Bengali Maacher Kochuri Recipe: The Fishy Snack You Need Today

Think about your evening snack and then think about some hot Kachoris. Isn’t that a combination made in heaven? It sure is, especially when it comes to Bengali Kochuris. How are these different from other Kachoris? Well, simply put, Kachoris are crispy, crunchy, made of whole wheat flour and usually stuffed with lentils and spices. Kochuri, on the other hand, is softer, always made of all-purpose flour or maida, and usually stuffed with seasonal goodies like green peas. If you are craving some soft, stuffed Kochuris straight from the heartland of Bengal, then here’s a unique recipe for you to try. 

There truly aren’t many varieties of non-vegetarian Kachoris available across India, which is why this Bengali Maacher Kochuri is definitely outstanding. While the exact origins of this dish is not known, Maacher Kochuri is very popular in Kolkata and is especially sold in North Kolkata by street food vendors—and this is apart from all the home cooks who whip it up and enjoy it at home as a snack. The stuffing for this remarkable Bengali snack is made of fish fillets, chopped onions, mild spices cooked in mustard oil. If that doesn’t scream a brilliant combination of flavours to you, then you don’t know what you are missing! 

Maacher Kochuri is quite easy to make for an evening snack, or even dinner. All you need to do is make the all-purpose flour dough, the fish stuffing and fry the Maacher Kochuri in hot oil. Usually, Maacher Kochuri is served with fresh chutney and Aloo Dum, but you can also pair it with some pickles and raita if you so wish. In fact, this Maacher Kochuri is so delicious that you can have it as a snack or as a weekend breakfast too! Here’s the recipe. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

½ tsp salt 

1 tbsp oil 

1 cup warm water 

For the fish stuffing:- 

3 fish fillets 

½ cup onions, finely chopped 

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped 

2 tsp green chillies, finely chopped 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

½ tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp garam masala 

½ tsp amchoor powder 

½ tsp gram flour 

2 tsp mustard oil 

Salt, to taste 

Oil, for frying 

Image used for representative purpose only. Image courtesy: spicyworld.in

Method:

1. Place the all-purpose flour, salt and oil in a large bowl. 

2. Mix well, then gradually add water to make a soft, tight dough. 

3. Cover the dough and set aside for half an hour. 

4. Wash, clean and dry the fish fillets. 

5. Add some turmeric and salt, mix well and rest for 20 minutes. 

6. Heat mustard oil in a pan. 

7. Add the onions, garlic and green chillies and saute. 

8. Now add the marinated fish and saute further. 

9. Add the remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala and amchoor powder. 

10. Adjust the salt and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes. 

11. Once the fish is almost cooked, add the gram flour and mix well. 

12. When the gram flour cooks completely, switch off the stove and let the mix cool down a bit. 

13. Once cool, mash the fish stuffing and set aside. 

14. Divide the dough into small, equal-sized balls. 

15. Take a dough ball, make a hollow in the middle and place a teaspoon full of the fish stuffing. 

16. Seal the edges properly, then stuff all the other dough balls in the same way. 

17. Now, heat oil in a large wok. 

18. Use some of the oil to grease the rolling board, then roll out the stuffed dough balls. 

19. Put the rolled out dough in the hot oil, let it puff up on one side, flip over and cook the other side. 

20. Drain the Maacher Kochuri and serve hot with chutney and curd.