Fish Chops / Fish Croquettes

Time really runs fast. I can still remember the day when five Food Bloggers from Kolkata started this new adventure to achieve a dream to create a Food Bloggers' society in Kolkata. And now only 4 days are left to celebrate the First Birthday of Kolkata Food Bloggers aka KFB. With lot of twist and turns now we have come to this podium where we, the KFBians so much enjoy each other’s company, the internal-external activities, the Table meets, the events et al. Within this short span of time KFBians got a chance to work as a co-organizer of the Nutrifest of the KPC Medical College. The KFBians did four video shoots for a documentary which went to the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival last year. The team KFB started taking invited review programs and sampling food fests and so on and so forth...

We hope to achieve many more milestones by the KFB group. Wish us good luck so that we can keep on cooking, clicking, sharing and learning many more things and achieve those which we really lack. Here I Invite all my Food Blogger Friends to celebrate the KFB birthday with us. Keep following us and pour your love for us.

This Fish Chops/ Fish Croquettes I have once made for the first KFB Potluck Party. Everybody liked it. But I was pretty tensed about the reaction of the KFBians as this time I was going to face all the expert cooks from Kolkata. But I did a happy dance when everyone praised it whole heartedly. During my USA stay this one was one of my signature dishes for each party. So today I can't think of any other Finger food (this is the birthday celebration theme of the week, that our Event Manager Sarani has decided) but the Fish Chops/ Fish Croquettes. So here is the recipe, hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

Rohu Fish (Peti/ Belly part) Block- 6pcs

Potato- 3 medium

Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tea spn

Cumin Powder- 1 tea spn

Coriander Powder - 1 tea spn

Onion- 2 medium

Ginger paste- 3/4 tea spn

Tomato - 1 large

Salt & Sugar- According to taste

White Oil- 2 tbspn + Enough to Fry the Fish Chops/croquettes.

For the crust:

Flour- 1 tb spn

Water- 3/4 cup

Roasted Biscuit crust- 2  cups (more or less- I always keep 1 extra cup handy)

Method:

1. Boil the Fish with a pinch of Turmeric Powder and salt for 15 to 20mnts. Strain and bone the fish very carefully so that not a single piece leaves and also remove the fat/skin of the fish.
2. Boiled the potatoes. Strain the water and reserve.
3. Now add and mash all the dry ingredients/ Masala, Salt nicely with fish and Potato. Make nice dough.
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onion. Fry till it turns brown. Add chopped tomatoes and Ginger paste. Keep on frying till the Tomatoes separate the oil.
5. Add the fish mixture to it. Fold nicely and keep on Sautéing till the mixture starts to leave a fried aroma and looks like a very dry dough. (Don't forget to check the taste to add more salt or not)
6. Cool it. Grease your hand with oil. Start shaping the chops/Croquettes a good shape.
7. Now add the flour and water. Make a nice mixture out of it. Take a plate and spread the Biscuit crumbs.
8. Take one croquette. Dip in the Flour mixture and then roll on the crumbs. Again dip in the flour mixture and then roll on the crumbs. Doing it two to three times gives a very crusty bite after it gets fired.
9. When all the croquettes are ready to fry just keep them in the freezer for an hour or so.
10. Then deep fry them till they turn brown and serve them with sauce or desired dips. Don't forget to absorb the excess oil for the Croquettes by using a tissue paper.

Note:

1. To make this croquettes you can use Katla/ Basa or Bhetki fish.

2. Usually 2 normal size Fish block + 1 medium Potato yield 3 croquettes (of course - depends on the size).

3. You can store it (Non-fried one ) in the freezer for a week and just take it out and fry whenever you want to have it.