We Bengalis love fish in every way. There are plenty of fish dishes which we used to have, among all of them one of our very favorite fish items is Macher chop or Fish Chop which is a very famous Bengali Delicacy. A very popular and easy dish which we like to have as starter. I got the recipe from my cousin sister and tried to make like her.
For making this Macher Chop all we need a big fish (you can take any fish), because with big fish only the taste becomes perfect. This one is famous as starter. Last night I had one small potluck party for this only I made this Macher chop and it came out so well.
Ingredients:
1.Any big Fish of your choice : 4 piece.
2.One medium chopped onion.
3.One tea spoon garlic paste.
4.One clove chopped garlic.
5.One table spoon lime juice.
6.Two to three chopped green chilies.
7.One piece of bread.
7.Half tea spoon of cumin powder & Red chili powder.
8.A pinch of Chaat Masala and Garam Masala powder.
9.One well beaten egg.
10.Five to six table spoon bread crumb
11.One table spoon all-purpose flour.
12.Salt and sugar as per taste.
13.Sunflower oil.
Process:
Boiled the fish pieces and remove the bones now smashed the fish pieces. Then add some salt , lime juice and the bread piece (before add the bread piece put some water into the bread and squeeze it) into the smashed fish and mix well.
Now put some oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic after few seconds add the chopped onion and fry for some time. Now add the garlic paste and star for some time.
Now add the smashed fish mixture into the pan and mix well with everything.
Slowly add the all the spice powder with some salt and sugar and cook till the mixture become dry and raw smell goes off.
Now make small flat balls with the mixture and first roll them into all-purpose flour then dip into the beaten egg, finally roll them into the bread crumb and keep them in refrigerator for 5 to 10 mints.
Now deep fry them in low flame and served hot with Ketchup and salad.
One more special day for us to celebrate, In West Bengal Makar Sankranti, in Assam Bihu, In Punjab Lohri, In Tamilnadu Pongal and the list goes on . Almost every part of India celebrate this special auspicious day which is actually a Harvest Festival. We Indians celebrate all the festival in fullest. The specialty of Makar Sankranti in WB is, the farmers cut the new crops and from that rice (flour) they make some sweet dishes to celebrate. But different people make different kind of sweet dishes or Pithe to celebrate the special day.
I think almost in every house Maa, Grnad Maa’s are busy making the Pithe for this special day. My Grand Maa used to make so many different kind of Pithe on the day and in almost all the dishes she used to add date palm Jaggery or Khejur er gur. The smell of the jaggery and coconut is just awesome. I tried to make one of her very special sweet Chandrapuli, which is really famous delicacy in WB. My maa only gave me all the special tips to make this Chandrapuli.
Milk, Khoya, coconut, Date Palm Jaggery are the main ingredients of this sweet dish. First time I prepared this so I am little scared also.
Ingredients:
For inner filling:
1.One cup shredded coconut. (make a paste with some water in a grinder)
2.Two big cup thick milk.
3.Khoya: 50 gm.
4.Half cup sugar.
5.Three to four table spoon date palm jaggery.
For outer shell:
1.All-purpose flour: 150 gm.
2.Half cup shredded coconut.
3.Half cup sooji or semolina.
4.Three table spoon sugar.
5.A pinch of salt (optional).
6.A pinch of cardamom powder.
7.One table spoon of ghee.
7.Ghee or sunflower oil for deep frying.
For sugar syrup:
1.Two cup of sugar.
2.One cup of water.
3.Few cardamom.
Prcoess:
For sugar Syrup:
Make thick sugar syrup with sugar and water. When its start boiling add the cardamom pieces. And keep it aside.
To make the inner filling:
In a heavy bottomed vessel add the milk and the coconut paste and cook till the milk become half.
Now add the khoya, sugar, and date palm jaggery and cook till the mixture become dry and stick together.
For outer shell:
Mix all the ingredients together with some water and make one dough.
Now make small balls with the dough and flatten each ball with your fingers in the shape of a bowl (the shell would be medium thin). Now add one spoon of filling mixture into the shell bowl and bring together both the edges and it will get the shape of half-moon.
Now deep fry them in medium heat in Ghee (but if you want you can fry them in sunflower oil also) till both the sides become golden brown and after that soaked them into the sugar syrup. Leave it their till the sugar stuck with the Chandrapuli’s like gum.
Serve hot or cold.
-
