Tuna Sandwich, Transformed in Bengal

True to my promise, this post is a recipe for the fish sandwich I described in my previous post. I use bekti, a fish prized in Bengal for its soft, flaky flesh full of flavor and omega-3 fatty acids, which are so healthful. This sandwich, served with potato chips, could be a simple lunch or even a light dinner.

Bekti sandwich

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the salad:
½ lb (225 gm) cooked bekti, boned and skinned
½ cup of chopped celery or green bell pepper (capsicum)
½ cup of chopped green (or spring) onion
¼ cup of mayonnaise (see recipe in earlier post, “Making mayonnaise”)
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 tbsp of lemon (or lime) juice
salt and pepper to taste

For the sandwich:
8 slices of large sandwich bread
lettuce, one head, or four large leaves
2 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the bekti salad.
2. Place a lettuce leaf and spoon about 1/4th of the salad on each bread slice.
3. Put tomato slices and press another slice on top. Put extra pepper, if you so desire.
   Cut each sandwich diagonally and serve with potato chips or French fries and ketchup.

Note: To get ½ lb (225 gm) of bekti, boil or steam about 1 lb (450 gm) of fresh fish in salted water. In India, canned bekti is unheard of.