MACHER PATISHAPTA / FISH CREPES

On my December visit to India, I had it in a Bengali themed restaurant, loved it. Ever since I had been planning to do it in my kitchen. A dear sister took us out for lunch one day, wished to have an elaborate Bengali meal. This Fish Crepes were never made at home, hence I was too curious to have them, eventually ended up eating two big.

Kolkata residents are foodies. There are a number of speciality Bengali restaurants besides numerous other small eateries who serve regular Bengali meals. If, by any chance you happen to visit Kolkata, please do visit them to taste our local cuisine....both....exotic and regular. At some places they serve you traditionally in banana leaves and earthen pots, how I love food be served this way. Obviously, you cannot miss eating our famous sweets. To taste the many varieties you need to stay for at least 15 days.

We make jaggery-coconut filled crepes, making of these fish crepes are not common in our community. We need to prepare a fish filling and a batter for these Fish Crepes / Macher Patishapta.

INGREDIENTS[for the fish filling] :

Fish Fillets : 400gm
Onion : 2[medium]
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Green Chillies : 3
Bengali Garam Masala : 1/2tsp[cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves dry roasted and ground to a powder]
Lemon : 1
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/4tsp
All purpose flour : 1tbsp
Oil : 3tbsp

INGREDIENTS[for the batter] :

All purpose flour : 1 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/4 th coffee mug

Rice Flour : 2 tbsp
Water : As required
Salt : As required
Oil : A few drops of



METHOD :

Wash, marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, little salt. Keep aside. Get the ginger and garlic paste, garam masala powder ready in hand. Chop the green chillies. Slice the onions.

Let us prepare the batter. Take all the flours in a bowl. Add salt. Add water little by little. It will be like a dosa batter. Add a little of oil, beat well.

Heat oil in wok. Add the cumin seeds. As they splutter, add the sliced onions. When they turn brown, add ginger-garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes. Add the salt, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies. Fry for a minute at low heat. 

Add the marinated fish. Saute well, break the fish with your ladle. When the water is almost drying up, add the garam masala powder, potato. Stir cook for 2-3 minutes, add the corn flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the gas stove. . Let the filling cool down.

Heat 1/4tsp oil in a pan. With a round big spoon, pour in a spoonful of batter on a heated pan greased with oil. Spread with the back of a round, deep spoon. Add some fish filling in the middle as seen in the picture below.

This should be done in medium to low heat. Let the inner part of the crepe cook well. Then fold in from both sides and transfer to a plate. With 1/4 tsp oil you can make upto 3 crepes. Idea is to keep the pan greased.

Serve with sauce of your choice. It goes best with kasundi[a specially made Bengali mustard sauce]!