There’s bouillabaisse, there’s cioppino and then there is maasor bilaahi tenga. I love bouillabaisse; and cioppino is one of my favorite things to make when I entertain my friends. But maasor bilaahi tenga has my soul and my soul reveals my ethnicity. I believe it is an ethnic trait of every Assamese alive and roaming on this planet ‒ to hold or uphold maasor bilaahi tenga close to one’s heart. Three divergent cultures: French, Italian American, and Assamese; one familiar ground ‒ cooking fish or seafood in a tomato enriched broth. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille, France. Cioppino is also a fish stew originating in San Francisco, California. Masor bilaahi tenga is a gastronomic delight of Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India. When I say maasor bilaahi tenga, the name literally enumerates all the ingredients in this simple stew. Maas means fish in Assamese, bilaahi means tomatoes, tenga connotes to the tangy flavor that comes from the acidity of the tomatoes.
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 8 steak cut fresh tilapia, striped bass or any fish fillet of your choice, available in your part of the world |
| 4 to 5 vine-ripened good quality large tomatoes |
| 2 dried red chillies |
| ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds |
| ½ teaspoon nigella seeds |
| ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds |
| 2 tablespoon mustard oil (or olive oil) for the tomato broth |
| ⅓ cup vegetable oil to saute the fish |
| 1 ½ teaspoon salt |
| 1 teaspoon turmeric |
| ¼ cup of fresh cilantro |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Macerate finely chopped tomatoes in 1 teaspoon salt for 10 minutes. Maceration is nothing but marinating the tomatoes with some salt in order to soften the tomatoes and release the juices. |
| Smear the fish steaks with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and lightly saute the fish and set it aside. |
| Heat the mustard oil in a separate pan. When the oil is hot add black mustard seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried chili. Keep a pot lid handy since the seeds may splatter and sputter. When they stop sputtering add the tomatoes along with their juices. |
| Cook the tomatoes in low heat until they are pulpy. This may take between 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the tomatoes occasionally to avoid it from sticking to the bottom. Try not to rush this step as this is the key to a rich and flavorful broth. Cook the tomatoes until they reach pulpy texture. Pour about 3 cups of hot water and let it come to a rapid boil. |
| As soon as the tomato broth comes to a boil, add the fish steaks. Cover the pan and let the fish simmer in the broth for 5 to 6 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the broth is not too thin, nor too thick. |
| Remove from heat, and add finely chopped cilantro. Any maasor bilaahi tenga is never complete without fresh minced cilantro. |
Enjoy it with steamed white or brown rice. We like ours with steamed basmati rice.
Inspiration: My Assamese connection