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Puthi Maas Bhaja

Tiny puthi fish fried crisp, then tossed with onion and green chilli — crunchy, bony and impossible to stop eating.

Ingredients

• 300 g puthi fish (small barbs), cleaned
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 green chillies, slit
• 5 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the cleaned puthi well, drain and pat dry.
2. Rub with turmeric and salt. Rest 10 minutes.
3. Heat mustard oil till it smokes. Fry the fish in two batches, 4–5 minutes each, till crisp. Keep aside.
4. Pour off all but 1 tbsp oil. Fry the onion and green chillies 2 minutes till soft.
5. Return the fish, toss for 1 minute and serve hot.

Tip: Pat the fish completely dry — wet fish spit in hot oil and never turn crisp.