Pepper Flavored Croakar Fish Tava Fry [Konkani-Dodyaro (Hodki) Fry]

Dhoma / Croakar is a fresh water fish, it is called as Dodyaro (Hodki) in Konkani. The species gets its name from the croaking sound it makes from the voluntary contraction of muscles attached to the air bladder, which acts like a resonance chamber. Croaker is lean and full flavored, with an almost sweet taste. The flesh is firm & the skin is edible.
Dodyaro is one of my favorite among the fresh water fish. The Spicy ginger flavor curry of this fish also goes great along rice and idli/dosa. The fry also delicious provided you add adequate amount of spice as the fish is not from salt water habitat. The following masala goes well for this fish fry, but see that you add proportionate amount of pepper powder, ginger-garlic to make the recipe yummmy :)

Ingredients:
Cleaned Croakar Fish - 10 medium
pepper 6 tbsp [Table spoon is bigger spoon]
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Ajwain
1 Lemon juice
Garlic fresh 4 flakes
Ginger 1"
1-2 tbsp corn flour (This helps the masala to bind well to fish while frying)
Salt to taste

Method:

• Rub the cleaned fish with lemon juice and salt and keep aside.

• Grind pepper, ginger, garlic, ajwain to make a fine powder (if it is course powder, it is also well and good).

• To the lemon marinate fish, add the ground powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and corn flour. The water content of the lemon is enough to bind the pepper powder along the fish. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. You can also fry rest of the fish at night by refrigerating it, I had fried few and kept rest for frying during dinner.

• Adjust the salt if needed. 

• Add 4-5 tbsp coconut oil to warm iron tava, and start frying the fish batch wise. When done serve along the meals. (You can also deep fry the fish)

  
Sunday Menu:
Clam Sukha/ Tisre Sukha (Konkani)
Mackerel Ginger curry/ Bangda Ambat (Konkani)
Croakar Fish Tava Fry [Konkani-Dodyaro (Hodki) Fry] 
ENJOY!!! Yummmmm..........

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN