Chitol Macher Kofta

Ingredients- 

2 kg Chitol Mach (fish)

1 tablespoon garlic-ginger paste

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

Salt as needed

2 coconuts

Water as needed

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup onion paste

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

3-4 bay leaves

4-5 green chillies

1/4 teaspoon cardamom-cinnamon powder

Method- 

1.   Wash the fish properly, and place on a "Sheel Pata". A "Sheel Pata" is a flat stone with a cylindrical stone or rolling pin that is rubbed back and forth to grind or smash ingredients. Smash the whole fish lightly and pick the bones out. Smash the boneless fish completely so that it turns into a paste.

2.  Add just a pinch of garlic-ginger paste and mix well. Continue adding just pinches of coriander and red chilli powders and salt to the fish paste. Grind the ingredients on the "Sheel Pata" until completely mixed. Make small balls out of the paste and set aside.

3.  Pierce the eyes of the coconut with a sharp knife and drain coconut water into a bowl. Split the coconuts by covering in a kitchen towel and smashing with a rolling pin or a hammer. With a sharp knife, pry the coconut meat from its husk, then peel off any remaining brown bits of skin that adhere to the coconut meat. Place the coconut flesh and coconut water in a blender, adding 1/2 cup of hot water. Blend until the coconut and water forms smooth slurry. Pour the coconut slurry on a sieve, and collect the coconut milk on a bowl. Squeeze the coconut flesh on to the sieve so that the coconut milk comes out as much as possible. Set aside the coconut milk on a bowl.

4.  Boil some water in a pot and add the fish balls. Let the fish balls boil for 5 minutes.

5.  Take the fish balls out and set aside. Heat some oil in a pan and add onion paste. Stir for a bit and add salt, garlic-ginger paste, coriander, cumin and red chilli powders. Stir again and add bay leaves and a few drops of water. Stir regularly until the oil starts to simmer on top.

6.  Add the fish balls and stir for a bit. Make sure that the fish balls do not break by stirring rigorously. Pour the coconut milk; sprinkle the green chillies and cardamom-cinnamon powder. Cook until the water dries and forms thick gravy and then serve hot with plain rice or pulao.