Food Talk
Hindi-Chini fish fry

We have tried many ‘conti’ delicacies but always found them a trifle feeble on the palate. This Chinese variation on the oriental theme has bewitched us, says Pushpesh Pant

Chef’s special Ingredients Fish fillet (sole, surmai or bekti) 1/2 kilo Cornflour 2 tsp Five-spice powder 2 tsp Breadcrumbs 1/2 cup Egg (beaten lightly) 1 Cherry tomatoes 3-4 Dark soya sauce 1 tsp Green chillies (for garnish) 1 tsp Oil to fry Method Sift salt, corn flour and the five-spice powder together on to a plate. Apply this generously to the fish fillet that have been washed and patted dry. Dip the fillets gently in the egg batter. Coat with breadcrumbs. Heat oil to smoking point in a wide-bottomed pan. Reduce heat to medium. Deep fry the fillet till these are golden, turning once—carefully. Do not put more than two fillets at one time as larger number of fillets will reduce the temperature of the oil and the fish will soak more of it. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent kitchen towels. Take very little oil in a frying pan and fry the cherry tomatoes a little, pour the soya sauce if you like and remove. Slit the green chillies lengthwise and deseed. Serve with chilli sauce.

There was a time when ‘fish ‘n’ chips’ was considered the ‘national dish’ of Britain. When the Brits ruled India, they introduced us to fried fish that was different from the myriad native recipes—Bengali bhaja or Amritsari masala batter version.

The vilayati machchi was attractive because the fish fillets were boneless and could be indulged in without any fear by anyone. Recall, how Babur, founder of the Mogul dynasty on the sub-continent, complains tediously in Baburnama about ‘bothersome’ Indian fish?

We have tried many ‘conti’ delicacies fried, steamed, poached with a great variety of sauces, subtle and robust, but must confess that we have always found them a trifle feeble to register their presence memorably on the desi palate. It is the Chinese variation on the oriental theme that has bewitched us.

The Chinese are partial to very thin fillets that cook fast on high heat and absorb negligible quantity of oil. These are not coated with a thick batter a la Fish Orly or its much-hyped occidental cousins that are barely draped in crumbs and flavoured with the aromatic five-spice powder. Till a short while ago, this exotic item was derisively dismissed as the Chinese garam masala but now, with easy availability, it is fast winning a loyal following.

Indians have grown up from the sweet ‘n’ sour adolescence and are quite willing to try other flavours. True, good quality five-spice powder doesn’t come cheap but a little of it goes a long way and please remember that even high-grade Indian garam masala costs no less than Rs 450 a kilo. The Hindi-Chini fish fry sans any frills is very satisfying though the exotic allure is enhanced if it is paired with red and green chilli sauces and three or four cherry tomatoes just lightly fried in the pan with a spoonful of dark soya sauce.

The Chinese are not known to embellish their recipes with green chilli garnish. We couldn’t resist the patriotic fusion. To be honest, the fish tastes fine even with kasundhi/English mustard or a wedge of lime.

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