Spiced Fish Balls

September 20, 2012

Meen kofta is an Indian classic from the coastal regions, particularly Kerala and Bengal, where fresh white fish and coconut play the leading role in the kitchen. The fish is first poached, then flaked and bound with chickpea flour, chilli, and onion into firm balls that are browned in oil.

The sauce is what lifts the dish. Onion and garlic are softened gently, whole spices such as cinnamon and bay leaf add depth, and ground spices — cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli — build up the heat. Tomato purée and fish stock form the base, and desiccated coconut gives the sauce body without making it heavy. Ground cardamom seeds and a little asafoetida finish with the umami and slightly bitter note that characterises South Indian cooking.

The balls simmer briefly in the sauce so they absorb flavour without falling apart. It is everyday food along the Indian coast, and works equally well for a relaxed dinner. Serve with rice to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Fish balls

750 g white fish fillet (e.g. haddock or cod)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
salt, a pinch
50 g chickpea flour
4 green chillies, deseeded, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
oil, for frying
black pepper, freshly ground

Sauce

2 tbsp ghee (or oil)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
150 g tomato purée
500 ml fish stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
50 g desiccated coconut
10 cardamom pods, seeds ground
2 tsp asafoetida, ground
salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

Fish balls

Place the fish fillets in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with lemon juice. Pour water into the dish until it comes halfway up the fish, and cover with foil. Poach in the oven at 320°F (160°C) for about 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool until the fish is easy to flake.

Whisk the egg with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Sift in the chickpea flour, whisking until the mixture is smooth.

Flake the cooled fish and fold it with the chopped chilli, onion, and breadcrumbs into the egg mixture. Mix to a firm paste.

Shape the mixture into about 20 balls. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and brown the balls in batches so the pan is not overcrowded. Turn them until evenly golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

Sauce

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pan or pot. Soften the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured.

Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in the tomato purée and bring to the boil. Add the fish stock, lemon juice, desiccated coconut, ground cardamom seeds, and asafoetida. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Gently add the browned fish balls to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes so they can absorb the flavour. Serve immediately with rice.

Notes

Asafoetida (hing) has a strong smell in its dry form, but mellows during cooking and gives a faint onion-garlic-like umami. 2 tsp is a lot — start with 1 tsp if you are unfamiliar with the flavour.

Desiccated coconut here is dried, shredded coconut, not the flour-like coconut used in baking. It can be replaced by a small tin of coconut milk if you prefer a slightly looser sauce — in that case reduce the fish stock to 300 ml (1¼ cups).

The fish can also be poached on the stovetop in lightly salted water for 5–7 minutes instead of in the oven.

Active time about 30 minutes, total time including poaching about 70 minutes.