Machcha Tarkari - Fish Curry

The Regional Cuisine of India (RCI), brainchild of Lakshmi is being hosted by Swapna at Swad. The theme for this month is cuisine from the state I call home- Orissa. For the most part of this month I will bring to you recipes from Orissa.

Being a coastal state, fish is an integral part of the Oriya cuisine. Not only as food, but you will find fish motifs on sarees, bedspreads, silver filigree and the like.
This recipe is a simple one, but packs a lot of flavor. Mustard and tomato combine with Tilapia, and imaprt a flavor that remains long after the meal is over.

1 1/2 lb Tilapia steaks
2 medium Onions, ground to paste
4 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1 medium Tomato, pureed
2 medium Potatoes, boiled and cut in large pieces
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 Dried red chillies, broken into two
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder + a pinch
3 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
Oil
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
1 lemon, quartered

Clean the fish. In a bowl mix 1/2 tsp each turmeric and salt. Add the fish pieces to this and mix well. Let it marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a small pan and lightly fry the fish. Transfer the fish onto a paper towel and keep aside.
Heat oil in a Kadhai / Wok, add the mustard seeds and dried red
chillies. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the ginger-garlic paste and onion paste. Cook till the onion begins to turn light brown. Add the tomato puree and cook till oil separates.
Now add a pinch of turmeric powder + cumin-coriander powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the masalas and cooked. Add 3 cups water, mix well and brin to boil. Lower heat, add the fried fish and the boiled potatoes. Add the garam masala powder.

Cover and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes. Check for salt in the curry and add some if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on the fish and enjoy a comforting meal :)


This is my contribution for RCI : Oriya Cuisine