Tomato Fish
This is a super quick recipe that thakurma would make when she didn’t have time to soak mustard seeds and make a paste for mustard fish (see that recipe here). It’s my cousin Arunoday’s favorite fish recipe, and I think I like it even more than mustard fish too ;). It’s the perfect way to use up those summer tomatoes growing in your backyard!
For a quick recipe video, click here for our Instagram.
Ingredients
500 grams/1 lb fish pieces (we used rohu, but tilapia works fine)
1.5 to 2 tbs mustard oil for frying
2-3 green chilis, broken in half
2 tomatoes (about the size of plum tomatoes, but use any kind you want)
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp onion seeds
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 cups hot water
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
Directions
Wash the fish and shake off excess water.
Rub 1/2 tsp turmeric and 3/4 tsp salt evenly onto each piece of fish.
Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, grate the tomato pulp from the skin, and set aside.
In a nonstick pan, heat mustard oil on high flame until smoking.
Reduce the flame to medium and add the fish skin-side down to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, flipping the fish over halfway through so that they brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).
Remove fish from pan and set aside.
Increase the flame to medium-high and using the oil remaining in the pan, fry onion seeds and green chilis until fragrant.
Reduce the flame to medium-low, and add the grated tomatoes, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri chili powder. Fry until saucy.
Add 2 cups of hot water and 1.25 tsp salt, and bring to a simmer for a minute or two.
Add the fried fish pieces, cover, and let simmer for 4-6 minutes, flipping the fish over halfway through cooking.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice.
