How to cook Bengali-style fish fry

The Cultural Origins of Bengali Fish Fry

The history of Bengali fish fry is a delicious blend of both the bengali food tradition and the influence of British occupation of Bengal. Cutlets, croquettes, and crumb-coated fried food items started to become quite popular in the clubs in Calcutta, Eurasian and Anglo-Indian households during the British Raj. Bengalis, as has always been the case with Bengali food, added a lot of local flavors and spices to the concept of frying food in crumbs and the result of this influence was the delicious Bengali fish fry. Bengalis, over the course of time, gave their own unique touch to this dish by using bengali fish, specifically freshwater fish such as bhetki and spices used in bengali cuisine. Bengali fish fry became the party and celebratory food in the region and this is how it still is to this day, served at weddings, parties, occasions, household meals, restaurants and now increasingly popular among non-bengalis as a starter or appetizer too.

Fish fry is usually made in bengali households with the freshest of fish and is a common affair at addas and parties among bengali friends. Bengali fish fry is also sold on the streets by kabiraji vendors where you can get fish kabiraji. Bengali fish fry is served with kashundi, sliced onions, cucumbers, and green chilies and is a full meal when served with a curry or rice. Bengali fish fry is best served hot off the pan and that is what makes it taste so much better.

Choosing the Right Fish for Authentic Flavor

The fish fry which you would have grown up eating is the bhetki fish fry, which means it is made with freshwater fish bhetki. The authentic and traditional bengali fish fry is made with bhetki because bhetki fish has a firm and flaky texture and also has a mild flavor. If you do not have access to bhetki, you can substitute it with cod, basa, tilapia, snapper or any other white meat fish but the end result is likely to be different because of the different textures of the fish.

Bengalis are very particular about the fish that they cook and the fishes that Bengalis cook and use in their fish curries are specifically bengali fish, mostly freshwater ones. So if you do not have access to bengali fish you can substitute them with the fish available to you locally. Try to choose fish which has a similar texture to bhetki or bengali fish so that you get an authentic taste. For bengali fish fry the fish has to be fresh, white in color, and most importantly, boneless. Boneless fish fillets are more than ideal for making fish fry as they are easy to fry without any bones and the fish has to be fresh. Choose fillets that are evenly sliced and at least half an inch thick because you do not want the fish to fry too thin and dry up too soon. Having boneless fish fillets which are half an inch thick or more makes it so much more easier for you to prepare fish fry at home and is a big game-changer. Using fresh fish is also important when making fish fry. To tell if the fish is fresh or not, simply check the fish, if it smells clean and the flesh is firm, that means the fish is fresh.

Preparing the Fish Fillets for Marination

Preparing the fish fillets for marination is an important step because if the fish is not properly prepared, your whole fish fry will be a disaster. After you have properly washed the fish fillets and dried them well and made sure that the fish is boneless, evenly sliced, at least half an inch thick and fresh as well, you have to now prepare it for marination. This is the most important step for making fish fry and one that you should take your time in doing because washing and preparing the fish fillets properly will ensure that the spices seep in properly while marinating. Washing and drying the fish fillets properly is important for a lot of reasons, the first being that it is a health and safety protocol you must follow when cooking fish at home. To prepare the fish fillets for marination, you have to wash the fillets properly. Make sure that you properly wash off the water after you are done washing the fish fillets.

Pat the fish fillets completely dry so that there is no more moisture left on the fish. Moisture on the fish fillets is not good for frying as it will splatter all over the place because of the moisture and will not let the spices stick to the fish properly because of the moisture. If the fish is not dried well, the spices will not properly adhere to the fish and your fish fry will turn out soggy instead of crispy. The moisture can also make your fish too watery and therefore not crispy on the outside. The spices must adhere to the fish while frying and to make sure that the spices stick to the fish fillets, make sure that you completely dry the fish fillets. After you have completely dried the fish fillets, you can also trim the edges and you can even score the fish fillets a little bit so that the spices can go deeper into the fish. Scoring the fish fillets is optional. If you find that the fish fillets are too thick, you can always slice them lengthwise as well.

Crafting the Classic Bengali Marinade

When it comes to Bengali marinade for Bengali-style fish fry, Bengali spices like garlic, ginger, green chilies and ground black pepper form the base for the marinade. Bengali food also uses a lot of mustard oil for cooking and that is why it is used in the marinade for bengali fish fry as well. Lemon juice or vinegar is also used for a nice, tangy flavor and salt is used for flavor as well as to help tenderize the fish. To make the marinade for the fish fry, first mix up ginger-garlic paste, salt, pepper powder and lime juice. After you have mixed this and coated the fish fillets in it, let the fish rest for 20-30 minutes and then apply the second marinade of red chili powder, garam masala, chaat masala, mustard oil and some kasundi or Bengali mustard sauce. The first marinade of ginger-garlic paste, salt, pepper powder and lime juice should rest for 20-30 minutes before you put on the second marinade. Mix well with your hands and marinate the fish for at least 45 minutes to an hour before you do the crumb coating. Bengali marinade should not be over the top with flavors because we want to taste the fish as well and also the natural flavors of the spices. Bengali marinade for fish fry should be spicy but not very spicy, tangy but not very tangy and aromatic but not very aromatic. A Bengali marinade for fish fry needs to be balanced in all its flavors.

Allowing the Marination to Work its Magic

Marination is a very important step of the process in terms of flavoring the fish properly but it is also a very important step in terms of ensuring that the fish remains tender after frying. It is therefore important to marinate the fish fry for the right amount of time. Marinate for at least 45 minutes to an hour but not overnight because it might become too soft. Marinating overnight will cause the proteins in the fish to break down which will make it too soft. To let the marination work its magic, refrigerate the fish fry while it marinates. Do not over-marinade as well because then the fish will become too soft. Refrigerating the fish fry also helps because it will keep it from spoiling while you wait for the marinade to work its magic. The fish fry should absorb all the flavors from the marinade but should still retain its shape. The fish fry will taste mildly spicy and tangy and should have a very nice aroma as well because of the marinade.

Preparing the Signature Crumb Coating

The thing about Bengali fish fry is that it has its own special way of coating the fish. A lot of people across the world make fish coated in breadcrumbs or in some kind of batter, mostly flour and cornmeal batter but Bengalis have a different style of coating fish which is a double coating. Bengali fish fry does not use a batter for the fish fry and it also is double coated with beaten eggs and breadcrumbs and this is the Bengali way of making it. Use dry breadcrumbs for the fish fry and preferably fine dry breadcrumbs as these will ensure that the coating is tight on the fish fry. You can also use slightly coarse breadcrumbs as well if you do not have fine breadcrumbs but the crumb coating would not be as tight and may have gaps as well. Season the breadcrumbs with some salt or pepper, just lightly, if you want. To coat the fish fry, simply press the fish fillets well into the breadcrumbs and the breadcrumbs should adhere to the fish very well without any gaps. A good fish fry would mean that the fish is coated so well that there are no gaps.

The Art of Double Coating for Extra Crunch

If you want the double coating of the fish fry to be of premium quality and have an extra crunch to it, you can always double coat the fish fry. To double coat the fish fry, you need to first dip the fish in the egg wash and then press it well into the breadcrumbs and then once it is coated, repeat the process again. You need to repeat the process once again which is what is called double coating. Double coating fish fry will give the fish fry a thicker shell when it is fried and the shell will also be much crunchier. Double coating the fish fry also helps in other ways too. Double coating the fish will also ensure that the fish fry does not absorb too much oil while it is frying and also keeps it moist as well. To double coat the fish fry, you will need to be a little careful because the double coating of the fish fry can fall off the fish fry if not done carefully. After you have double coated the fish fry, let it rest for at least 10-15 minutes and this resting time will ensure that the breadcrumbs are fully adhered to the fish fry.

The Frying Process: Achieving the Perfect Golden Crust

The most delicate part of the whole fish fry making process is the frying itself. To fry the fish, first heat oil in a deep pan over medium flame. When the oil is medium hot and not too hot or too cold, test the temperature by dropping a breadcrumb in the oil. The breadcrumb should rise up slowly and sizzle in the oil but the oil should not be too hot because if it is too hot, it will brown the crumbs quickly and not cook the fish fry evenly. To fry the fish fry, gently lower the coated fish fry into the oil and ensure that the oil does not splatter everywhere because it is hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan with too much fish fry and also maintain a consistent temperature while frying. Fry the fish fry for 3-4 minutes on both sides till it turns golden brown in color. The fish fry should cook well on both sides and not absorb too much oil. The fish fry should not turn too dark as well or it would mean that the temperature is too high. Take out the fish fry once done and place it on absorbent paper or tissue to get rid of the excess oil on the fish fry.

Pairing with Mustard Sauce and Classic Accompaniments

Fish fry is almost always served with mustard sauce, or more specifically Bengali mustard sauce, or kasundi. Kasundi pairs so well with the mild spices of the fish fry and enhances the taste of the fish fry even more. Kasundi or Bengali mustard sauce is almost always served with Bengali fish fry and this is one of the most classic pairings of Bengali food. The other accompaniments which go very well with Bengali fish fry are sliced onions, green chilies, cucumbers and a sprinkle of chaat masala on top of it all. Bengali fish fry is also sometimes served with ketchup and mint chutney as well and these also make for a nice accompaniment as well. These accompaniments also go very well with Bengali fish fry and are classic with it.

Variations Across Bengal and Modern Twists

The traditional way of making Bengali fish fry is by using bhetki fish and there are variations of fish fry using other Bengali fish as well, like rohu fish and katla fish, because Bengalis only use Bengali fish when making fish fry. Bengalis even make small fish fry cutlets which are usually oval in shape and they are usually called fish kabiraji which is essentially the bengali version of fish fry. Bengali fish fry is now also being made with panko crumbs for the crumb coating and the marinade is sometimes infused with herbs like coriander leaves and mint leaves as well. Bengali fish fry is also now being made in a much lighter version with baking and air-frying as well. These are some of the popular variations of Bengali fish fry which are being made with a modern-day twist. Bengali fish fry is delicious in all its variations because they all keep the same qualities which Bengali fish fry is supposed to have, such as being crispy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside, a mildly spicy and tangy taste and also a nice aroma.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

One of the most common mistakes that people usually make while making fish fry is adding too much lime in the marinade which in turn breaks the fish and leaves you with mushy fish which has not been marinated in the marinade and not properly coated as well. Another mistake that people make while making fish fry is that the fish fillets are not properly dried before they start with the coating process which would mean that the spices will not adhere to the fish fillets very well and will leave you with a soggy fish fry instead of a crispy one. Using fresh breadcrumbs while making fish fry instead of dry breadcrumbs will also leave you with an uneven crunch on the outside of the fish fry. Another mistake that people often make is by overheating the oil in which the fish fry is being fried, because overheating the oil will cause the crumb coating to get burnt but will leave the fish fry uncooked. Another mistake is heating the oil on low flame as well because it will make the fish fry greasy. The last mistake which people make while making fish fry is by not allowing the crumbed fish fry to rest which will leave the crumbs fall off the fish fry while you try to fry it. By keeping in mind these common mistakes, even a novice cook can ensure that their fish fry does not have any such mistakes and can end up with a restaurant-quality fish fry which can be served at addas, at home and even for guests.

Storing and Reheating Fish Fry

The best way to eat fish fry is to simply fry it up and eat it as you go but it is possible to store fish fry as well, at least partially. Marinated fish fry can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours and crumbed fish fry can be refrigerated for a few hours as well before frying them up and then eating them. Reheating fish fry is not always the easiest thing to do because the crisp of the breadcrumbs are likely to go once the fish fry has been refrigerated and then reheated so the best way to reheat fish fry is to reheat it in an oven or air fryer so that you can at least regain that crisp from the breadcrumbs which has now gone away. Do not microwave fish fry as the crumbs will become soggy. The only way to freeze fish fry is by freezing the crumbed but unfried fish fry and layering it with parchment sheets so that they do not stick to each other. Thaw them a little before you fry them and this would ensure that you can store and reheat fish fry as well.

Conclusion

Cooking Bengali-style fish fry is a labor of love but at the end of the day, the process is very worth it. The whole cooking process for Bengali fish fry has a nice mix of tradition, ritual, nostalgia, technique, and pure and simple sensory pleasure. Fish fry has history behind it which gives it that extra decadence. Fish fry is one of those food items which the bengali palette is especially fond of and bengali fish fry is an absolute showstopper of a starter or appetizer or just as a meal with some rice or curries. This quintessential Bengali snack is full of texture, taste and aroma and is a must-have in the bengali kitchen. The history of Bengali fish fry takes it beyond a simple dish and into a more celebratory dish. Fish fry was also adopted and adapted by Bengali kabiraji vendors who sell fish kabiraji and other kinds of kabiraji all over the streets of Bengal and this just takes the fish fry to another level altogether. Cooking Bengali fish fry is one thing that every bengali cook must learn because it is so easy and simple to make it at home and it just takes so little time. Fish fry is a relatively simple dish to cook but with a few steps and a few hacks and tricks which only a seasoned fish fry chef would know, one can make restaurant-quality fish fry in the comfort of their own homes. Making fish fry is easy and simple, but at the end of the day, one must take the time and do each step with care because that is what goes to make a restaurant-quality fish fry. Bengali fish fry when made well is crisp on the outside and moist and soft on the inside, mildly spicy and tangy and has a very nice aroma too because of the Bengali marinade. Fish fry is also usually served with a variety of condiments and sauces to choose from because of its rise in popularity as a starter or appetizer but the classic accompaniment which goes with Bengali fish fry is kashundi. Kashundi, Bengali mustard sauce, and Bengali fish fry are a match made in heaven and are the most classic pairing of Bengali food items that you can have.