Bhetki Fish Fry

Bhetki Fish Fry

  A superb hors d'oeuvre, or a cocktail snack or even a surface to the main course, yes that is all about Bengali style “Bhetki Fish Fry”...it is marvelous amalgamation of crusty surface with tender inside which makes it a perfect snack with hot tea or coffee on rainy day…!!!

It would be inapt to mention that, when a Bengali says “Maach Bhaja” (which when translated to English means “Fish Fry”), but he actually means simple “Maach Bhaja”, that is any fish (mostly Rohu) mixed with salt and turmeric powder & fried in hot mustard oil. So, it can be avowed that the word “Fish Fry” generally depicts a British legacy “Bread & Fish Fry”...also the “boneless” feature adds to the exquisiteness of the recipe.

Ingredients:

Ø  Bhetki fish fillets: 6 Nos

Ø  Lemon juice:  4 tsp

Ø  Eggs: 2 (Beaten)

Ø  Ginger-garlic paste: ½ cup

Ø  Onion paste: ½ cup

Ø  Salt: 1½ tsp

Ø  Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Ø  Breadcrumbs: 1 cup

Ø  Oil for frying

Method:

· Marinate the fish fillets with the above ingredients (except the beaten eggs, breadcrumbs & oil) overnight.

· Next day, take some breadcrumbs on flat plate. First coat the fillet with beaten egg & then with breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hrs.

·  Take out the coated fillets and again put second layer of coating only with breadcrumbs now. This second coating makes the fish fry crispier.

·  Take a karai & heat it. Add refined oil enough for deep frying the 6 fillets.

·   Then start adding the fillets one by one to the hot oil. Should initially cook on medium heat, and then once fish is fully cooked, adjust to high flame for proper crispy frying. Serve hot with mustard sauce (Kasundi)