Machh bhaja

Fried Rohu served in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bangladesh (greater Bengal), fried fish or Māchh bhājā is a common delicacy eaten as a snack or fritter to go with a meal. Riverine fish like bhetki, topshey, aarh and pābdā (Ompok pābdā), and anadromous fish such as hilsa are commonly fried in Bengali cuisine, Oriya cuisine and Assamese cuisine. The oil used to fry the fish may often be used as a dip. Fried fish roe (e.g. of hilsa) are also often eaten this way. The fish is often deep fried such that fish bones become crispy and edible, as is the case with small fish like Maurala (Opio cephalus).

Karimeen fish fry is also popular in Kerala, India.