Take a wok and heat it. Put ½ cup of water, ½ tsp regular table salt, and ½ tsp of ginger and garlic paste.

Now, put two medium-sized pieces of fish (katla) in it. Boil them for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them in between.

Take out the boiled pieces of fish and put them on a plate. When cool, debone them.

Squeeze them to remove the excess water from the flesh.

Now, take a frying pan, put 3 tbsp of vegetable oil, and heat it on a low to medium flame. To it, add 3 tbsp of a mixture consisting of finely chopped fresh ginger, green chilies, and garlic and stir them for a minute to cook them nicely. (Pro tip: If you do not have vegetable oil at home, use any type of refined oil).

Now, add 2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped) to it and stir it for another couple of minutes to cook nicely. (Pro tip: Do not use any paste while making chops. Finely chopped ingredients add to the texture of the chops).

When you can smell the aroma of the fried ingredients, add 1 tsp of red chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, and ½ tsp of garam masala powder. Mix everything nicely and cook them for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Now, add the fish to it. Mix and cook the fish for another couple of minutes.

When done, add 2 medium pieces of potato (peeled and boiled) in it and mix it nicely as well.

Now, add salt to taste and 2 tsp of fried masala powder made from a few spices after dry roasting and grinding them such as 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 2 pieces of dry red chili powder, 2 pods of green cardamom, and 1 cinnamon stick, dry roasted and ground. Mix them nicely with the potatoes and fish.

After cooking for another minute or so, mash the ingredients using a masher, if you have one. If you do not, use a stainless-steel glass or a spatula to mash and mix them.

When it is done, finally add ½ cup of fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped). Mix it.

Now, turn the flame of your gas stove off and transfer the stuffing to a plate. Spread it so that it cools faster.

When the stuffing cools down, use your hands to make the chops. You can give any shape to it according to your choice. Keep them on a plate.

For coating the pieces, take 2 cups of bread crumbs. Then add ½ tsp of black salt and ½ tsp of black pepper powder to it and mix them nicely. (Pro tip: I am using store-bought bread crumbs. You can also make it at home by grinding toast biscuits. However, be informed that homemade bread crumbs will be much finer and smoother in texture compared to the store-bought variants).

Now, to make the batter, take a bowl and put 3 tbsp of corn flour in it. Also, add ½ tsp of black salt, ½ tsp of black pepper powder, and ½ cup water. Mix them nicely to make a batter of medium consistency.

Now, to coat the chops, take one piece from the plate, dip it in the corn flour batter, then coat it with bread crumbs. Again, dip it in corn flour batter and then coat it with bread crumbs to double-coat it. Put them on the plate when done.

When you are done coating all the pieces, put them on a separate plate or plates if there are many. Cover the plate/plates with a piece of clean wrapper and keep them in your fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes to set properly.

Now, take a wok, put an adequate amount of refined oil in it, and heat it on a high flame. You can use any type of refined oil for frying. To fry the chops, set the flame to medium. Put the pieces one by one in the hot oil very carefully from one side so that you do not splash the oil. Add only 2 to 3 pieces of chops at a time, depending on their size. (Pro tip: It is best to fry chops on a medium flame. This will prevent them from burning or sticking to the bottom).

Flip the pieces from time to time and fry them until they are golden brown on both sides. Take them out using a strainer. Put them on a piece of tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Fry all the pieces this way.

Your tasty, homemade fish chops are ready to be served. Put them on a plate. For garnishing the fish chops, sprinkle a pinch of table salt and a pinch of chaat masala powder on them. Serve them hot with a few slices of fresh tomatoes, a few onion rings, a circular piece of lemon, 1 piece of fresh green chili, and a spoonful of tomato ketchup.