Fish Chop and Fish Fry

Potluck Day! :) Loads of excitement and planning on what to take for this big day at work. Finally, on public demand zeroed in on fish fry and fish chop. Marinated fish pieces overnight with turmeric, salt, chilli powder and ginger garlic paste to fry the next morning.



Called up Mom to get the recipe for fish chop. Pretty simple.



- Steam the fish and boil potatoes separately.
- Remove the bones from the fish and mash thoroughly with the potatoes.
- Add salt, cumin powder, chilli powder.
- Heat some oil in a pan and fry onions till brownish.
- Add the mashed mixture to the pan and fry till the raw smell disappears.
- Add some finely chopped coriander and chillies and mix some more.
- Remove from pan and once it has cooled, take small portions and roll it into round flat shaped portions.
- Beat 2 eggs with some salt and pepper.
- Roll the chops in this egg mixture and bread crumbs and fry till done.

You can prepare in bulk and store in the deep freeze. So when you have guests just remove and heat in the microwave or pan before serving. At your own risk. :)) However, for me it never lasts more than 2-3 days coz guess too many cats around. ;-)

Maachher Jhol

Well, this is an awesome fish curry that Shayeri got to work the other day.

Ingredients:

Fish (Rohu or Katla) -8-10 pieces
Red Chilli Powder – 1tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Tomato – 2 (chopped)
Coconut Powder – ½ tsp
Green Chillies - 2
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves – 1/2bunch (chopped)
Tomato puree (optional)
Mustard oil – 4-5 table spoons

Recipe:

-Marinate the fish with turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder and one spoon of mustard oil. -Keep aside for 10 minutes.
-Heat mustard oil in a pan and fry the fish pieces till golden brown. Ensure that the oil is properly heated before frying to avoid stickiness.
-Take out the fried fish pieces.
-In the remaining oil, add the chopped onions and stir till they are golden brown and translucent.
-Add the chopped tomatoes and continue stirring to ensure an equal fry.
-Add salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder.
-Add green chilies and pour two table spoons of tomato puree.
-When the oil starts separating, add 1 cup of water. Add 2 cups of water in case you want to keep thinner gravy.
-Add coconut powder and mix with the gravy.
-Add the fried fish pieces in the gravy and let it boil for 5minutes till the gravy becomes thick.
-Add chopped coriander leaves, keep the burner in high flame for two minutes and switch off the gas.

Now pack the fish curry in a tiffin box and get it to office for all folks who left a comment. :)

North Eastern fish curry

Well, Nupur you absolutely must try this recipe. It is simple to cook, amazingly hot, the house smells when it cooks but the taste is absolutely divine especially for those who have a zest for north-eastern cuisine. Special thanks to Joy's friends in Nagaland for their inputs.

Its also a healthy recipe as there is minimal use of oil. In the original recipe, the fish is boiled along with the veggies so there is no use of oil, but in my customized version I fry the fish as I am so not used to boiled fish. I also grind fresh ginger and garlic and store the paste in the fridge.

Ingredients:

Fish - 6-8 pcs (any variety)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Water- 3 cups
Ginger garlic paste - 3 heaped tbsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Peas - 1 cup
Potatoes - 3 pcs chopped to small squares
Salt - to taste
Coriander

-Rub the fish with turmeric and chilli powder and fry on both sides till it turns reddish
-Boil 3 cups of water in a separate kadai
-Add the ginger garlic paste and chilli powder and mix till it boils
-Add the potatoes, peas and tomatoes and boil till the vegetables are cooked (around 8-10 minutes)
-Add salt to taste and mix
-Add the fish pieces and boil for another 5 minutes
-Garnish with chopped coriander

Shorshe Maachh

Since life is all about shortcuts, I usually grind mustard seeds and poppy seeds in a grinder and store in an airtight container for as long as it lasts. When I need to use it for cooking, I just remove the required quantity of the mustard/poppy seed mix and blend it in a blender with some water and green chillies to make a smooth paste. Adding chillies help cut the bitterness of the mustard seeds.

Ingredients:

Fish - 8 Pieces (you can use any variety. I use Rohu, Bhetki and have even tried making it with Pomfret)
Mustard Seeds - 3 tbsp
Poppy seeds (Posto) - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3-4
Kalonji - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil - 4 tbsp
Yoghurt - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1/2 cup

-Rub the fish with salt and turmeric
-Heat oil in a kadai, fry the fish pieces and remove from heat
-Add kalonji and green chillies, in the same pan,
-Next, add the mustard paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and fry for sometime
-Add yoghurt and salt and mix thoroughly
-Add the fried fish pieces and mix till it is coated. Do not stir much as fish pieces tend to break
-Add half a cup of water and simmer on low heat for 8-10 min