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.

Rui Posto with Indrani Dhar (Kolkata Food Blogger)

We know each other I think from last 4 years. Through our blogs we became fellow bloggers and then fast friends. And after settling down to Kolkata and having her one of the most important and responsible members of Kolkata Food Bloggers, she has become an inseparable part of our life. Yes the star of this and our last week's ""Know your Kolkata Food Blogger Friend" event is, none other than the eminent and one of the popular bloggers of Indian, Indrani Dhar. A mom of three kids, leads a very busy life but how passionate she is towards cooking, her blog is the perfect example of it. Her blog, Recipe Junction is a treasure trove collection of almost all cuisines.  Her stay in various countries for last 14 years reflects the variety of dishes she cooks and shares through her blog. The best quality of her I,s one can trust on her blindly and she knows very well what a responsibility is called.  Kolkata Food Bloggers is so proud to have one such member in its group. And I feel so proud to be associated with her as a friend and fellow blogger. There is so many things to learn from her and she is always here for us whenever we need her. She always stands for justice and has the courage to raise fair voice whenever its needed. A true gem and simple person by heart, she is Indrani.

Today I have picked up one of the most favourite recipes of our house that my mom cooks. Rui Posto/ Rohu Fish with Poppy Seed (Click to see Indrani's recipe), I found it in Indrani's blog. She cooked it in a very different way and sounds very delicious. She has added onion and tomatos. But I preferred to cook it in more simple way how my mom cooks. I cooked Cauliflower Posto almost same way as Indrani cooked that will be posted in the blog very soon. Now let us have a look on my dish of Rui Posto/Rohu Fish with Poppy Seeds.

Ingredients:

Rui/Rohu Fish - 4 blocks

Poppy Seed - 1/2 cup

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tspn

Mustard oil - To fry the fish + 1 tbspn + 1 tspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn + 1/4 tspn

Salt to taste

Green Chilli - 2 - 3

Method:-

1.  Rub the fish with 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder and salt.
2. Heat the Mustard Oil in Kodai/Pan. Be sure that the oil should reach a high temperature.  Add the fish slowly so that the oil should not sputter and burn your hand. Let the fish turn semi brown and then take our from the oil by letting go the excess oil. Reserve.
3. Paste the Poppy seeds in a smooth paste.
4. Heat 1tbspn oil in the Kadai. Add mustard seeds. Let them sputter. Add the poppy seed paste and 1/4 cup water, 1/4 tspn turmeric powder and keep on stirring. Add the remaining water and let it come to boil. Add the fish. Cook for a minute and then taste how much salt to add.
5. Cook for 3-4 mnts. Pls check how much gravy you want to keep. If more water needed then add. If you want a dry texture then cook until the gravy gets thicken.
6. Add green chilies and Ghee. Drizzle few drops of mustard oil (1 tspn) and serve with hot rice.

Note:

1. You can add Onion and Tomatoes also.

2. Many times we also use a bit mustard paste to enhance the taste.

Rui Dumpukht

I have adapted this from Bong Mom's Cookbook, where she has adapted this recipe from Kaberi'sKitchen (The recipe link of this dish is not available,so just sharing her blog link). I so much admire Sandeepa , the brain and great cook behind this blog  Bong Mom's Cookbook. I personally am a big fan of her blog since I have started my journey in this blogosphere . Now I am always stuck with her recent published book- based on her blog, mainly for the wits and the intellectual humour deliverance she shares along with the mouth-watering recipes.  About this recipe she clearly stated that this dish is not the original one what exactly called a DUMPUKT dish. Originally a Dumpukht dish gets cooked in slow oven, mostly in sealed container. Therefore Rui Dumpukht recipe has become more modified and cooked in a way to ease the method in a more less time taking way.

A bit knowledge about DumPukht: 

"Dum means to ‘breathe in’ and pukht to 'cook'. Dum Pukht cooking uses a round, heavy – bottomed pot, a handi, in which food is tightly sealed and cooked over a slow fire. There are two main aspects to this style of cooking; bhunao and Dum, or ‘roasting’ and ‘maturing’ of a prepared dish. In this style of cuisine, herbs and spices play an extremely critical role. The process of slow roasting gently persuades each to release maximum flavor. And the sealing of the lid; the sealing of the lid of the handi with dough achieves maturing. Cooking slowly in its juices, the food retains all its natural aromas and becomes imbued with the richness of flavors that distinguishes the cuisines." (Source HERE)

Ingredients:

Rui/Rohu Fish - 3 steaks

Onion -  1 medium (Sliced)

Ginger Paste - 1 tspn

Green Chili - The recipe called for it but I didn't use any.

Cashew- 7-8

Bay Leaf  - 1

Whole Dry Red Chili - 1

Yogurt - 1 tbspn

Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tspn

Turmeric- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tspn

Garam Masala Powder-  2 pinches

Salt  and Sugar- As per taste

Mustard Oil - As per requirement (The recipe called for White Oil)

Water- 1 cup (More or less)

Method:

1. Rub the fish steaks with salt and turmeric (1/4 tspn) powder. Heat oil in a Kodai/Pan. Let the oil get heated properly and shallow fry the fish. (I fried the fish till brown and a bit crispy as that is how my family members like to taste fish)
2. Fry the sliced onions till brown. Cool it down and make a paste along with Ginger and Cashew (If you are using Green Chilli then pls add that too).
3. Smooth the yoghurt adding red chilli powder and the remaining turmeric powder.
4. Add very little bit of oil in the Kodai/pan. When it will become hot add the Bay leaf and whole Red Chilli.
5. Add the Onion paste along with a bit sugar. Sauté it nicely then add the yoghurt slowly and the make sure you are adding it in a low heat. Fold nicely all the masala. Add water slowly. Let it boil add the Fish steaks . Add salt. Cover the lid and cook for some time till the gravy starts to thicken. Add garam masala powder and cook for a minute. Enjoy with white rice. 

Note:
1. My onions get fried a bit therefore the colour of the dish got changed. 
2. The dish tends to taste a bit on the sweeter (but not that sweet) side so when you are using sugar pls keep that in mind.

This one is the fifth post of the Blogging Marathon Event of Kolkata Food Bloggers. The Bloggers participating in it:

1. Amrita - Vishal @ http://amritavishal127.blogspot.in/

2. Archita @ http://architashomecooking.blogspot.in/

3. Indrani @ http://riappyayan.blogspot.in/ 

4. Sayantani @ ahomemakersdiary.com

Dhone Pata Rui (Rohu fish with Coriander Leaves)

My cook was absent, that meant I got a chance to enter in the kitchen during the day time. Day time in the kitchen means  I will be cooking lunch for my family. Lunch for us is always with a an elaborate meal spread starting with Rice, Dal, Veg Curry, Non-Veg dish, and Salad/Raita. This time I made Dhone Pata Rui (Rohu Fish made with Coriander Leaves). It really tasted awesome as the taste was so different from our regular fish curry cooked by our Cook. I didn't use too much coriander leaves as I was not much sure how my daughter will react against this new dish. Therefore my dish looks less green in colour as I really wanted to should look like. The fish sizes I have used were cut in to very small pieces and that is the most disappointing part for me. Please use big fish pieces to enrich the taste more. So enjoy the dish and let me then prepare few notes on this dish.

Ingredients:

Rui Machh/Rohu Fish - 5 small pcs

Coriander Leaves - 1 cup chopped + 1/2 cup chopped to Garnish

Tomato - 1 medium

Onion - 1 medium

Garlic Paste - 1 tspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Coriander Power- 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt & Sugar - as per taste

Mustard Oil-  As per requirement

Water - 1 cup (More or less)

Method:-

1.  Rub the fish with 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder and salt.
2. Heat the Mustard Oil in Kodai/Pan. Be sure that the oil should reach a high temperature.  Add the fish slowly so that the oil should not sputter and burn your hand. Let the fish turn semi brown and then take our from the oil by letting go the excess oil. Reserve.
3. Paste onion, tomato, 1 cup coriander leaves and ginger paste in a mixture grinder.
4. If there is excess oil then heat it again. Be sure to make the curry we need very less oil.
5. Add cumin seeds. Let it sputter. Add the onion paste and keep on frying till the paste gets fully cooked and starts to leave the frying aroma.
6. Add the all the powdered masalas except the Garam Masala powder. Add little bit of  water and fold  well with the paste. Sauté it fro 2 mnts more. Add Water and let it gets boiled.
7. When the curry starts to  get boil add the fish. Cook till the gravy gets thick. Add garam masala and saute nicely.
8. Take it off from the stove. Serve it in a serving dish and garnish it with the 1/2 cup of Coriander Leaves. Enjoy with hot rice.

Note:

1. Cooking is an art and always use all the masalas as per your taste.
2. If you want to add more coriander then pls go ahead. At the same time you will also get the green colour of it.
3. You can half the Coriander leaves - add half with onion paste and the make a paste of the other half and add it just 5mnts before you off the flame. If you don't want to add the paste separately then just add the chopped one and incorporate with the dish nicely.

This one is the fourth post of the Blogging Marathon Event of Kolkata Food Bloggers. The Bloggers participating in it:

1. Amrita - Vishal @ http://amritavishal127.blogspot.in/

2. Archita @ http://architashomecooking.blogspot.in/

3. Indrani @ http://riappyayan.blogspot.in/ 

4. Sayantani @ ahomemakersdiary.com