Pukhorir Maas Kordoi Rokhor Logot (Fresh Pond Fish with Star Fruit Juice)

During our last visit to the state, one of my in-laws’ neighbours gave us a bag full of ripe homegrown kordoi (star fruit). We wanted to use them up before they turned squashy; so, for one whole week we prepared something or the other with kordoi – and the most amazing was fresh pond fish (sourced from sister-in-law’s maternal place) with kordoi juice (see image – didn’t have a better image as this was not intended to be a blog post).

 We had fish with kordoi pulp, slices, and juice – but the one prepared with juice was otherworldly – sweet n tangy – and best part, extremely healthy, light, and easy to prepare!!

 Ingredients:

·         Kordoi juice extract: We hand squeezed 6-8 kordoi (as per your requirement)

·         6-7 pieces of Hol maas

·         One pinch of mustard seeds

·         2 green/red chillis (as per your taste)

·         Salt to taste

·         1 tablespoon mustard oil 

Method

Dab turmeric and salt on the fish pieces and fry them; once slightly golden, keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and the chillis – once the seeds splutter, add the kordoi juice and bring it to a boil. Add the salt. If required, add water. Once you feel you’ve got the right concentration of the gravy (not too thin, not too thick), add the fish pieces, and let it simmer. You might see some frothy bubbles, just ignore them.  If the sour taste is overwhelming, add a little more water, or even a little sugar and boil for some more time.

Your sweet and sour fish with kordoi gravy is ready 😊…serve with plain rice. Don’t forget to drop a comment in case you try this recipe.

Health benefits

Star fruit is loaded with health benefits:

·         Fights jaundice

·         Rejuvenates liver/reduces fatty liver risk

·         Prevents inflammation

·         Boosts immunity as it is loaded with vitamin C

A word of caution though: People with kidney problems should avoid this fruit as it has high levels of oxalic acid.

 

Fish with Bamboo Shoot (Khorisa Maas)

A lot of people have asked me why I’ve named my blog ‘Khorisa’ when there’s not a single recipe with this ingredient. So here comes my first khorisa (bamboo shoot) recipe: ‘Fish with bamboo shoots’ (khorisa maas).

Ingredients:

• 5-6 pieces of Rahu fish (one may use other fishes too)
• About 100 gm grated bamboo shoots (pickled, fermented or raw)
• Two-three tablespoon oil depending on the type of pan you’re using
• One-two medium-sized tomato (cut into small pieces)
• Two green chillies
• 1/4th teaspoon white mustard seeds
• Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric, salt and a dash of oil for half an hour/one hour. Pour the oil in a pan and fry the fish pieces (not too deep). Set them aside. A lot of people use ginger garlic paste in this preparation but since Abhijit prefers the undiluted taste of khorisa, I did not use any.
In the remaining oil (shouldn’t be more than one teaspoon), add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the tomatoes. Add the salt, turmeric, and green chillies. In the mean time, mix the khorisa (I have used khorisa pickle) with some water, and set aside. One may even use the grated bamboo shoots in raw or fermented form. However your cooking procedure will differ depending on how you’re using the khorisa.
When the tomatoes go pulpy, add hot water. As the gravy thickens a bit, add the fish pieces. Soon add the khorisa mixture to the preparation. Heat for some time and your ‘khorisa maas’ is ready.

Fish With Indian Gooseberries (Amlokhi Maas)

I wouldn’t recommend this dish if your taste buds aren’t adventurous; but if they are, this is certainly a must try! Native to lower Assam, this ‘healthy to the core’ dish comes packed with all the goodness of ‘amla’. I chanced upon this recipe while discussing ‘food’ with my good friend, Rimi. This dish is normally prepared with boriyala fish ( boriyala maas). But since I had no access to boriyala fish, I used rahu fish as a substitute. Ingredients: • Four-five pieces of rahu fish • Five-six Indian gooseberries (amla) • Mustard oil to fry the fishes • A pinch of five spices (paas phuron) • Green chillies (chopped) • Salt to taste Method: Marinate the fish pieces with salt, turmeric powder and a dash of oil. Fry the pieces (not too deep) in a pan. Boil the gooseberries with a pinch of salt and set them aside. The water should be kept intact. Heat about a teaspoon oil in a pan. Add the ‘five spices’; when they splutter, add boiled gooseberries along with the water. Add the salt too. When the soup thickens, add the fish pieces, followed by the chopped green chillies. After 5-10 minutes add coriander leaves and remove from stove. Your ‘healthy’ gooseberry fish is ready!

Mangosteen Fish Curry (Thekera Maas Tenga)

Last time Ma (mother-in-law) had visited us, she got us a jar of dried mangosteen (thekera) slices. For the uninitiated, mangosteen is a tropical fruit, grown in the humid climates of Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. Sour in taste, this fruit can be used raw or can be sun dried and preserved, as shown in the second image. In India, mangosteen can be found in good measure in my native state Assam. That apart, I believe it is also grown in areas like Malabar and Nilgiris. Back home, the fruit is commonly used in sour preparations like maas tenga (sour fish), tenga daal (sour daal), etc. Last weekend, I used this ingredient to dish out sour fish. Abhijit just relishes the unique flavor that mangosteen adds to the preparation. Ingredients: • About 5-6 pieces of Rohu fish • Five-six pieces of dried mangosteen (soaked for about half an hour) • Two-three medium sized tomatoes • ½ teaspoon white mustard seeds • Two tablespoon oil (I used non-stick pan – so you might need more depending on the type of pan you’re using) • Two-three green chillies (chopped) • 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder • Salt to taste Method: Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric powder and a dash of mustard oil; set them aside. Soak the mangosteen slices in a bowl. The water so obtained is the key ingredient in the preparation. Heat the pan, pour oil and fry the fish (it shouldn’t be deep fried). In the remaining oil (we need just about a teaspoon of oil for this preparation), add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the chopped green chilies and cut tomatoes. Add salt and turmeric; when the tomatoes go pulpy, add water (preferably hot). Add the fish and then add the mangosteen pieces along with the soaking water. Heat them for some time and your thekera maas tenga is ready!