I wish I could say that I have been adoring, loving and eating the dish, Macher Dimer Kofta Curry or Fish Roe Kofta Curry since my childhood. I am not sure if I can blame my immature tastebuds for this. But unfortunately, me and my tastebuds could not acknowledge the amazing taste of Macher Dimer Bora (Fish Roe Fritters), adorning the plates and uplifting the mood of my family members. I do not know whether it was the unique texture of the fritters or the unique taste which kept me away from these delicacies for all those years, and also made me fail to understand the exciting eyes and the drooling mouth of my father often during monsoons, when he managed to buy a big Rohu or Catla fish with a good amount of fish roe.
Although, owing to the fact that fish is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acid, which is considered good for the development of brain, which in turn makes consumption of fish and by-product of fish necessary to get good marks in exam, my parents made all possible unsuccessful attempts to convince me to allow Macher Dimer Bora pass the test of taste and be included in my palate. But the credit of turning impossible to possible goes to one of my aunt, who almost forcibly made me taste the last fritter left in the bowl on a Sunday lunch, after many years when I was working in Delhi. I still wonder what was it that made that particular bora so magical. Was it the addition of chopped onions or the psychology of last piece? But, one thing I was sure of, thereon my love affair with Macher Dimer Bora had begun and I realised what I was missing all those years.
As my knowledge about cooking was very limited, so my capacity to imagine possibilities of creating variety of dishes was also narrow. Hence it had to take another episode of tasting Macher Dimer Borar Jhol or Fish Roe Fritters Curry made by my mother-in-law, to realise that these fritters can also be taken as curry.
And over time, as I am getting more and more accustomed to the amazing possibilities in the world of kitchen, creating and recreating have become inseparable part of my existence. This Macher Dimer Kofta Curry or Fish Roe Kofta Curry is one such execution of my many shades of imagination that I breathe with, along with oxygen.
Note: This Macher Dimer Kofta Curry will be a good substitute for regular chicken curry when yearning for something good and different.
Recipe: Macher Dimer Kofta Curry Or Fish Roe Kofta Curry
Preparation Time: Around 17 minutes Time Taken to Fry Fish Roe Fritter: Around 27 minutes Time Taken to Cook Curry: 50 minutes Equipment Used: Bowls, grinder, grater, knife, cutting board, wok and a turner Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
- Roe of Rohu or Catla
- 3 medium sized to big onions
- ½ cup gram flour or besan
- 1 and ¾ cup water
- 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds
- 9 tablespoon mustard oil
- 15 garlic cloves (approximately)
- 1 tomato
- 1 green chilli
- 2 inches X ½ inch ginger
- ¼ cup cashew
- 8 pieces of cinnamon sticks of 2cm X 0.5cm (approx)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper corn
- 1 red chilli broken into half
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon roasted jeera powder or cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
Method:
- If frozen, thaw the fish roe in advance and rinse the roe part carefully without losing parts of roe. Keep them in a bowl
- Chop 1 onion and add into the fish roe bowl
- Add gram flour into the bowl, followed by ¼ cup water. Mix the ingredients with hand or a spoon till you get a thick batter
- Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ajwain into the bowl and mix the ingredients once again
- Heat a wok
- Heat 7 tablespoons mustard oil in the wok, once the wok is hot
- As the oil turns hot and smoke comes out, little by little drop the portions of batter of around 4 cm into the pan and fry them on medium flame in batches till they turn golden brown from both sides
- Transfer the fried fritters to a bowl and keep them aside
- Switch off the flame and leave the oil as it is after frying is done
- Now peel the garlic cloves, peel the ginger piece, peel and dice the remaining onions along with tomato. Shift the ingredients to a grinding jar and grind them to a smooth paste after adding cashews and green chilli
- Put the wok again on fire with the remaining oil after adding another 2tablespoons mustard oil
- Temper the oil with cinnamon sticks, pepper corn and red chilli
- Add the ground paste, followed by ½ teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon jeera powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- Mix the spices with a turner and leave the wok to cook on low flame while stirring occasionally till fat separates from spices
- Add the fish roe fritters into the wok, when fat completely separates from the paste
- Add 1 and ½ cup water and let the curry simmer till bubbles form
- Taste and adjust salt and sugar. I have added another ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon sugar.
- Switch off the flame and enjoy Macher Dimer Kofta Curry with steamed rice.
Keep the fish roe in a bowl.
Add chopped onion and gram flour.
Add water. Mix the ingredients with hand or a spoon to make batter.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ajwain. Mix the ingredients again.
Heat 7 tablespoons mustard oil in a wok.
Little by little drop the portions of batter of around 4 cm into the pan and fry them on medium flame in batches till they turn golden brown from both sides.
Switch off the flame and leave the oil as it is after frying the fritters.
Grind garlic, ginger, onion, tomato, cashew and green chilli to a smooth paste.
Heat the wok again with the remaining oil after adding another 2tablespoons mustard oil.
Temper the oil with cinnamon sticks, pepper corn and red chilli.
Add the ground paste, followed by ½ teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon jeera powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
Mix the spices with a turner and leave the wok to cook on low flame while stirring occasionally till fat separates from spices.
Add the fish roe fritters when fat completely separates from the paste.
Add 1 and ½ cup water and let the curry simmer till bubbles form.
Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Stir the curry once and switch off the flame.
Tips:
- Before adding other ingredients, mix fish roe with gram flour and onion once, to determine the right amount of water required to make the batter
- Flip the fritters in the pan when you see the bottom part is fried
- Add water little by little while grinding to acquire the perfect paste
