Kochuri as we know it in Bengal is another form of stuffed puris. What stands out in favour of it is the stuffing is varied from as per person’s taste. It used to be an essential part in traditional Bengali households till Globalization happened and we are bombarded with breakfast cereals and juices. I still miss the good old days when mom used to pack kochuries of different kinds of stuffing like peas, lentils etc. My Mom's creation 'Fish Kachori' was born out of compulsion to finish the stock of Rohu fish in the freezer section. We were planning to go for our yearly vacation together and needed to clean our fridge before journey. Dad had made Fish Cutlets with half of the 'pur' (pur is nothing but stuffing, it may be veg or non veg) and with remaining pur Ma made this Fish Kachoris.
Generally Fish in its own is a dish by itself however when I used up some leftover fishes and stuffed them in the dough, it was as good as any other meals. As far as taste it had the distinct flavor of fish which left a great lingering feeling behind.
Ingredients:
For Dough-
500 gms All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Oil or Ghee
1 cup Warm water
For Filling:
5-6 Rui/ Rohu Fish or you can use any other boneless fish
2 Onions, finely chopped
4 Green chilies
1 tsp Ginger, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Red Chili powder
Handful of chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
If you are using fish fillet then skip this boiling part otherwise boil fish pieces with some salt and cook till they are tender. Drain, discard the water and allow it to cool. Remove the bones from the fish and mince the fish.
In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and onion, green chilies, ginger, garlic and fry for a minute. Add minced fish, coriander leaves and stir well. Add all the spices and fry till the mixture becomes dry.Finally taste and adjust the seasonings. Allow the mixture to cool.
Prepare the dough by sieving together the flour and salt. Make a well in between and pour 3 tbsp oil or ghee and water little by little to form a pliable dough. Knead well until soft. Cover and let it rest for 1/2 hour.
Make small portions of the dough, give them a shape of discs and pour 2 tbps fish filling in center, gather the sides of the dough and seal firmly. Press the center of the poori so that the filling shouldn't come out. Dust the kitchen counter, flatten it and roll it uniformly.
Make sure the size of disc is not too big and make sure the filling doesn't spill out. At a time you can fry only one poori. Repeat the same steps for the rest of the day and stuffing.
Deep fry the pooris on high flame initially then turn the heat to low once the poori is fully puffed on one side, flip and fry from both the sides. Drain off excess oil and serve with Alu'r Dom / Dhaniya Chutney / Chutney.
