Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Machhali ke Kofte
Machhali ke Kofte (Fish Kofte)

Machhali ke Kofte

Fish Kofte
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin AwadhPrep 1 hour, plus cooling timeCook 20 minutes

These spiced fish and potato patties are shaped into cylinders, coated in egg and crumbs or flour, and deep-fried until crisp and golden. They offer a savoury, mildly spiced flavour brightened by fresh coriander and lemon.

Kofte spices

4.9 gMixed into the mashed fish and potatoes (step 2)
01
3.6 g2 teaspoons
spice
02
1.3 g½ teaspoon
spice
Stir together: they go directly into the potato and fish mixture.

Everything else

02
1800 g6 potatoes
vegetable
03
40 g3 tablespoons
oil/fat
04
300 g2 onions
vegetable
05
100 g2 eggs
egg
06
5 g1 teaspoon
souring agent
07
~100 g1 bunch
herb
09
Vegetable oil · Telfor deep-frying
to taste
oil/fat

Method

  1. Boil 1800 g potato in a large pot of water for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain, let cool until manageable, peel away the skins, and mash thoroughly.
  2. Chop 800 g fish into roughly 8-cm chunks and mash firmly in a bowl using a potato masher. Combine the fish with the mashed potato, the kofte spices, and a pinch of salt, mixing thoroughly.
  3. Warm about 14 g of the 40.5 g ghee or vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Tip in the fish and potato mixture and cook for several minutes, stirring constantly to dry out the excess moisture without scorching, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  4. Heat the remaining ghee or vegetable oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 300 g chopped onion and fry for 5 to 7 minutes until richly browned.
  5. Tip the browned onions into the fish mixture. Crack in 1 egg (from the 2 eggs), pour in 5.1 g lemon juice, and fold in 100 g chopped coriander leaf until evenly distributed. Moisten your hands with water and shape the mixture into sausage-shaped rolls roughly 8 cm long and 2 cm wide.
  6. Whisk the remaining egg in a shallow dish and spread 2 tbsp rice flour or breadcrumbs onto a flat plate. Coat each roll first in the beaten egg, then roll through the flour or breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
  7. Heat vegetable oil for deep-frying in a deep, sturdy pan to 180°C (350°F). Fry the kofte in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp and golden all over, then lift out with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Don't have something?

Firm white fish fillet
  • Firm white fish

    Use the same weight, clean and cut into fillet-sized pieces. Cooking time is the same; remove any bones.

  • Firm fish fillet

    Use the same weight. Check thickness; thick pieces may need 2–3 minutes more simmering.

  • Skinless firm white fish fillet

    Use the same weight. Skinless flakes more; handle gently and add late.

Potato
  • Eggplant

    Use equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.

  • Paneer

    Use 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.

  • Dried chickpea

    Use 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Ground coriander
  • Coriander seeds

    Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

  • Garam masala

    Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Ghee or vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use equal weight; handles high tempering heat well and keeps flavours neutral.

  • Butter

    Use equal weight; cook over gentle heat to prevent browning the milk solids too quickly.

Onion
  • Shallot

    Use equal weight, finely sliced. Shallots soften and brown faster, giving a slightly sweeter and more delicate base to curries.

  • Cabbage

    Use 80% of the weight, finely shredded and browned slowly with a pinch of asafoetida. Replicates the bulk and natural sweetness in gravies without allium.

Egg
  • Chickpea flour

    For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.

  • Full-fat natural yoghurt

    Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.

  • Tofu

    Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Lemon juice
  • Lime juice

    Use equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.

  • White vinegar

    Use 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Coriander leaf
  • Coriander

    Use equal weight finely chopped; this is the exact same fresh herb.

  • Mint

    Use half the weight finely chopped; provides vibrant green freshness, though the flavour profile becomes noticeably cooler and sharper.

Rice flour or breadcrumbs
  • Rice flour

    Use the same weight; gluten-free and crisper, especially for frying.

  • Breadcrumbs

    Use the same weight; browns faster and gives a softer crust.

  • Fresh breadcrumbs

    Use the same weight; softer and more absorbent, so press on gently.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Similar dishes

Year Chapa
Fried Fish in Tomato Sauce
It is saucy and rich with the tang of cooked tomatoes and warm spices, unlike the crisp, lemon-brightened flavour of this dish.
  • Same: Year Chapa also pairs fish and potatoes cooked with onions, chilli powder, ground coriander, and vegetable oil.
  • Different: Instead of shaping fish and potatoes into deep-fried patties with lemon juice and fresh coriander, it simmers them in a tomato sauce flavoured with garlic, ginger, cumin, and turmeric.
Maachher Jhol
Spicy Fish with Vegetables
Maachher Jhol has a more pungent, earthy profile from the mustard oil and whole spices, without the bright lemon acidity of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature fish and potatoes seasoned with ground coriander and chilli powder.
  • Different: Maachher Jhol is a soupy curry simmered in mustard oil with drumsticks, paanch phoren, and bay leaf, whereas this dish consists of breaded patties deep-fried in vegetable oil with onion and fresh coriander.
Bengali Macher Jhol
Turmeric & Mustard Fish Curry
It tastes turmeric-forward, mustardy and gently spicy in a thin gravy, whereas this dish tastes savoury and mildly spiced with lemon and fresh coriander and is crisp-fried.
  • Same: Bengali Macher Jhol shares fish, potato, ground coriander, vegetable oil and coriander with this dish.
  • Different: It is a light curry with sea bass steaks, turmeric, mustard, nigella, bay, garlic, ginger, tomato, green chilli and water, while this dish is deep-fried fish-and-potato cylinders coated with egg and rice flour or breadcrumbs and includes lemon.
Aloo ke Kebab
Potato Kebabs
It delivers a sharper citrus tang and more pungent heat from fresh green chillies and earthy cumin, while lacking the savoury fish-and-onion depth of this dish.
  • Same: Aloo ke Kebab shares a mashed potato base with this dish, both seasoned with chilli powder, fresh coriander leaf, and lemon juice as the souring agent.
  • Different: Aloo ke Kebab omits the fish, onion, and ground coriander, adding cumin seeds, fresh green chillies, and chickpea flour instead, and is shallow-fried in vegetable oil rather than deep-fried.