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Naga Smoked Fish with Tomato and King Chilli

Wood-smoked river fish simmered with fire-roasted tomatoes, ginger and raja mircha. Almost no oil, very smoky and fiery, the way a Naga kitchen makes it.

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh river fish (small rohu, catla or bata), cleaned, cut in large pieces
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 king chilli (raja mircha), or 2 for very hot
• 1 tbsp ginger, crushed
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1½ cups water
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• salt to taste

Method

1. Rub the fish pieces with a little salt and leave them on a rack for 15 minutes to dry on the surface.
2. Charcoal: light a small fire, let it die to glowing coals and cover them with a handful of damp wood chips or dry leaves. Set the fish on the grate high above, close the lid and smoke for 1.5 to 2 hours, turning once, till firm, dry and dark golden.
3. Tawa or oven: dry-roast the fish on a heavy tawa on the lowest flame, turning, for 40 minutes till dry and browned, or bake on a rack at 120°C for 1.5 hours. Then hold a burning coal in a steel bowl beside the fish in a covered pot, pour a few drops of oil on it and trap the smoke for 10 minutes.
4. Roast the tomatoes and king chilli directly over the flame or coals for 5 minutes till blistered and black in spots. Peel the tomatoes roughly.
5. Crush the tomatoes, king chilli, ginger and garlic with salt in a mortar to a coarse paste.
6. Put the paste in a pot with 1.5 cups water and the green chillies. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Break the smoked fish into large chunks, add to the pot and simmer gently for 10 minutes so the fish softens and the gravy turns smoky.
8. Finish with spring onions and coriander. Serve hot with plain boiled rice.

Tip: Raja mircha is extremely hot. Slit one and simmer it whole, then lift it out if the gravy is hot enough. Wash your hands well after handling it.