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Thekera Tenga Maas

Rohu in a thin, clean sour broth made with dried thekera (Assamese mangosteen) — the tenga every Assamese grandmother swears by on hot afternoons.

Ingredients

• 500 g Rohu or Bahu fish, cut in steaks
• 6 dried thekera slices (Garcinia), soaked in ½ cup warm water
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tbsp man dhoniya (culantro) or coriander, chopped
• salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the thekera slices in ½ cup warm water for 15 minutes. Keep the soaking water — it carries the sourness.
2. Rub the fish with salt and ½ tsp turmeric. Rest 10 minutes.
3. Heat mustard oil till it smokes, then lower the flame. Fry the fish 2 minutes per side, just till firm. Keep aside.
4. In the same oil, crackle the fenugreek seeds for a few seconds until they turn reddish-brown.
5. Pour in 2½ cups water, the thekera with its soaking water, the remaining turmeric and salt. Boil 8–10 minutes.
6. Slide in the fried fish and green chillies. Simmer gently 6 minutes without stirring hard.
7. Switch off, scatter man dhoniya and serve with plain rice as the last course of the meal.

Tip: Thekera keeps turning more sour as it boils. Taste after 8 minutes and lift the slices out once the tenga is as sour as you like.