Machh bhaja Machh bhaja In West Bengal, Tripura, Orissa, Assam and Bangladesh, 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
Bangladeshi cuisine rice), biryani, "firni", "payesh" and "pitha". Sticky rice (binni chal) is also popular and a favorite in the Sylhet region. The main breads are luchi, porota, ruti, bakarkhani, rice flour ruti and naan. Dal is another important staple food which is served with rice/porota/luchi. Fish is a staple in Bangladeshi cuisine, especially freshwater fish, which is a distinctive feature of the country's gastronomy. Major fish dishes include "ilish" (hilsa")", "pabda" (butterfish), "rui" (rohu), "pangash" (pangas catfish), pomfret", chitol" (clown knifefish), "magur" (walking catfish), "bhetki" (barramundi), "katla", "shing", "koral", "puti", "bowal", "koi" and tilapia, with "paddar ilish" (hilsa from the Padma