MASOR TENGA - TANGY FISH CURRY FROM THE LAND OF THE LUIT BY SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

IMAGE OWNER: SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

The great war of kurukshetra in the mahabharata records a general of the kauravas named bhagadatta, skilled in fighting from elephants and hailing from pragjyotishpur. Today pragjyotishpur, the home of the famed kamakhya temple is known as guwahati- market of gua (betel). Capital to Assam guwahati is the spring board to all of north east, and nestled in the arms of lohit or the mighty Brahmaputra is a bustling city. Assam is a land that traces her roots in the mythology and history of india. Assam tea, the one horned rhinoceros, gamochas and bihu all add to the mix that makes India distinct.

Bihu is the harvest festival of assam and it was my good fortune to be invited to a traditional lunch for bihu to one of my friends house. As I rolled my sleeves to dig into the fare spread for me one taste blended with another conflicting taste in a continual blend of tangy, hot, yet low in oil and spices of the mainland. A spread of rice served with fish head khar, masor tenga,aloo  pitika ended with xukan macher chutney and pitha. Before I go ahead all tehse signature dishes are unique to assam. A xukan macher chutney is a chutney made of dried fish, while aloo pitika is a side dish made of mashed potato blended with onions, green chillis, boiled eggs using mustard oil. Khar in itself is an ingredient alkaline in nature and is used to cook with a major ingredient and thus imparts its name to the dish. That brings us to masor tenga. Simply put it’s a tangy fish curry, but to say it’s just that is like saying the Kohinoor si just piece of rock. It’s a tingle of the taste buds on account of the sour in it which mixes with the chillis and stands out in a backdrop which is essentially low in oil and spices. In fact the hall mark of assamese cuisine is the low use of oil and spices highlighting the stand out elements of chilli souring agent etc. Today’s food journey is about masor tenga.

The mighty Brahmaputra, incidentally the 10^th largest river of the world nurtures within his curves the city of guwahati, affording her rich alluvial plains to cultivate rice and a rich catch of fish for the fisherman who throws his net in the swirling tempest within him. No wonder assamese cuisine is based on these two major elements.

Cooking masor tenga is not a very difficult task on account of minimal use of spice. While this can be cooked with normal green chillies we will use the bhut jolikas from Nagaland to add a little extra zing in our cook. This is an excellent food if you are having a bad tummy especially if you curb the chillies as being low on oils and spices its easy iin the tummy. We will be cooking a portion to serve 2 people and the ingredients we need are:
Rohu fish- 350-400 gms

Tomato- 4 medium

Haldi (turmeric) powder -  2 teaspoon

Methi (fenugreek) seeds- ½ tea spoon

Bhut joluka (Naga Chilli) 2-3

Lemon juice 2 teaspoon (about)

Dhaniya (Cilantro) leaves 1 sprig

Salt to taste

Mustard oil

Sugar to taste (optional)

To bring out the taste in a conflicting riot I am adding sugar to the mix, but that is entirely optional. To begin preparation, wash the fish thoroughly and cut into 4 pieces. Now in a bowl mix the fish with about 1 teaspoon of haldi, a dash of red chilli powder and salt taste. Mix thoroughly ensuring that the fish pieces are evenly coated by the mix and leave to marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the cilantro and set aside as also the tomato. The joluka we will just slit down the middle and leave. Once the fish is marinated, heat mustard oil over a high flame in a deep wok. Now fry the fish in this oil till it is golden brown, and set aside.

Use this same oil and add the methi seeds and fry till they go brown. Now add the tomatoes chopped and set aside and the green chilli and sauté till oil separates from the mix. Now add salt and sugar to taste along with haldi and let the gravy cook for a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes. Now carefully slide in the fried fish into the gravy.  Cover the wok and simmer for about 5 minutes to let the fish tender. Once done remove the cover and cook on low heat for a bit more for the tastes to blend in, taking care to leave plenty of gravy. Now add the lemon juice and immediately turn of the heat. Let it sit for a few minute and stir to combine the lemon juice evenly and add the chopped cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with steamed rice.

As I mentioned the hallmark of assamese cuisine is the low oil and lack of spices in the dish, hence to make this dish stand out my mom’s secret ingredients become paramount. Care as you blend in the elements, smiles as you pour your love into the dish to compensate the lack of spices will go a long way in making the tenga yummy. So load in the smiles and heaps of love into the cook. Happy cooking and Bon appétit.