Biyebarir Fish Butter Fry is one delicacy (amongst a few more) that we the 80s kids (and even before) enjoyed during our childhood which I suppose the millennials did not. To them, it is Bhetki Batter Fry if at all they are lucky to have this during a marriage feast!
While frying the Bhetki batter fry last Sunday, I was tempted to use the name fish butter fry while writing the blog post. After all, the biyebari special fish batter fry has always been known as butter fry in the Bengali households and also within the catering community. They have played badly with the names of a few dishes, one I already have mentioned, another is fish meunière. All the printed menu provided during the marriages in Bengal renamed Fish Munia! It took me a long to understand it is "batter" what they are referring to in Fish butter fry and it is meunière what they are referring to as munia!
Biyebarir Fish Batter Fry became Fish Butter fry and how!
They don't serve this delicacy which is pronounced wrongly over the years these days during the marriage feasts. Probably because Bhetki is expensive and Basa cannot give the desired result or probably it is a case of palate change. I miss those seat-down feasts a lot. I never liked the wrongly set buffet and these days the marriage feasts are more impersonal considering the present situation. The guests are limited after the lockdown and food is laid at some corner and that is what I experienced recently. Talking about the Fish Batter fry or Fish Butter fry is the perfect excuse for ignoring regular fish fry during the marriages even in the early 20s and late 90s but not now.
I remember making fun of the poor (not materialistically) serving persons or the printed menu upon seeing the name wrongly pronounced and spelled. Though we did not complain about the taste of the buttery soft fries. Now, growing up and fortunately with maturity I realize the name was not that wrong! After all the softness of the fry resembles butter. In addition, when I asked the recipe from the rannar thakur ( Pahari Jethu) he mentioned butter as one of the important ingredients to make this fry.
Difference between Fish Butter fry and Fish from fish and chips!
These are as different as Bengali Fish Fry and batter fry. The ingredients are different and so it the texture of the outer crunchy coating.
The recipe I follow while making Fish Batter Fry aka Biyebarir Butter Fry!
I follow Pahari Jethu's recipe. I have tried several recipes and found his easy to follow and most importantly the end product is as sinful as the butter fry served in marriages. He told me not to overdo the spices, and let pure Bhetki be the hero of the dish. This is one trick that makes the fry perfect. Also, he emphasized using butter in the batter! Another trick is the reason behind the name we thought was pronounced incorrectly. Last but not the least, he emphasized using pure bhetki instead of Basa or any other fish. I remember asking him about the marinade and he told me not to make it complicated!
Following his recipe, I am cooking fish batter fry for years and finally decided to share the recipe here at Debjanir Rannaghar. I was able to capture the video as well so this actually is a complete recipe from my end.
Here's how I make fish batter fry aka Biyebarir Batter Fry
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Biyebarir Fish Butter Fry aka Bhetki Batter Fry
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 5 people
Description
Biyebarir Fish Butter Fry aka Bhetki Batter Fry is a quintessential Bengali Fish Fry and is a marriage feast special in Bengal especially in Kolkata
Ingredients
- Bhetki Fillet: 10 pieces 4"/ 3" (1" thick)
To make the Marinade:
- Onion Paste: 4 Tbsp.
- Garlic Paste: 1 Tbsp.
- Ginger Paste: 1 Tbsp.
- Green Chili Paste: 1 Tsp.
- Lemon Juice: 2 Tsp.
- Garlic Powder: 1 Tbsp.
- Black Pepper Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Salt: to taste
- Chilled Water: 1 Cup
To make the Batter:
- Plain Flour: 1 Cup (150g)
- Corn flour: 1/2 cup (75g)
- Egg: 1
- Butter: 1 Tbsp.
- Garlic Powder: 1/2 Tsp.
- Black Pepper Powder: 1/4 Tsp.
- Salt: to taste
- Baking Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Fruit Salt: 1 Tsp. (I have used Eno)
To Fry: Vegetable Oil: 300ml (for deep frying)
Instructions
- About the fillet of Bhetki!
- Batter fry calls for a specific cut of the fish which I already have mentioned.
- Ask your fish vendor for batter fry (or butter fry cut) or told him/her the specification.
Marination:
- Take Onion paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chili paste, lemon juice, black pepper powder, salt, and also garlic powder in a bowl and mix with a spoon.
- Adjust chili paste, pepper powder, and salt-based on your preference.
- Now marinate the fish fillets with this paste.
- Take the marinated fish along with the marination left in a flat tray/ rectangular tray and cover with cling film.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Making the Batter with butter!
- Keep ice-chilled water handy.
- Take plain flour and cornflour in a bowl.
- Add Garlic Powder, Black Pepper Powder, Salt, Baking Powder, and also Fruit Salt to it and mix with a whisk.
- Now add one egg to the mixture.
- Now add chilled water.
- Start with 1 cup of water and make the batter.
- As needed increase the water.
- The batter should be semi-thick.
- Keep this batter at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Melt the butter and add it to the batter and mix.
- Keep it for 15 more minutes before making the fries.
- Mix with the whisk once again before using the batter.
The last step of making batter fry!
- Heat the oil in a deep bottom pan till the oil is properly heated.
- Keep the flame medium.
- Now take the marinated fish out of the refrigerator.
- Coat a fish with the batter prepared and drop it in the oil with care.
- Depending on the diameter of the pan you can fry 2-3 fries in one go.
- After 2 minutes of frying turn the fishes to the other side and fry for 2 more minutes.
- Keep the flame low.
- Fry for one more minute depending on the color of the fry.
- The fry should be golden in color and it must look crunchy.
- Strain from the oil and place over tissue paper or kitchen towel to drain excess oil.
- I use a bamboo b basket to keep the fish batter fry to drain extra oil if any.
- Following the same process fry the remaining fish butter fry.
- Serve it hot with Kashundi.
- Category: Fish
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 120g
- Calories: 584
- Sugar: 0.9g
- Sodium: 515mg
- Fat: 47.7g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1g
- Carbohydrates: 20.1g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 19.3g
- Cholesterol: 48mg
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Biyebarir Fish Butter Fry aka Bhetki Batter Fry Video Recipe
Bengali Biyebari Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Joggi Barir Mangsho (Also known as Biyebarir Mutton Curry)
- Kamala Bhog (Also knowns as Kamala Roshogolla)
- Shukto (Also known as Shuktoni)
- Bangladeshi Chicken Roast (also known as Biyebarir Chicken Roast or বাংলাদেশী বিয়েবাড়ির চিকেন রোস্ট)
- Ghee Bhat (also known as Bengali Sweet Pulao)
- Kumror Chakka (also known as Kumror Torkari)
- Kolkata Mutton Biryani (Also known as Calcutta Biryani)
- Plastic Chutney (also known as Raw Papaya Chutney or Bengali Peper Chutney)
- Kosha Mangsho (also known as Bengali Mutton Kasha)
Have you tried the Biyebarir Butter Fry recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Do let me know how it came out. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here on dolonchttrj@gmail.com. Meanwhile, on Instagram, you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
Here's the Bhekti Batter Fry Pin for your Pinterest Board!
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