Early Saturday morning conversation between my mom and me :
Me: Ma, what should I cook this weekend?
Mom: What do you have?
(I gave her a list of the things in my pantry and freezer.)
Mom: Why don’t you make fish chops this week.
She used to make fish chop when someone came to our home for tea and conversation. This year she made fish chops or kebabs for Bengali New Year. I wanted to enjoy those fish chops with my family in Boston on the eve of Easter. None of my family members are Christian, but who does not like Easter eggs 😉 .
These fish chops are very good in protein and you can make with any kind of fish you love. Did I sound like mom of two kids?! :stuck_out_tongue: No, I am not that kind of person who diets, I eat french fries, potato chips, ice cream on a daily basis. But these chops are very healthy and consume very less oil. You can enjoy them with cocktails or tea or coffee and some dipping sauce like ketchup/mustard/ hot sauce.
Recipe for Fish Chop or patties (or kebabs)
- Canned Tuna (Starkist) – use whatever you like – 3
- Ginger paste – 1 tsp
- Garlic – 3 fat cloves finely chopped
- Onion – 1
- Green Chillies – 8 (for super hot) or less
- Potato – 2 medium-boiled
- 1 Green/Red pepper – Thinly Sliced
- Few Cilantro Leaves
- Few mint leaves
- Vinegar – 1 tsp
- Sugar
- Salt
- Oil – 1tbsp+1 tsp
- Grated cheese – 1/4 cup
- Eggs – 1
- Bread Crumbs – 1/2 cup
- My mom used to boil and mash the fish. I used Starkist canned tuna pack.
- Chop green-chillies, green pepper, onion, mint and cilantro leaves.
- Boil 2 potatoes, peel and mash with salt, ginger paste and canned fish. (Squeeze the water out of the canned tuna before adding to the mash).
- Heat up the oil in the pan. Add onion. When it changes color add the thinly cut garlic. When it’s a bit done (2-3 minutes) on medium heat (don’t burn the garlic) add thinly sliced green pepper and green-chillies. When it’s a bit done, add the mashed potatos and fish. Add vinegar, salt and sugar. Cook for some time. Add chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Mix well. Switch off the heat.
- Take it out of the heat. When it cools down add some grated cheese and mold patties by hand. (Trick: oil your hand so that all patties will be perfectly shaped and it won’t break.)
- Dip the patties in egg mixture and coat with breadcrumbs.
- Brush with a little oil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they turn golden brown
- Mom used to put them in a pan and fry with 1 tsp of oil at very low temperature. Enjoy this with thinly sliced onion, lemon and mustard sauce.
