Topse Maach Bhaja / Topse Maacher Fry

Topse Maach or Mango Fish is very popular in Bengal. It has several long, slender filaments below the pectoral fins. This fish of the Ganges is highly in demand. This fish comes during March to May during the mango season, hence it’s called the Mango Fish.

It’s know for fish fry / fish fritters , which is marinated, dipped in Gram flour batter and deep fried. It’s served for lunch, it’s an accompaniment with dal and it is served during occasions.

To Marinate the Mango Fish

Ingredients

500 grams Topse / Mango Fish cleaned

4 to 5 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Green Chilli - Onion paste (1 small piece of Ginger, 6 Garlic Cloves, 3 Green Chillies and 1 small Onion)

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Turmeric powder

Salt to Taste

Juice of 1 small Lime

Method

Take the fish in a bowl and add all the ingredients and apply it well on the fish. Keep it aside and marinate it for an hour or 
more.

For the Topse Bhaja

Ingredients

Marinated Fish

1 cup Gram flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method

Take a bowl, add gram flour, rice powder, poppy seeds, nigella seeds and salt. Mix the ingredients well. Now add the marinated juices of the fish and little water at a time to make a thick batter. Mix it well. Keep it aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile take a wok or a pan, add oil and let it heat. Once the oil heats up, dip the fish in the batter one at a time and gently put it in the oil. Fry 3 to 4 fish at a time on a medium low flame. Fry it till crispy brown in colour. Remove the fish on a paper towel. Serve it hot with dal and rice.