Fish Finger Bhorta

Nigella's Fish Finger Bhorta is a change up from the fish finger sandwich! 

Pink pickled onions are strewn over to finish the dish.

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*Post updated February 2025

Just a few simple ingredients and 30 minutes later you have a very moreish, must-make again recipe.

What is bhorta?

Bhorta is a mixture of pretty much any vegetables, or fish with a base that typically combines mustard, garlic, onions, and red chilli peppers.

So, you can add whatever you like to eat, fry it all up and then mash it together; this is the simplest of Bangladeshi comfort food.

In Nigella's recipe onions are cooked until soft, with garlic, ginger and chillies, dolloped with mustard, and with crispy fish fingers mashed into the pan at the end, with coriander, spinach and lime.

After watching the first episode on BBC I just had to buy Nigella's book Cook, Eat Repeat.

Nigella says;

'I am so grateful to the political journalist Ash Sarkar for this new love in my life.

Up until now, I had thought the fish finger found its greatest expression in a fish finger sandwich, which for all my expounding on the subject, I don’t consider the stuff of recipes; the fish finger bhorta is a different matter entirely.

Please note:

Nigella's recipe uses 12 fish fingers and she doubles the rest of the ingredients as she says 'serves 2 with essential leftovers'.

But just in case we weren't too impressed I decided to halve the recipe as shown in the recipe card below. If you want the HUGE version pop over to Nigella Lawson's website.

Start by making the pink pickled onions

It's important to know that you really need to make the red pickled onions at least 2 hours before you use them; only so they have enough time to actually pickle and turn a gorgeous pink.

Then all you do is very thinly slice a red onion and pop it into a jar. Cover with red wine vinegar and leave it until you're ready to use it.

Make the bhorta - Full recipe in the printable recipe card below 😉

Cook the onions until pale gold and soft.

Add the chilli. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook, still stirring, for another 2 minutes. Spoon in the mustard and salt, stirring to combine.

Add the spinach and allow it to wilt in the pan.

Squeeze in the lime juice and serve topped with the pink-pickled onions and coriander.

Click to see more recipes by Nigella. 

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

fish finger bhorta recipe, fish finger bhorta Nigella Lawson, bhorta recipe

Nigella Lawson, snack, main, fish

Indian

Yield: 2

Author: Nigella Lawson

Fish Finger Bhorta

Crispy fish fingers with pink pickled onions, delicious and easy to make. See notes below regarding serving size.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 40 M

Ingredients

For the pink-pickled onions

• ½ red onion- very thinly sliced
• red wine vinegar, or lime juice to cover

Pink pickled onions

• Make your pink-pickled onions as far in advance as you can: at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Place the red onion in a jar with a lid, or simply into a bowl that you can cover.
• Pour over the red wine vinegar (or lime juice), pressing down on the onions until they are all just immersed.
• Put the lid on the jar, or cover your bowl, and leave the onions to steep.

Instructions

1. 6 frozen cod fish fingers in breadcrumbs (not batter)
2. 1½ tbsps rapeseed or vegetable oil
3. 1 large red onion - peeled and very thinly sliced
4. 1 red chilli medium heat - seeds removed if preferred, and thinly sliced
5. 1 tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
6. 1 large garlic clove - crushed or grated
7. 1 tbsp English mustard
8. 1 tsp sea salt flakes (or ½tsp fine sea salt)
9. 60g/2oz baby spinach
10. ½ lime - juice only
11. 1½ tbsps roughly chopped fresh coriander, plus more to garnish

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F or Gas 7

1. Put the fish fingers on a baking tray and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, which may be slightly longer than the packet directs, but ensures the breadcrumb coating is really crisp.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan (I used a large stir-fry pan).
3. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until pale gold and soft.
4. Add the chilli and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the while.
5. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook, still stirring, for another 2 minutes.
6. Spoon in the mustard and salt, stirring to combine.
7. Add the spinach and allow to wilt in the pan for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly, then squeeze in the lime juice.
8. Take the pan off the heat while you get the fish fingers. Break them up a bit with a spatula and then add to the pan.
9. Toss everything together, breaking them up further and mashing them into the pan, then sprinkle over the coriander.
10. Serve topped with the pink-pickled onions and extra coriander.

Notes

Nigella's recipe uses 12 fish fingers and she doubles the rest of the ingredients for as she says 'serves 2 with essential leftovers'.

The recipe below is halved already to serve 2 - without leftovers.

https://www.aglugofoil.com/2020/11/fish-finger-bhorta.html

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