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.
Continue reading “Maasor Bilaahi Tenga (Fish Stew in Tomato Broth)”Maasor Bilaahi Tenga (Fish Stew in Tomato Broth)
