Chhanchra — Fish-Head Vegetable Mash
A rustic, no-waste vegetable mash cooked with fried fish-head pieces until everything softens together into a coarse, deeply savoury dish.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 230 kcal
Equipment
- •Kadai
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- fat
- 10 g
- carbs
- 20 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 230 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the fish head pieces with turmeric and salt. Shallow-fry them in mustard oil until golden, then set aside.
- 2
In the same oil, sizzle the panch phoron (five-spice mix) and bay leaf.
- 3
Add all the diced vegetables, turmeric, and salt. Fry and stir for 8–10 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the ginger paste and mix everything well.
- 5
Cover the pan and cook on low heat. Cook until the vegetables are very soft and falling apart.
- 6
Add the fried fish head pieces and slit green chillies. Stir and crush everything roughly with the back of a spoon.
- 7
Cook uncovered for 5–8 minutes more, mashing occasionally. Stop when the mixture is thick and well blended.
- 8
Serve warm with hot steamed rice.
Chef's tips
Fry the fish head thoroughly first so it holds up during cooking. Keep the dish roughly mashed rather than smooth, as the bone pieces add great texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- fish head → a few small whole fish, for a milder version
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 1 day only, as fish head dishes do not keep well.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Taking out all the fish head bones, which are needed for rich traditional flavour.
- •Undercooking the vegetables so they cannot be mashed properly.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Chhanchra — Fish-Head Vegetable Mash?
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