Classic Bengali Fish in Broth

This is a deceptively simple Bengali fish and vegetable stew, called jhol (meaning “simmered,” or “cooked in water”). Jhol is served at the main noon meal in many households in Bengal. There’s a lot of broth, and flavors are delicate, with some heat from fresh green chiles and a little cayenne as well as from mustard oil. This is a West Bengali version of jhol, an adaptation of one that Gita made when we stayed in Kolkata (Calcutta; see Gi