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Posted:1/7/2018
Updated:8/31/2018

Sri Lankan Fish Patties (Fish Empanadas)

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Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Freezer friendly too.

There’s a reason why Sri Lankan Fish Patties (Fish Empanadas) are legendary. A slightly spicy, savory, scrumptious filling encased in a flaky and buttery crust, these fish pastries are PERFECT for game-day snacking, for breakfast or tea-time snacking, or for entertaining. You can use your choice of protein for the filling or make it vegetarian. They are easy to make and freeze well for later too! 

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Freezer friendly too.

Empanadas are world famous. So much so that every continent and food culture has their own version of an empanada. In Sri Lanka, these spicy, savory, scrumptious pastry snacks are called patties (singular: patty), or more commonly fish patties as fish is the most popular filling.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties. Find out the secrets for making the flaky buttery crust for these fish empanadas with a Sri lankan twist.

It’s a favorite snack in every household in Sri Lanka. You can of course make the filling vegetarian, or use chicken, lamb, beef, fish or any type of protein you like.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - rub the butter into the flour to form the texture of coarse bread crumbs or wet course sand.
The first step for the dough is to rub the butter into the flour, until it forms coarse crumbs or coarse sand.
Sri Lankan Fish Patties - The patties (or empanada) dough, chilled and ready to be rolled out. Make sure to lightly flour the dough.
Sri Lankan patties dough chilled, lightly dusted and ready to be rolled.

What are Sri Lankan short eats?

Sri Lankan fish patties belong to a very special group of snacks called “short eats”. As the name implies, these are snacks or finger foods that you can nibble on, and are extremely popular as game day food, on road trips, as on-the-go breakfast food, as a tea-time snack, or for parties and entertaining. They are incredibly versatile.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - some of the ingredients for the filling, and the chilled dough.

In addition to Sri Lankan patties, some other popular short-eats include Chinese rolls (or Sri Lankan Rolls – fried savory crepe rolls that have very little to do with China in spite of the name), cutlets (croquettes), fish buns (maalu paan), yellow lentil fritters (kadala wade), stuffed roti etc. No matter where you travel in Sri Lanka (it’s a tiny island after all), there will be no shortage of street vendors, little cafes, bakeries, and mom and pop joints that sell these fish patties (and other short eats) by the handful.

Sri Lankan fish patties - the cooked potatoes are mixed with the spiced fish mix. The potatoes are only half mashed,
Sri Lankan fish patties - the spicy fish filling should be cooled down before being used. This is a flavorful filling that is perfect for Sri Lankan fish rolls (Chinese rolls).

And one of my favorite short eats is these Sri Lankan fish patties (fish empanadas). They are slightly spicy, savory, scrumptious, mini-sized comfort food to me. The crust is what makes these Sri Lankan fish patties unique and different from fish empanadas. I’ve been making these fish patties for a while, but the first couple of times were disastrous. They were either too cakey, too crispy, or the taste was off, or the pastries split while frying. But over the years I’ve perfected the dough to make THE MOST DELICIOUS FISH PATTIES ever now!

Roll out the dough and cut circles. The dough will be very pliable but not too soft, so you can be generous with the filling. 

Sri Lankan fish patties - The dough is rolled out and cut into circles. Because of the acid in the dough, and resting time, the dough is pliable without being too soft.

So if you’re a Sri Lankan living abroad now, or even if you’ve never had Sri Lankan fish patties before and want to try something new, then this is the recipe. 🙂

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - I prefer to fill the casings with balls of the filling, so I can fill it more.
To make sure you add the maximum amount of filling possible, I like to create balls of it and place it in the middle. Apply water along one half of the pastry wrapper edge and fold over the other half to seal the fish patty.
Sri Lankan fish patties - Seal the pastry edges with water and use a fork to crimp the edges to seal it properly.
Once the edges are sealed with water, use a fork to crimp the edges (ONLY the edges). Be careful not to prick the center.

There’s one big difference between these patties and what are commonly called empanadas. That is the use of butter for patties, while lard is used for empanadas. However, you’re more than welcome to use lard or margarine for patties as well if you like. I’ll go through the recipe step by step to help you perfect your fish patties. They are easy to make, and you can adapt the filling however you like (meat or fish or vegetarian, and more or less spicy etc.).

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - Once they all have been made, you can freeze these Sri Lankan patties for later too.

Making the fish filling for Sri Lankan fish patties

  • I used canned mackerel for the filling. This is mainly for convenience, but it also tastes great. I always make sure to get canned mackerel in brine, rather than in tomato sauce or oil. I prefer to control the amount of oil or seasoning that I add.
  • If you prefer, you can use fresh fish which will certainly be super delicious. If you are using fresh fish, use a flaky fish like cod, swordfish, or mahi mahi. You can also use tuna. If you have access to only canned fish, look for mackerel, tuna chunks (not flakes), or even canned salmon.
  • Green chili peppers are crucial. Use Thai green chili peppers for extra heat, or serrano pepper or jalapeno pepper for a milder heat. The actual flavor that green chili adds to this filling makes a difference.
  • Lime juice is your friend. The acidity gives a nice balance to the flavors of the fish and spices. So don’t overlook it.
  • This is the same filling that can be used for Chinese rolls (or Sri Lankan fried crepe rolls), and fish buns (maalu paan) and with a little extra potatoes, these are perfect for fish cutlets too.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Freezer friendly too.

Tips to make the perfect Sri Lankan fish patties (curried fish empanadas)

  • To have that characteristic flaky crust, unsalted butter is rubbed into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs or wet sand. Unlike shortcrust, you do not want to have pea sized pieces (or chunks) of butter in the dough.
  • If you do not want to use butter (and keep it dairy-free), use margarine instead.
  • An egg yolk is used to bind the dough together, and to make sure the dough is not crumbly.
  • Be precise with water measurements – the amount of water can change depending on many factors. The flour that you use is one factor. Whether you use butter or margarine is another (margarine has more water, so you may then need less water to form the dough). I always start with 1/4 cup, and then add a teaspoon at a time.
  • When the dough has ALMOST reached the right consistency, the BEST way to add more water is to DIP YOUR FINGERS IN COLD WATER, and then knead the dough with your wet hand. This incorporates just enough water for the final knead.
  • If your Sri Lankan patties unseal while being fried (or expand too much and split), that means the dough was too wet or soft to begin with.
  • Add 1 tsp of acid in the form of lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar – the acid helps relax the gluten, so you can roll it out better, and the dough will be slightly stretchy, when you get to that point of rolling the dough, and making the patties.
  • Want that characteristic bubbly surface on your fish patties? Add baking powder! It will also make the pastry softer after frying. However, the baking powder is COMPLETELY optional, and you will end up with a slightly crunchier dough.
  • CHILL the dough. The dough rolls out better, and it’s easier to handle when it’s colder.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties.

The crust on these babies is perfectly flaky and buttery and taste just so scrumptious. When I was young, I used to eat the filling first and save the crust (the best) for last! I may or may not still do the same thing. 🙂 Every time I make these Sri Lankan patties, I make a double batch because we just can’t get enough of it. So two batches are the minimum, and I freeze one or more batches for later.

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Perfect with tomato sauce or chili sauce.

How to properly freeze Sri Lankan fish patties for later

  • Line a baking tray with plastic wrap.
  • Place the fish patties on the tray in ONE LAYER, with about 1/2 cm space between each, and at least 1 – 2 inches at the edges.
  • If you need to add a second layer of fish empanadas, place another plastic wrap over the first layer, and place the rest of the empanadas on top of that. Again, make sure to leave 1/2 cm spacing between each one and 1 – 2 inches at the edges.
  • Next, cover with another plastic wrap on top, and fold over the overhanging 1 – 2 inches to create a sealed package. This is to make sure the patties don’t get frost bitten.
  • Place in the freezer for at least 8 hours, until completely frozen. Then wrap the package in foil and keep in the freezer for up to a month. OR place the frozen patties in a freezer-safe container (with an air-tight seal), cover and freeze for up to 1 month.
  • These can be fried from frozen, so take as many as you want to fry, whenever you get a hankering for some delectable Sri Lankan fish patties (fish empanadas)! 🙂

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties

 

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Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Freezer friendly too.
5 from 9 votes

Sri Lankan Fish Patties (Curried Fish Empanadas)

Sri Lankan Fish Patties - a spicy fish empanada with a perfectly flaky buttery crust. Tips & tricks for making PERFECT Sri Lankan patties. 
Serves 16 pattis
Print Rate

Ingredients:

Patties Dough (Empanada Dough)

  • 300 g AP flour chilled (preferably)
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100 g unsalted butter chilled and cubed
  • ¼ cup + 2 tb ice water
  • 1 yolk from 1 large egg
  • ½ tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Curried Fish Filling

  • 240 g mackerel bones removed or replace with same weight of cooked flaky fish (this is approximately the weight of the fish from 1 mackerel in brine can)
  • 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped or minced (about 1 tbsp minced garlic)
  • 1 inch ginger finely chopped or minced (about 1 tbsp minced ginger)
  • 1/2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper less if you prefer a mild filling
  • 2 serrano peppers chopped finely (deseeded if you prefer milder heat)
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • ½ - ¾ lime about 1 - 1 ½ tbsp
  • 200 g cooked russett potato of any floury potato

Instructions:

Patties Dough (Empanada Dough)

  • Place the flour, salt, baking powder together in a bowl. Whisk to combine well.
  • Add the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingers (or in a food processor), until the flour-butter mix resembles coarse crumbs (or wet coarse sand).
  • If you used a food processor to mix the butter and flour, transfer the flour-butter mix back into a large bowl.
  • Mix ¼ cup of the ice water with the vinegar and egg yolk. Whisk to combine.
  • Make a well in the middle of the flour mix. Add the water-yolk mix and use a fork or your fingers to distribute the liquid through the flour. When the liquid has been distributed, you will have to use your hands to knead the dough to form a dough ball.
  • If the dough is too dry, add iced water 1 tbsp at a time (or less), up to 2 tbsp. The dough should come together to make a pliable dough that's not sticky. If it still seems too dry, dip only your fingers in the ice water and without shaking off any excess water, knead the dough with your wet hands.
  • Form a disc with the pastry dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. If you make the dough the day before and the dough is too chilled, let the dough soften slightly at room temperature.

Curried Fish Filling

  • Make sure the canned fish has been drained and the bones removed. If you're using cooked fresh fish, make sure the fish has been de-boned as well.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil or coconut oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.
  • Add the finely chopped onion and saute for a few minutes until they have softened. Add the garlic, ginger and saute for a further 30 seconds until softened.
  • Add the curry powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper. Mix through the onions.
  • Add the fish and mix it with the onion-spice mix. Break the fish into smaller pieces and saute the mix until it's dry, and takes on the color of the spices, about 10 - 15 minutes. Do not allow the mix to burn (reduce the heat if necessary). Add the tomato ketchup and green chili peppers (serrano peppers) and mix through and cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes.
  • Season with salt if needed (remember you are using brined mackerel, and may not need a lot of salt).
  • Mash the potatoes slightly (with some small whole pieces left intact), and add this to the fish mix. Mix well. Sprinkle the lime juice over the fish and potatoes and mix well. Season and add more lime juice and salt if necessary.
  • Let the mix cool down.

Assembly

  • Roll out the cool patties dough on a lightly floured smooth surface. Roll out until the dough is about 3 mm thick. To ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the surface, lightly dust the surface and flip the dough over half way through rolling. This will help prevent shrinking of the dough and it'll roll out better too. Make sure the rolled out dough isn’t sticking to the surface before cutting the patties dough wrappers as well.
  • Cut 3 - 3.5 inch diameter circles using a pastry cutter. Set these aside in one layer and cover with plastic wrap. Re-roll the scraps and cut more pastry circles. You should get approximately 15 - 17 wrappers.
  • Take one dough wrapper, and with your fingers, flatten it out slightly at the edges to create a slightly bigger circle (especially if the wrappers shrink a little).
  • Take a spoonful of the fish filling and form a ball that's about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place this in the middle of the wrapper.
  • Apply water along the edge of one half of the wrapper. Carefully fold over the other half of the wrapper over the filling toward the moistened edge and press down to seal. Use your fingers to form a seal along the edge, and then use a fork to crimp the edges.
  • Transfer the patties to a plate and cover with a plastic wrap. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.

To Fry

  • Heat enough oil to deep fry the fish patties (about 3 - 4 inches), or to shallow fry (about 1 ½ - 2 inches).
  • Once the oil is heated to 350°F / 180°C, fry the patties in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
  • The patties should fry for about 2 minutes until they turn golden brown in the center and slightly darker at the edges (about 1 minute per side if shallow frying). If you are frying the patties from frozen, they need to deep fry for about 3 - 4 minutes until they turn golden brown in the center and slightly darker at the edges.
  • Place the fried patties on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
  • Serve while warm or at room temperature with tomato ketchup or chili sauce. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

To freeze these fish patties, place unfried fish patties in one layer on a baking tray, and wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze until the patties are completely frozen through. See blog post for detailed freezing instructions. 
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Sri Lankan Fish Patties - These fish empanadas are epic! A spicy fish filling inside perfectly flaky buttery crust. Perfect for snacking. Step by step instructions to make these Sri Lankan Patties. Freezer friendly too.

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  1. Nirupa Sheppard says

    January 14, 2021 at 16:03

    Didn’t change any measurements and turned out really well! I loved that the instructions were so specific. I looked up another recipe snd found instructions for baking. 200C for 20 mins.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 14, 2021 at 19:33

      Thank you Nirupa!
      This particular dough might be a little dry when you bake it because of the lower fat content in the dough, but it is do-able if the change in texture is ok!
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Cretia says

    December 21, 2020 at 21:19

    Looking forward to trying these for Christmas Eve dinner (feast of seven fishes!). Question: Can these be air fried? Or if I fried them on the stove earlier in the day, what would be the best way to warm them up? Or maybe they can be room temperature? Trying to reduce the amount of time in the kitchen as much as possible so I can spend time with my guests. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 22, 2020 at 08:34

      Hi Cretia!
      Air frying will most likely give results like these were baked, and unfortunately I don’t think you would get the same results as the pastry might be a little dense.
      You can fry them and serve them at room temperature. They can be eaten at room temperature, but keeping them overnight can make them lose the crispness in the dough.
      If you need to refrigerate them overnight, then you can also reheat the fried patties in the oven or air fryer to crisp them up – they can still be served warm or at room temperature 🙂
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Rohan Jayasena says

    July 12, 2020 at 14:54

    5 stars
    Thank you

    Reply
  4. Nitu says

    June 26, 2020 at 23:53

    I wanted to use the dough to bake patties . Would this work ?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 27, 2020 at 19:32

      Hi Nitu
      I haven’t baked these before. I have had some readers who said that they got great results baking, and some who have said that frying is better because baking makes the patties drier.
      I hope that helps

      Reply
  5. Peaches says

    June 14, 2020 at 18:30

    5 stars
    These were amazing. I had fresh wild catfish to use up. Delish!

    Reply
  6. Darlene says

    June 1, 2020 at 09:31

    How can you avoid the bubbles when they are fried.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 1, 2020 at 15:45

      Hi Darlene
      You can omit the baking powder and let them rest before frying too. There still might be some bubbles because these bubbles can occur when the water in the dough evaporates while being fried.

      Reply
  7. Dawn says

    May 20, 2020 at 03:27

    Sorry for the typos, in my previous review. I’ve tried this dough recipe 3 times now, all without egg in the dough. The first two times I made the dough and fried, and the results were outstanding. The last time I made the dough I baked, but this is not a good dough for baking, it was dry and hard when baked and a completely different outcome than frying. If you really don’t want to fry, I would recommend finding a different dough recipe, like a soft bun recipe and making fish buns instead.

    Reply
  8. Arlene says

    May 20, 2020 at 02:30

    Great recipe thank you

    Reply
  9. Dawn says

    May 18, 2020 at 21:13

    The dough is irresistible when fried. I tried this recipe baking, And it was not nearly as good. I guess I could have experimented with brushing either oil or milk on the dough prior to baking to see if that would help, I also did not use egg in my go either time, But this recipe definitely shines When fried. I was hoping the butter in the dough would help it crisp up in the oven but no.

    Reply
  10. Chanika says

    May 10, 2020 at 21:21

    5 stars
    I love this.. crust came so well and crispy. But at the beginning it was hard to roll out the dough. How much time we should knead the dough. Thank you for the lovely recipe..

    Reply
  11. Jenny says

    May 9, 2020 at 19:23

    Hi Dini. My crust came out like a quiche crust. No bubbles and actually tasted like sawdust and powdery when I fried the patties. What am I doing wrong? Also, if I want the bubbly texture, how much baking soda should I put? The filling was amazing!!!!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 9, 2020 at 20:08

      Hi Jenny
      I’m glad the filling was good! 🙂
      As for the crust, if you used baking soda, it can change the texture of the crust. The recipe uses baking powder, and only a tiny amount, which helps create the bubbles (along with the texture of the butter in the dough).
      The more leavening that’s added, the more cake-like and crumbly the texture becomes. The extra baking soda can also cause the dough to taste weird as well.
      However this is similar to a quiche crust (in taste), as they use the same ingredients. The difference is that it’s fried and therefore shouldn’t be powdery.

      Reply
  12. Suji says

    May 9, 2020 at 15:17

    Can I make the dough the day before to make it easier to make the next day? And how thin should the dough be rolled out to make the circle shapes?

    Reply
  13. dharshini says

    May 9, 2020 at 09:32

    really liked your recipe…but I added 1table spoon of baking powder instead of teaspoon. how do I correct it

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 9, 2020 at 10:14

      Hi Dharshini,
      Short of making two batches of the dough without the baking powder, and gently mixing it with the remaining dough with the extra baking powder, there isn’t much that can be done unfortunately.
      You can still make the dough with the extra baking powder, but the dough will rise significantly as it’s fried and may have a more cake like texture to it.

      Reply
  14. Aqeelah says

    April 16, 2020 at 03:00

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe! I baked these and they turned out great. I made about 30 from this recipe.❤

    Reply
  15. charmalee gunaratne says

    April 2, 2020 at 15:53

    can you bake these?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      April 2, 2020 at 19:39

      Hi Charmalee
      You can bake these in a 350 F oven until golden brown. However, the texture of the pastry will be different when baked vs fried.

      Reply
  16. Michelle says

    April 1, 2020 at 20:25

    Thanks for the recipe. Do you have an Insta account?

    Reply
  17. Shani says

    March 29, 2020 at 15:11

    5 stars
    Thanks. I made it and it’s really good

    Reply
  18. Sabrina says

    March 28, 2020 at 00:01

    5 stars
    Absolutely Perera and Sons like! Delicious! Thank you.

    Reply
  19. Maheshi says

    February 26, 2020 at 00:20

    Can you bake the patties instead of frying

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 3, 2020 at 14:20

      Hi Maheshi
      You can bake them (350 oven, until the dough is golden brown in color). However the texture of the dough will be different when baked vs when fried.

      Reply
  20. Nilanthi Wicramasinghe says

    February 19, 2020 at 07:33

    I loved this recipe so much

    Reply
  21. Janani says

    July 18, 2019 at 02:46

    5 stars
    I made the filling a bit differently but the dough recipe is amazing! Flaky, buttery and oh so yummy! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      July 19, 2019 at 12:59

      So glad you liked the dough recipe Janani! Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂

      Reply
  22. Teresa says

    March 9, 2019 at 23:24

    Hi there, have you tried baking instead of frying? I would love to skip the deep frying if possible.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 10, 2019 at 21:40

      Hi Teresa
      I haven’t tried baking these before, so I’m not sure how it will come out. But you could try baking them instead. The texture of the crust will be different though. I’m not certain which temperature to bake these at, but I would bake them between 350°F – 375°F, until the crust turns golden brown.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Heloise says

        April 6, 2020 at 01:10

        I have baked patties & they are a melt in the mouth good.

        Reply
  23. kaya says

    September 26, 2018 at 16:35

    Hello dear, thank you for sharing this recipe. Is it possible to use tuna instead ?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 26, 2018 at 20:18

      Hi Kaya
      You can use Tuna for this recipe too. If you are using canned tuna, I prefer using the canned solid tuna rather than the flaked tuna, as the flaked tuna will crumble too much. If you’re using fresh tuna, you can cook it with a little salt and pepper (until just cooked through), and use that instead as well.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  24. Fellow Sri Lankan says

    August 31, 2018 at 11:52

    5 stars
    Hi Dini!

    As a fellow Sri Lankan, I should say that I am very pleased to see how you are keeping our tradition by adding our favorite short eats on your menu.
    Keep up the good work.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 31, 2018 at 12:14

      Hey fellow Sri Lankan,
      Thank you so much! Sri Lankan short eats have so much flavor and character, I really do think they deserve to gain more recognition around the world. 🙂

      Reply
  25. Nadeeka says

    April 6, 2018 at 07:29

    5 stars
    Hi Dini, I tried the patties dough recipe to make 50 patties for our temple fundraising event. It was spot on! The perfect dough recipe was what I was looking for and yours is the best hands down !!! Thank you for your time and dedication !!! Great job

    Reply
    • Dini says

      April 6, 2018 at 07:39

      Hi Nadeeka, thank you so much for letting me know! I’m really glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

      Reply
  26. Albert Bevia says

    January 15, 2018 at 08:30

    We have somthing kinda similar to these empanadas here in Spain..but these here you have presented sound and look so good! I have to give this a try 🙂

    Reply

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