Fish pockets are made with boneless white fillet of Bhetki fish marinated with vinegar and other spices, fried and served in bread pockets. The process is elaborate but easy to follow. Read my recipe to know the steps to make bread pockets at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Bread pocket is a versatile and enjoyable dish for any occasion.
- Serve the hot pockets along with a salad, chili sauce, sweet and sour sauce, honey mustard sauce, or tomato ketchup.
- Fish pockets taste crispy, juicy, spicy, and savory.
- Similar taste as fish pockets is derived from chicken pockets, vegetarian pockets, shrimp pockets, mushroom and cheese pockets, or fish samosas.
The Ingredients:
- 100 gm fish (boneless white fillet of Bhetki fish)
To marinate the fish:
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1/3 tsp salt
- Kashmiri red chili powder – A pinch
- 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder mix
- 1 tbsp refined wheat flour (maida)
- Egg – Half of one whipped egg
To fry the fish pieces:
- Cooking oil – An adequate amount
To make the salad:
- ½ piece tomato (medium, finely chopped)
- ½ piece onion (medium, finely chopped)
- 2 pieces cabbage leaves (large, fresh or parboiled)
To make the pockets:
- 2 slices bread
To garnish the bread pockets:
- Barbecue sauce
- Mayonnaise
I came to know this dish through a newspaper column about lost regional recipes. Though the story was more compelling than the instructions, I was moved by how it had vanished from public memory. I thought of reviving it and sharing it with people.
I took the ingredients listed and started experimenting. The first few attempts were not up to the mark and I realized why this recipe is quickly forgotten. However, gradually, things started to turn up good. Now. I make fish pockets at home quite often, especially when I have guests coming over.
How to Make Fish Pockets? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Cut the fish into small julienne pieces and keep them in a bowl.
Step 2: Now, add 1 tsp white vinegar, ½ tsp of red chili flakes, 1/3 tsp regular table salt, a pinch of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 1 tsp of coriander and cumin powder mix. Follow it with 1 tbsp of refined wheat flour (maida), and half of one whipped egg to it.
Step 3: Mix everything nicely and keep it aside for about 5 to 10 minutes to set properly.
Step 4: In the meantime, take a frying pan or kadai and heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in it on a high flame. Turn the flame to medium when the oil heats up put the fish pieces one by one in it.
Step 5: Fry them until they turn golden brown and become crispy. Take them out and put them aside on a plate.
(Pro tip: Do not fry the fish pieces on a high flame. It will cook the outside quickly while the inside will remain uncooked. And, since you will put the pieces one by one, the pieces put at first will burn by the time the others get cooked nicely).
Step 6: Now, make the salad. Take ½ of a medium-sized tomato, ½ of a medium-sized onion, and 2 large pieces of cabbage leaves (fresh or parboiled), and chop them finely. Mix them.
Step 7: Now, to make the pockets, take 2 slices of bread and place a small bowl of about the same size on the top center of them as shown.
Step 8: Now, press the bowl hard to cut it.
(Pro tip: This is the easiest and quickest way to cut the bread slices and join the edge at the same time).
Step 9: Press it again to flatten and join the edge nicely.
Step 10: Fry it on a low flame.
Step 11: Take it out when it becomes crispy and golden brown in color. See that it is perfectly swollen again. Repeat steps 7 to 11 to make all bread pockets.
Step 12: Now, take one bread pocket, and cut it into half to get two bread pockets.
Step 13: Fill each bread pocket first with one or two pieces of fish. Then, fill it with a little bit of salad.
Step 14: Put some mayonnaise and barbecue sauce on top.
(Pro tip: If you do not have mayonnaise and barbecue sauce, you can add any type of sauce to the bread pockets such as chili sauce, tomato sauce, and others, Make a combination for an enhanced visual appeal).
Step 15: Fill all the bread pockets in the same way. Now serve them hot on a plate, with or without any additional condiment.
Recipe Card
Fish Pockets
Ingredients
- 100 gm fish boneless white fillet of Bhetki fish
To marinate the fish:
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1/3 tsp salt
- Kashmiri red chili powder A pinch
- 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder mix
- 1 tbsp refined wheat flour maida
- Egg Half of one whipped egg
To fry the fish pieces:
- Cooking oil An adequate amount
To make the salad:
- ½ piece tomato medium, finely chopped
- ½ piece onion medium, finely chopped
- 2 pieces cabbage leaves large, fresh or parboiled
To make the pockets:
- 2 slices bread
To garnish the bread pockets:
- Barbecue sauce
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cut the fish into small julienne pieces and keep them in a bowl.
- Now, add 1 tsp white vinegar, ½ tsp of red chili flakes, 1/3 tsp regular table salt, a pinch of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 1 tsp of coriander and cumin powder mix. Follow it with 1 tbsp of refined wheat flour (maida), and half of one whipped egg to it.
- Mix everything nicely and keep it aside for about 5 to 10 minutes to set properly.
- In the meantime, take a frying pan or kadai and heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in it on a high flame. Turn the flame to medium when the oil heats up put the fish pieces one by one in it.
- Fry them until they turn golden brown and become crispy. Take them out and put them aside on a plate. (Pro tip: Do not fry the fish pieces on a high flame. It will cook the outside quickly while the inside will remain uncooked. And, since you will put the pieces one by one, the pieces put at first will burn by the time the others get cooked nicely).
- Now, make the salad. Take ½ of a medium-sized tomato, ½ of a medium-sized onion, and 2 large pieces of cabbage leaves (fresh or parboiled), and chop them finely. Mix them.
- Now, to make the pockets, take 2 slices of bread and place a small bowl of about the same size on the top center of them as shown.
- Now, press the bowl hard to cut it. (Pro tip: This is the easiest and quickest way to cut the bread slices and join the edge at the same time).
- Press it again to flatten and join the edge nicely.
- Fry it on a low flame.
- Take it out when it becomes crispy and golden brown in color. See that it is perfectly swollen again. Repeat steps 7 to 11 to make all bread pockets.
- Now, take one bread pocket, and cut it into half to get two bread pockets.
- Fill each bread pocket first with one or two pieces of fish. Then, fill it with a little bit of salad.
- Put some mayonnaise and barbecue sauce on top. (Pro tip: If you do not have mayonnaise and barbecue sauce, you can add any type of sauce to the bread pockets such as chili sauce, tomato sauce, and others, Make a combination for an enhanced visual appeal).
- Fill all the bread pockets in the same way. Now serve them hot on a plate, with or without any additional condiment.
