And despite all the hype, there are better dishes that celebrate the variety Bengali cuisine has to offer than any single Ilish dish.

Here are seven excellent Ilish mach recipes for the rainy months. Steamed Hilsa cooked in a mustard paste with green chilies and coconut. Hilsa cooked in a creamy yoghurt-based gravy with spices.

Hilsa fish curry, or ilish machher jhol, is a classic Bengali dish that's often served on special occasions and during festivals. Image Credit: Getty While Hilsa is easily available in West Bengal, ...