Macher Chop / Fish Chop

This is a popular dish of Bengal. It’s served during occasions / celebrations as starter or with evening tea / cha, when the family and friends comes together for an informal meeting / adda which is a quintessential part of Bengal. 

Macher chop is made with any big size fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki, Aar mach etc. the fish is boiled with salt and turmeric, deboned and mashed. Boiled potato is used for binding the mixture. Fish and the potato are cooked with spices and a lemon size portion of the mixture is taken, it’s given an oval shape, dipped in egg and coated with bread crumbs. It’s then fried until golden brown in colour. It’s served with mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup along with some sliced cucumber and onion. 

Ingredients 

250 grams Rahu or Katla or Bhetki or any big fish with less bones.. boiled with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Debone the fish and mashed 

1 big size Potato boiled and mashed 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1 tsp chopped Coriander leaves - optional 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

3/4 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Chilli powder 

3/4 tsp Cumin powder 

3/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/4 tsp Chaat Masala 

1 Egg beaten with little salt

3/4 to a cup of Bread crumbs 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Oil for frying

Method 

Take a pan, add mustard oil, add the cumin seeds, let it crackle. Add the onion, chopped greeen chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and sugar. Stir and sauté the ingredients for 2 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent. 

Add the mashed fish, mashed potato, chilli powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Stir and cook the ingredients on low medium flame until all the ingredients bind together. We can add 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves - (optional). 

Take a small portion of the mixture, roll and check if it’s forming a ball. Remove the mixture from the flame and allow it to cool. 

Take 1/2 of the bread crumbs on a plate. 

Take lemon size portion from the fish mixture. Give it a oval shape, repeat the process. Now take a oval shape chop and dip it into the beaten egg, remove and coat the chop with the bread crumbs. Once when one round of coating is done, repeat the process of coating the chops with egg and bread crumbs again for the second time. Take oil in a kadai / wok. Let the oil heat up, on a low flame fry the chops until golden brown. Once the chops are fried, remove the chops on the paper towel. Sprinkle the Chaat masala on the chops. Serve the chops with cucumber, onion, mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup.

Maacher Tel - Potkar Chorchori

When we buy a whole big fish or a part of a big fish, generally people discard the inner parts of the fish, like liver, intestine and fats, but we Bengalis use these for cooking. We use these inner organs of the fish to make a mishmash dish by adding potatoes, brinjal and onions to it or we make Maacher Teler bora. This dish is not a known dish nor available in any Bengali restaurants.
Only a person who has eaten this dish can tell how delicious it is. This goes well with steaming hot rice.
Here I have used the fats, intestine and liver from a big Katla Fish. After cooking, eat the dish the next day, it taste even better.

Ingredients
150 grams of the Fish Fats, Liver and Intestine washed,  cleaned and cut into pieces
2 medium size Potatoes cut into small cubes
2 medium size Onions sliced
1 Brinjal around 200 grams cut into cubes
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
4 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt into the fish fat, liver and intestine. Mix all the ingredients well. Take a wok, add the mustard oil, once the oil is hot, add the fish fat, liver and intestine into the oil. Fry it until brown in colour. Be very careful while frying these fish organs as the oil tends to splatter and you can get burn. Remove the fish fat, liver and intestine and keep it aside. In the same oil add the onions and the green chillies. Stir and fry the onions for a minute. Add in the potatoes and brinjal. Stir and continue to cook on a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger paste. Stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder and chilli powder. Stir and cover the wok. On a low flame let it cook, stirring the ingredients occasionally. Once the potatoes are cook, add the fried fish fat, liver and intestine. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. It taste best when eaten the next day. Serve it with hot steaming rice.

Macher Kochuri

Since it is rainy season .... normally we feel like having fried stuff... and we associate fried dishes with this season... it was long in my bucket list to make Macher Kochuri... In Bengal since fish is the staple food.. we make various types of dishes with fish. My Ma use to make this... but since she is no more... I am making this after many years.. Here I have just rolled the dough and made simple kachoris, but my mother use to make 2 small disc out of the dough balls, then place the stuffing in the center of one disc. Then take the other rolled disc and place it over the other rolled disc. Then curl the edges of the disc, sealing both the disc together and then deep fry it. You can use prawns for stuffing too .... 

For the Stuffing

Ingredients 

• 250 grams of Rohu / Bhetki Fish -  Boil the fish with little salt, debone the fish and mash the  fish....
• 2 medium size Onion chopped 
• 5 Garlic Cloves minced 
• 1 inch Ginger minced
• 2 Green Chillies minced 
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
• Salt to taste 
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method 

Take oil in a pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the sugar and continue to cook till the onions have become light brown in colour. Add the fish, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garam masala powder and stir for few more seconds. Switch off the flame. Let the stuffing cool down. 

For the Kochuri

Ingredients 

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour / Maida
• Salt to taste 
• 3 tbps Ghee
• Stuffing 
• Oil for deep Frying 

Method 

To make the dough for the Kochuri, take all purpose flour in a bowl. Add salt and ghee. Rub and mix the flour together. Add little water at a time and make a semi hard dough. Knead it well. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into big lime sized balls. With the help of your palms flatten the dough and create a cavity in between the center of the dough. Add 1 tbsp of the stuffing in between the cavity.  Seal the sides of the dough together, make a ball and roll the ball into a medium size round disc. Heat oil in a wok, deep fry the kachoris one at a time. Once done remove the Kochuris on a paper towel. Serve it hot with aloor tarkari or enjoy it just like that... 

Shabji Diye Rui Maccher Patla Jhol

 

This is an old traditional dish prepared particularly when any member of the house is sick or if you want to cool your stomach down or prepared if anyone is in a hurry or travelling. This dish is loaded with vegetables and fish. It has a thin gravy / Patla Jhol. If you are unwell make this dish with less spices, more liquidy and avoid deep frying the fish. In Bengali cuisine as each dish has a different style of cutting the vegetables, in this dish the vegetables has to be cut big in size, in wedges or in big pieces and all the vegetables cut has to be in the same proportionate size. Any seasonal vegetables can be added like pointed gourd, raw banana, cauliflower, carrot, French beans, flat beans, potato,tomato, drum stick, raw papaya etc. Urid dal bori is fried and is also added to the Jhol.

Normally the spices are freshly ground into paste, but here I have used freshly ground powder. This is a very quick one pot meal served with hot steaming rice and lime wedges. Absolutely a comfort food... 

This recipe is a must try....

Ingredients 

8 pieces of Ruhi Maach 

1 big size Potato cut into wedges lethwise or big cubes

1 medium size long Brinjal cut into half and made into big pieces 

6 pieces of medium size Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces 

1 Raw Banana cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces

6 Flat beans cut into half horizontally 

1 tomato cut into wedges lengthwise 

1/4 cup Green Peas 

2 Green Chillies silted lengthwise 

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Panch phoran 

2 Bay leaves 

1/2 cup Mustard oil for frying the fish and cooking

Method 

Apply 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt to the fish and keep it to marinate for 10 minutes. Take a wok, add oil. Let it heat well. Add the fish into the oil and fry it on both sides till brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Remove the excess oil and leave 3 tbsp oil in the wok. Add Panch phoran, bay leaves and green chillies. Wait till the Panch phoran crackles. Add the ginger paste and sauté it for a minute. Add all the vegetables, stir and sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and all the powder spices. Stir and cook for another minute. Add about 1 and 1/2 litres of water. Stir, cover and cook till the vegetable are almost tender. Now add the fried fish. If you are adding fried boris add it with the fish. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve it hot with hot steaming rice and lime wedges.

Doi Maach...

This is a fishy delicacy from Bengal. This dish is prepared during occasions. It's a bit sweet and sour in taste. Spiciness is adjusted as per requirement. This dish is served with hot steamed plain rice or polau.

For Marnating and Frying the Fish...

Ingredients 

1 kg Ruhi or Katla pieces preferably cut from a big size fish

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Mustard Oil for deep frying the Fish

Method 

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and let it stand for 15 minutes.Heat mustard oil in a wok till smoking point. Reduce the heat and fry the fish till light brown in colour from both the sides. Remove the fish and keep it aside while the gravy is prepared.

To Make the Doi Mach...

Ingredients 

Fried Fish

1 tbsp Ginger paste

1 tbsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tbsp Chilli paste 

1 medium size Onion paste 

3 Green Chillies slit

1 cup Curd 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 tsp Sugar to taste

Salt to taste 

2 Bay Leaves

3 Cloves 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

2 Green Cardomom 

Mustard Oil (Use the same Fish Fry Oil) 

Few Coriander Leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

Take the same wok in which the fish was fried. Reduce the oil to 4 tbsp. Heat the oil. Add cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom. Let the spices crackle. Add the bay leaves and green chillies. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the onion paste, ginger paste, garlic paste and chilli paste. Sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes till the rawness of paste is gone. Meanwhile add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, sugar and salt in the curd and beat it. Add the beaten curd into the wok. Sauté it for another 3 minutes. Add the fried fish into the curd gravy. Let it simmer for a minute. Add a cup of water. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves before serving. 

Maccher Dopiaza / Fish Dopiaza....

Dopiaza means 2 onions. It is a  South-Asian Curry dish. This dish was accidentally innovated in the kitchen of Mugal Emperor Akbar. This dish is very popular in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is adapted as per the communities living in that place. 

The onions are used in two stages. It is prepared with a large amount of onions, once caramelised and another with onion paste. This dish is usually made with non vegetarian ingredients mainly meat,but now a days vegetarian Dopiaza is also made. A souring agent is added to the dish.The other ingredients which are used are meat, onions, ginger and garlic paste, whole spices and powder spices. 

Here I have made Fish Dopiaza in Bangladeshi style. I have used Katla Fish. Any other fish like Rui, Prawns,Telapia,Bhetki can be used to make this dish. I have used tomatoes, but it can be replaced with curd or both can be used in equal proportion. 

Ingredients

8 pieces of Katla Fish marinated with 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder and Salt. 

1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic and Green Chilli paste 

1 small Onion paste

3 medium size Onions cut into thick sliced 

2 medium size Tomatoes cut into thick sliced or 1/2 cup Curd or 1 Tomato and 1/4 cup Curd 

2 Green Chillies silt

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

1/4 tsp or more Red Chilli powder as required

1/2 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

2 Cloves

1 Green Cardomom

1 small stick Cinnamon 

5 to 6 Peppercorn 

2 Bay leaves 

Mustard Oil for Frying the Fish 

4 tbsp Oil taken from the same oil in which the fish was fried 

or Ghee for the Gravy 

Method 

Take a pan, add oil and heat it till the smoking point. Reduce the heat. Fry the fish pieces till light golden brown in colour. Remove the fish pieces and keep it aside. Remove the excess oil from the pan leaving 3 tbsp of the oil or ghee can also be used. Add the cardomom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper corn. Sauté it till it crackles. Add the green chillies and bay leaves. Sauté it for another few seconds. Add the sliced onions, sauté it for a minute, add the sugar. Sauté it till the onions become pink in colour. Add the onion paste and ginger - garlic - chilli paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes till the masalas starts to separate from the oil. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder,coriander powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder and salt. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes or curd, stir and cook for 2 minutes till the tomatoes become mushy. Add a cup of water and let the gravy simmer for a minute. Arrange and place the fried fish in the gravy. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fish pieces and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve it hot with hot steam rice or paratha.