There’s something about a Kal Baisakhi (norwesters) evening that calls for muri and chop. The lights flicker once. A gust of wind slams the window shut. The smell of dust and wet earth hits your nose before the first drop of rain lands. You don’t need a clock to know it’s evening—the city collectively reaches for something fried and familiar. I have visited Lakshmi Narayan Shaw & Sons several times—once while shooting for Kolkata Classics and another time with Chef Kunal Kapur for Kolkata Knight Riders. And each time I noticed kancha aamer chop printed on their menu.
I had never eaten it then, but the name stayed with me. Later, I tried recreating it at home, drawing from the flavours I understand. Tangy, sharp, golden—it felt just right for a stormy, nostalgic evening.
kacha aamer chop
Green mango- the flavour booster
Green mango has always had a strong presence in the Bengali summer kitchen. We use it in chutneys, in tok dal, sometimes even in mangsho. But in a chop? That felt unusual and interesting. Finely chopped kancha aam gets mixed with mashed potatoes, green chillies, and basic spices. It’s then shaped into patties, dipped in besan, and fried till crisp. The sourness cuts through the richness, waking up your taste buds without overpowering. There’s no single recipe. You’ll find slight changes in every home. For example, I tried coating in bread crumbs instead of a besan batter and it turned out great. What stays constant is the sharp burst of mango that hits first, followed by the comfort of potato.
kancha aamer chop
Muri, kancha aamer chop, a spicy green chili, and a bit of salt—that’s the plate. You eat it standing near the shop, dodging rain, with someone trying to hold a newspaper over your head. Or at home, under a whirring fan, while the storm lashes outside. These are everyday flavours. Simple, sharp, and strangely comforting. They’re not about presentation or complexity. They’re about place, memory, and the kind of evenings that stay with you. In a city where every para has a telebhaja’r dokan, the kancha aamer chop is a little detour from the usual—but once you try it, it fits right in.
kancha aamer chop
That Bhaja Moshla recipe needed for all vegetarian chop cutlet
There are several recipes to bhaja masala. The easiest and the most widely used one is just with coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilies. It’s simple, not too many flavours and does the work. However, with a few more ingredients, the flavour profile changes dramatically. The bhaja moshla made at our place also has dried bayleaf, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in addition to the three above. This is the link to the recipe- Bhaja Moshla
Share your cooking with us –
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Check the reel which we made –
Kancha Aamer Chop | Green Mango Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 1 raw mango, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 2 green chilies
- 1½ tsp bhaja moshla (link in the body)
- salt to taste
- sugar to taste
- 2 cups bread crumbs (may need more)
- 2 tbsp flour
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Chop the raw mango and blanch it in hot water for 3–4 minutes. Drain and discard the water. (This step tones down the sourness. Skip it if you prefer a sharper flavour.)
- In a frying pan, heat a little oil. Add chopped ginger and green chillies. Sauté for a minute.Add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add salt, sugar, and a generous amount of bhaja moshla.Add the blanched mango pieces and stir until the raw smell of the potato is gone.Let the mixture cool completely.
- Wet your hands and shape the mixture into round discs.If the mixture feels too sticky, mix in some bread crumbs for binding.
- Coat each disc in dry bread crumbs.
- Dip it into a thin flour slurry. (Mix flour with water)
- Coat again in bread crumbs for a crisp outer layer.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the chops on medium heat until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Drain on paper towels and serve hot with muri, onion slices, chilies and kasundi.
Pikturenama is a blog about our travel and food escapades along with stories to share through photography. 
