Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Fish Tenga

Fish Tenga literally translated to Fish Sour, traditionally comes from the north eastern state of Assam in India. It  has a fresh, tangy taste that lingers in your mouth without any of the fishiness. The ingredients are few and easily available, and this dish is an absolute breeze to make. Serve it warm with rice on even the warmest day and you will still walk away feeling light but satiated.

To make FISH TENGA, you will need:

1 kg fresh water fish (Rohu is the traditional choice)
1 large potato, boiled and mashed
6 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
turmeric powder
salt to taste
mustard oil to shallow fry

Method: Smear the chunks of fish with turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat mustard oil in a   pan. Fry the fish to a light gold on both sides and drain on a kitchen towel. In a wok, heat a teaspoon of the leftover mustard oil (from the frying pan). Add the fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the chopped tomatoes and cook till softened and well mashed. Add the green chillies and mashed potato and cook till you get a lump free homogeneous mixture. Season with salt and mix well. Now, stirring constantly, add little water at a time, till you get the curry to your desired consistency. (Assamese like their curries watery and I end up adding almost 750 ml of water.) Once the mixture starts bubbling,  gently add the fried fish. Simmer for a couple of minutes, add the lemon juice and let it come to a gentle boil.  Serve with some plain, steamed rice and dig in!

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