Maacher Dimer Bora / Fish Roe Fritters

Rains. Light rains. Heavy rains. Sudden rains. Lightly showering rains.
Wet breeze. Heavy winds. Lightly blowing winds.
Dark, loud clouds. Threatening clouds. Steady clouds. White fluffy clouds. Stable, raining down clouds.
Green countryside. Foggy. Dancing, temporary waterfalls. Thin streams rushing by.
Dark brown and muddy rivers. Places washed away by their forceful rush. Rumbling, heavily flowing by ... unmindful of anything that comes their way.
Washing away everything somewhere.
Soothing parched earth and souls elsewhere.

Monsoons come with different faces. Different places feel the rains differently.
But everywhere, from time immemorial, it has been a time of celebration.
A time for newness. Life. Growth.
Mother earth springs to life ... the fresh, new green everywhere a proof.
People rejoice the break in the summer's heat.
Farmers rejoice the readying of the soil.

No matter where you are ... sitting in your home in one of the tallest buildings on one of the busiest roads in your city, or inside your office, or rushing home in your vehicle ... you can't help stealing a glance outside as soon as you know it is raining.
Neither can you help that small smile flitting across your face.

Yes, the rains do soothe.
And spread some calm, some cheer.
Some good too.

We, all over the country,  tend to celebrate the rains with deep fries or some bhaja bhuji.
Most people will start by making the good old pakoda and move on to other kinds of fries ... both veg and non veg ... as the rains settle down for the two whole months. Or more.
Most evenings teas will have some kind of deep fried things to pair with.

While lunch will be a light khichuri or khichdi, it will have a side of various fried things like the papad, pakode, beguni, etc. Different cultures will have different dishes ... but the essence ... always the same.

A couple of weekends back I had bought a good sized rohu fish ... around 1.8 kgs. And got a big bonus of dim/ roe alongwith it. I love fatty rohu ... especially fried.

So while I made a few different dishes with the fish, I made some boras with the roe.
Crispy, deep fried and spicy ... perfect for a rainy evening snack.
We had some friends who had dropped in suddenly .... this Macher Dimer Bora saved the day ... nay, evening. Went great with hot cups of adraki chai/ginger tea.

Need :

Fresh fish roe / Rui maacher dim - 1 coffee cup full
1 Onion - chopped
2 Green chillies - chopped
Besan - 2 tsp

( I do not use too much of besan ... love the fluffiness inside the crisp fritter and also the sweetness of the soft onions)
Haldi / turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil - enough to deep fry ( I use mustard oil)
Fresh coriander leaves / Dhone pata (I did not, but do try to ... adds a great flavour )

How to :

Mix the fish roe + besan + the onions and chilles + haldi powder + salt + the chopped coriander leaves.

Heat enough oil in a deep kadahi or wok.
Pick up scoops of the mix with a spoon and carefully slide into the oil.
Fry the boras on low heat till golden brown.
Remove from oil and keep on a kitchen napkin or paper napkins to drain excess oil.

Serve hot.
I had some kasundi. Went great!
You can have them with tomato ketchup too.
You can have them as a side with khichdi, for a meal.
Or with some tea. As a snack.

So, this evening, gather your friends ... or your family ... brew some spicy, ginger tea and fry some of these crispy maacher dimer boras.
And revel in love, warmth and laughter ... while the pouring rain smiles from outside the window.

Enjoy!!


Some other dishes made with Macher dim / Fish roe

Ilisher dim diye ambol / Hilsa roe in sweet and sour gravy 


Ilisher dim makha / Fried hilsa roe tossed with onions and chillies