Fish Koftas

Another Friday and yet another pescatarian dinner. Fridays in Lent constitute fish at our dinner table. Meals have been duly chronicled and posted, consumed enthusiastically or sometimes with little enthusiasm. This is the last compulsory meal as Easter comes barrelling along. I try a Bengali kofta curry. Simple spices sauteed with the usual suspects.... onions, ginger and garlic. The curry laced with tomato paste becomes more a sauce than a runny gravy. Boiled fish and mashed potato koftas are enhanced with fried onions, chiles and few choice spices. Lightly fried, they are napped with the tomato sauce and topped with a yogurt garlic sauce. Most appetizing. 


FISH KOFTAS
Serves 4

1 pound boneless skinless Cod
1 large Yukon Gold Potato
1 Bread Slice
2 Green Chiles, minced fine
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon Chile powder
3/4 teaspoon Garam masala
1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Onions
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Bay Leaf
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Chile powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Paste


Cut cod into large pieces. Place cod in a saucepan, cover with water, add a large pinch of salt tp cod and bring to a boil over a medium flame. Lower flame and simmer cod for 10 minutes till flaky and done. Drain well. 

Peel potato and chop into chunks. Place in a bowl, cover with water and add a large pinch of salt. Boil potatoes till soft. Drain and mash well with a fork.

Put fish in a bowl and mash gently. Add potatoes to fish, along with green chiles, garlic paste, cilantro, chile powder, garam masala, cumin powder and salt.

Chop onion finely.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion to hot oil and saute till light brown. 

Take 1 tablespoon of browned onion and add to fish.

Soak bread slice in a little water for 1 minutes. Squeeze water out and add to fish. 

Use your hands to mix the fish and spices well.

Form small balls.

Deep fry balls till golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm or reheat in a microwave just before adding to the sauce below. 

If preferred you could make small flat discs and shallow fry them.

Continue to saute onions.

Add bayleaf, cloves and cinnamon stick to onions.

Add garlic and ginger paste to browned onions. Saute till you see oil on the edges of the onions.

Add tomato paste and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Add turmeric, chile and garam masala to onions. Stir well for 30 seconds so spices can bloom.

Season with salt.

Pour water into onions and simmer for 5 minutes. You need a thickish sauce just enough to coat the fish.

Whisk yogurt and garlic paste together. Add 3 -4 tablespoon of water to make a pouring consistency.

Float the fish koftas in the sauce.

Drizzle with yogurt sauce and serve with rice or roti.

The family equates koftas with meat. Pleasantly surprised with the deception, they attack the alternative with much gusto. 

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