional styles)
• Red chilli powder: 1% during drying or storage (to deter insects)

Equipment

• Earthen pot (koloh / motka)
• Bamboo baskets
• Bamboo-split mat (madur)
• Earthen pot cover (matir sora)

Method

1. Dry whole Puthi fish under the sun for 4 to 5 days. Remove scales, fins, gills, and viscera.
2. Keep fish in bamboo baskets under the sun until moisture drops to 20–25%. Soak in water for 30–40 minutes to rehydrate and cleanse, then dry in shade for 2 to 3 days.
3. Prepare the earthen pot by polishing the walls inside and out repeatedly with fish oil and curing in the sun for 3 to 4 days until saturated.
4. Mix the rehydrated fish with fish oil in a pot and keep under the sun for 2 to 3 days.
5. Gently heat the mixture for several hours until the oil separates. Decant the clear top oil into a separate vessel and discard bottom sediments.
6. Spread the fish on a bamboo mat (madur) and sun-dry until the oily surface is touch-dry.
7. Grind the fish coarsely, blend with the reserved oil (and 1% red chili powder if preferred), and pack tightly into the cured earthen pot.
8. Seal the pot airtight with an earthen cover (matir sora). Age undisturbed in a cool, dark room or earthen pit for 2 to 3 months to complete fermentation.

What Published Research Says About Traditional Shidol

Kakati and Goswami (2013) documented traditional Shidol prepared from Puntius sophore and Setipinna phasa. Their findings corroborate the family process: solar drying, water soaking without salt, saturated oil curing of the koloh, and sealed fermentation for 3 to 4 months. Muzaddadi and Basu (2012) similarly detailed community variations across Northeast India.

To see how this fermented fish pickle is used in a traditional dish, read the Geri Gugli clam and snail recipe, where 2 to 3 teaspoons of Puthi Shidol are cooked with the mixture before banana-leaf roasting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Puthi Shidol

What is Puthi Shidol?

Puthi Shidol is a traditional fermented fish preparation made from small Puthi fish. The fish are dried, soaked, and fermented inside an oil-cured earthen pot.

Why is the earthen pot important in Shidol preparation?

The earthen pot (koloh/motka) is repeatedly treated with oil and cured in the sun. This seals the clay pores, limiting oxygen exposure and enabling anaerobic fermentation.

Why are the dried fish soaked before fermentation?

Soaking cleanses residual grit, softens the tissue, and restores the moisture content needed to activate microbial fermentation.

Is salt used in Puthi Shidol?

In traditional Eastern Bengali and indigenous methods, salt is intentionally excluded, allowing natural lactic and proteolytic aging without saline inhibition.

How is Puthi Shidol used in traditional Bengali cooking?

Puthi Shidol acts as a flavor-enhancing base. In traditional preparations like Geri Gugli, 2 to 3 teaspoons are sautéed with spices, clams, or freshwater snails before being wrapped in banana leaves and roasted.