Nisha Katona's Bengali fish finger sandwich
After she wowed us with her twist on cheese on toast, Nisha Katona is back to put her stamp on another classic. She’s making her Bengali fish finger sandwich - which uses cod, fried in an Indian spiced batter. They’re served in buttered white bread, and finished off with a delicious coriander raita.
Indian fish finger sandwich
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
125g gram / chickpea flour, plus extra for sprinkling
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp white poppy seeds
350g white fish fillets (haddock or cod work well), cut into 12 Goujons
8 slices white bread, buttered
Gherkin and coriander raita
250g Greek yoghurt
Juice of ¼ lemon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp roughly chopped gherkins
Small handful coriander, roughly chopped
Method
1. Following the manufacturer’s guidelines, add oil to a deep-fat fryer and preheat to 180C / 350F. If you don’t have a deep–fat fryer, simply fill a large deep pan one-third full with oil and set over a medium-high heat.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt, baking powder, turmeric, chilli powder, Ajwain seeds and poppy seeds and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and gradually whisk in around 150ml cold water to make a thick batter.
3. Check the oil by carefully dropping a small spoonful of the batter into it – if the batter bubbles and floats to the surface then it is ready. Sprinkle the fish Goujons with a little gram / chickpea flour and a sprinkle of turmeric, then dip them into the batter to coat shaking off any excess.
4. Carefully lower the coated Goujons into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until the batter is puffed and golden and the fish is cooked through. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the elements.
5. To make the raita, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
6. Spread each of the bread slices with some of the raita. Lay the Goujons over half of the bread slices, then top the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Cut into halves and enjoy!