Fry

Spicy Indian Fishcakes with a Crisp Coating (Macher Chop)

February 29, 2012
4
1 Ratings
  • Makes 30 fish cakes
Author Notes

I first began making these fish cakes to bring home the flavors of one of my favorite snacks. Being, pressed for time, my version is an attempt to simplify and adapt my mother's more elaborate version of this recipe. These fish cakes (called chops) are a common and much loved snack in eastern India, a creation inspired by Anglo Indian cuisine.

These fishcakes are best served with a creamy mustard and or ketchup. —Rinku Bhattacharya /Spice Chronicles

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 large Idaho potatoes (boiled in their jackets)
  • 1 large can of water packed tuna (thoroughly drained)
  • 2 Serrano chilies, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • lots of freshly ground lemon pepper (I use the Trader Joe's peppermill variety)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1 red onion, very finely minced
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups canola oil, for frying
Directions
  1. Peel the potatoes and mash the potatoes well.
  2. Mix in the tuna (it is important to make sure that the tuna is well drained or the moisture will impact the texture of the chops)
  3. Mix in the chilies, chopped cilantro, lemon pepper, salt, red onion and ginger until well mixed. I like to use my hands for mixing to get a smooth and even texture.
  4. Prepare a batter with the flour and the water, the texture should be thick, much like pancake batter.
  5. Take a small amount of the fish and potato mixture and shape into a small round and flatten this to form a circular cake.
  6. Dip the cake in the batter and then coat well with the breadcrumbs.
  7. Set this aside on a dry plate and continue until all the mixture is used up.
  8. Place the fishcakes in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  9. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok, this should be done on medium heat until the oil is very hot. Test with a breadcrumb.
  10. Place the cakes about 3-4 at a time, depending on the size of the skillet and fry the cakes for about 3-4 minutes on each side. The temperature of the oil is important to achieve a smooth and well browned texture.
  11. Fry all the cakes in this manner and drain on paper towels and serve..

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1 Review

deanna1001 March 4, 2012
This sounds really good...but I don't see ginger in the ingredient list. It's in the directions though...I was wondering where the Indian part came in...