Kachki Machher Bora
Crisp fritters made with tiny Ganges river sprat
- Cooking time30 minutes
Calories60kcal
Kachki is one of the many types of tiny fish that are eaten in Bengal. Kachki is usually no longer than 1.5 centimetres in length with a translucent body and a brilliant silver streak running across its body. Bengalis cook kachki in many ways including kachki chochchori (a stir-fry with vegetables), kachki paturi (kachki cooked flat either on a griddle or inside a leaf parcel), kachki bhaape (steamed kachki), and kachki bata (a mash of kachki).
This particular recipe is a quick and easy fritter that is perfect as a snack with tea (or a beer). It is often served alongside rice and dal, or some hot steaming khichuri on a chilly or rainy day.
There are only two aspects of this recipe that you need to pay attention to: the first is to thoroughly wipe the fish dry to ensure a dry batter. The second is to make sure it is properly salted. There is nothing sadder than an under-seasoned fritter. If you use about 2% of the weight of the cleaned and dried fish, you should be good.
Books in this recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g kachki machh (Ganges river sprat)
- 75 g onions (sliced)
- 5 g ginger (finely chopped)
- 4 green chillies (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp kaalo jeere (nigella seeds)
- 5 g salt
- 8 g sugar
- 40 g maida (all-purpose flour)
- 20 g cornflour
- mustard oil for frying
Method
- Wash the kachki machh, strain out as much water as you can, and spread it out on paper towels to dry completely. The drier the fish, the more crisp the fritters will be.
- Slice onions, and fine chop ginger and green chillies.
- In a mixing bowl, add the kachki machh, onion, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, red chilli powder, kaalo jeere, salt and sugar.
- Mix gently so as not to break the fish, until everything is combined, and set aside for about 15 mins. You can prep up to this stage ahead of time if you like.
- When you are ready to fry, heat mustard oil in a kadai. To the fish mixture, add maida and cornflour.
- Once the mixture has come together and is slightly tacky, take 25 g portions and flatten them into fritters. Fry them on medium heat until they are crisp and brown.
- Serve hot with a salad, or with rice, dal or khichuri.
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