MahaAshtami_Bengali Fish Fry (with a Baked Variation)

Bengali Fish FryThe eight and most important day of the Durga Puja is Ashtami. There are very Bengalis few who do not go out to offer Anjali or an offering. They might go on their own volition or to appease, mom, mom-in-law, grandmom, girlfriend, boyfriend, well you get the idea. Think of it as a Yom Kipur for Bengalis. Ashtami is also the day of ultimate feasting after the prayers.

To this end, today I will share with you the recipe for Fish Fry. A simple but much loved fired concocction. Bengali Fried Fish or Fish Fry is my mother’s specialty. And, she knows that I love her recipe.

Before the recipe, I will however delve into the story of Ashtami, a series being done for my son, beginning with the post on Saptami.

Fish Fry

The morning of Ashtami or on the eight day, begins with an interesting ritual called Kumari puja. Kumari puja entails praying to little girls. This is to symbolize the purity of womanhood. Moving on to the evening  an evening ceremony called Sandhi Puja is done. This puja merges Ashtami and Navami or the ninth day of the puja. The goddess Durga who is also the slayer of the demons Chanda and Munda. This results in her  acquiring the name Chamundi. Getting to the head honcho Mahishashur,  entails kiiling other deamons.  Each killing brings new accolades for the goddess.  The intrinsic message of Durga Puja is one that is relevant and important at all times.  A message about the triumph of good over evil.

Bengali Fish Fry

There are layers of food restrictions for Ashtami, depending on the household, we tended to keep it simple on all days of the Puja, vegetarian on Saptami and fasting broken with bhog in the mornings on other days and all you can eat in the evenings.

Well, onto the fish fry, we all know that is what really floats everyone’s boat. This simple crumbed fish dish is a much loved Bengali creation, possibly of Anglo India origins. The key to this is marinating the fish. The fillet used should be thin and light tasting, the distinction of my mother’s recipe is the light addition of Bhaja Moshla, a very simple blend of roasted cumin and dried red chilies.

There are two variations to this, one is a batter coated variety often called fish orly, the recipe for which I share in the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles. Now, I typically do not suggest baked variations to fried dishes because I do not necessarily think that they are up to snuff, this is an exception for two reasons, firstly the baked version is pretty good secondly mom herself has approved it, she created it for my very health conscious brother.

Baked Bengali Fish FryYes, the last picture is the baked variety, pretty decent, huh? In India, mom’s and my fish of choice is Bhetki, here after some trial and error we both like either the cod or the sole. Essentially a good, thin firm fleshed fillet. I serve this with either kasundi or an improvised variation of dijon mustard with some yogurt and ketchup with a teeny bit of sriracha and brown sugar mixed in.

Whenever I make fish fry I make some extra. Mostly because I love it. But, also because fish fry makes a great fish sandwich.

Bengali Fish Fry (with a Baked Variation)

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Bengali Fish Fry (with a Baked Variation)

A classic Bengali recipe for fish fry, a spice breaded and fried or baked fish fillet that is nothing short of genius.

Ingredients

    For the roasted spice mixture (Bhaja Moshla)
  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 1 or 2 whole dried red chilies
  • For the fish fillets
  • 2 pounds of sole or cod fillets
  • 1 lime or lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 inch piece fresh peeled ginger
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves (optional)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 or 2 green chilies
  • 1 red onion
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3/4 cup milk or water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups of breadcrumbs (the traditional kind)
  • Oil for Frying

Instructions

  1. Dry roast the whole cumin seeds and the dried red chilies for about 2 or 3 minutes, the mixture should be very fragrant and turn a few shades darker. Grind to a powder and store.
  2. Pat the fillets dry and cut into 2 inch pieces and flatten slightly.
  3. In a blender, squeeze the lime or lemon juice, add in the salt, ginger, mint leaves (if using), cilantro and green chilies. Quarter the onion and add in. Pulse the blender a few times.
  4. Add in the salt and turmeric and blend until smooth. Add in about 1 tablespoon of the prepared bhaja moshla and pour this marinade over the fish and set aside for about 20 minutes.
  5. In the meantime in a large bowl add in the milk or water and mix well with the egg and flour to prepare a batter.
  6. Pour the breadcrumbs over a flat surface. For a good coating, you should have a good amount of breadcrumbs to work with.
  7. To assemble, dip each piece of fish in the batter and coat evenly with the breadcrumbs pressing down to create a good thin and uniform layer. Shake off any excess and place on a clean plate. Continue this until all the fish pieces are done.
  8. Refrigerate the fish for about 30 minutes to 2 hours, this is essential to allow the coating to settle.
  9. To fry, heat cannola oil until it is hot and almost smoking, add 2 or 3 pieces at a time and fry until uniformly golden on both sides.
  10. To bake, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees, drizzle a baking tray with oil, place the fish fillets in a single layer and bake for about 10 minutes, turn and bake another 10 minutes until the coating is crisp and golden, enjoy hot!

Notes

Most of the prep time is for unattended marination.

https://spicechronicles.com/bengali-fish-fry-with-a-baked-variation/

 

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