Nabanita and I have a frequent conversation over Instagram DMs on Assamese cuisines and its likes. One day, she turns up to me and says, “Why not cook something together; something from your state?” I happily agreed. What are the chances someone pushes you to make something that takes you back to all the simple, soulful food that I used to have at local Assamese restaurants (Baideu Hotel in Biswanath Chariali, Spring Valley Breakfast, Samaroh Dhaba, Tripti Rehaz in Nagaon) or at my friends’ places.
I am a Bengali-speaking Assamese and growing up, I rarely incorporated Assamese cuisine in my eating habits. On Sundays, when Dad was free and Maa goes, “I don’t feel like cooking today!”, we used to head out my 11 a.m. on long drives, driving through the paddy fields in the outskirts of Tezpur, stop in between to take photos of mother dear with digital cameras (We didn’t have camera phones then), my Dad patiently clicking them with unique pose ideas because I guess, he just used to love to see Maa getting excited for the pictures. Meanwhile, I sulked in the car for unnecessary time consumption, eat a bar of Dairy Milk that I bought on the way and listen to “Crazy Kiya Re” inside the car.
After travelling for 1.5 to 2 hours, we used to reach a dainty town called, “Biswanath Chariali”, head straight to Baideu Hotel for our lunch. Baideu (meaning “elder sister” in Assamese) Hotel was always congested during weekends, there are 5-6 thalis coming in for each family in an entire tray, Baideu managing the cash counter and simultaneously greeting everyone with a smile,
“Aaru kiba lagibo naki apunalokor?”
“Do you need something else?”
We always needed something else.
A vegetarian thali with xaak (saag), khar (alkaline appetizer), aloo bhaji (potato fry), aloo pitika (mashed potato), maati maahor daali (lentil soup), assorted chutney, papod, paayokh (rice porridge) etc. Accompanied with the thali, we used to order Dad’s favourite, maangxo (tender goat curry), Maasor tenga (Light tangy fish curry), Paaro Maangxo (Pigeon meat curry).
After a hearty meal, we used to head back to Tezpur after a vegetable and fish shopping from Sunday Haat which took an hour long while I used to do my usual, park myself in the back seat, wait for my parents in disgust while I eat another bar of chocolate and listen to songs in the car. On the way home, Baba used to pull a cliche without fail like any other Bengali Dad,
“Onek ghurli Maa. Kal ke thike abaar school aar porashona. Shokale uthish!”
“We have enjoyed enough today. You have school tomorrow, remember that! Don’t wake up late!”
Isn’t that every Dad ever?
Over the years, I have explored Assamese cuisine through Assamese friends’ invitations (shoutout to Vanita’s Mom for her delicious Paaro Maanxo), restaurants in Assam and Assamese meetups in Bangalore and Bhubaneswar and my love for the cuisine has only grown and how!
So, a few days before when Nabanita told me that we should cook an Assamese together, I immediately gave her a “yes”. I had Katla Fish in my freezer and I thought let’s go with Maasor Tenga. This recipe is an amalgamation of recipes taken from my friends’ mothers (Banjita and Priom) and I hope you love it!
Maasor Tenga is light, tangy, freshly incorporate with tomatoes and “panch furon“, the showstoppers of the dish and best had in summers with steamed rice.
Ingredients:
- Mustard Oil: 6 tbsp
- Paanch Furon (Indian Five Spice Blend: Cumin, Brown Mustard, Fenugreek, Nigella and Fennel)
- Bottle Gourd: 1/4th (Chopped) – Optional
- Fish: 4 pieces
- Onion: 1 nos. (Chopped)
- Tomatoes: 3 nos. (Chopped)
- Potato: 1 nos. (Slit cut)
- Green chilly: 4 nos. (Slit cut)
- Turmeric: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Red Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp
- Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp
- Coriander leaves (Chopped)
Recipe:
- Wash the fish pieces properly and smear it with salt and turmeric and fry them in mustard oil. Do not over-fry it.
- In the same kadhai, add paanch phuron and fry until they crackle.
- Add chopped onions and fry until they are golden yellow colour. Do not over-fry them as we want a light curry.
- Add potatoes and bottle gourd fry them lightly.
- Next, add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are boiled and the tomatoes have become very soft. (Pro tip: You can boil the gravy in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles and transfer it to the pan again for the next process).
- Next add the fried fish and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Now here comes the best part. Add some red-chilly powder on top of the gravy and heat some mustard oil for the tadka. Once the oil is hot, add it over the red-chili powder and the gravy and give it a good mix.
- Once oil starts floating from the top, add chopped coriander and turn off the gas.
- Add lemon juice to the gravy if you want it sourer.
- Serve hot with rice.
If you liked this recipe and want to see more of this mother-daughter duo, don’t forget to reach out to us at rannabaati00@gmail.com and our Instagram Handle @rannabaati by Oliva Das. We look forward to your requests and feedback!
Ranna Baati 