Baked fish and Salads Assamese style

Assam is home to a host of diverse ethnic groups, each one having a traditional cultural heritage.

Pre- independent India saw Assam as one in the group of seven states, in the northeastern part of the country, which came to be known as the Seven Sisters.  Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura formed the rest of the group.

Linked to one another geographically, the Seven Sisters encouraged barter and trade, which in turn led to the intermingling of cultures.

Although independent India, today, sees each of these states as separate entities the assimilated flavours remain.

Not many cuisines in the world have universal appeal. Unfamiliar cuisines are acquired tastes and Assamese cuisine falls into this category. One reason may be that the Assamese people have never been able to market themselves or their culture aggressively.

I remember being asked, when I was in school, whether I required a passport to go to Assam!

So little was known about the region that it was almost non-existent on the map of India. Then, suddenly there it was – Assam on the map of the world as a state in India that created Ulfa, one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. Who would have thought that the mild mannered, laid-back Asomia (people of Assam) could group together and hold the entire country to ransom?

Assamese cuisine is unique in its simplicity. It is characterized by the absence of robust flavours typical of Indian cuisine. The prolific use of fresh exotic herbs, fruits and vegetables is what makes this cuisine so wonderful in its simplicity.

Typically, an Assamese meal centers around rice, which is the staple food grown in the state.

Fish is widely eaten, and it is not uncommon to find pukhuris (ponds) in the backyards of many Assamese homes where a variety of small and sometimes large fish is grown.

Lingering flavours in Assamese cuisine come from mustard oil and mustard seeds, fenugreek, cumin and black pepper, whole spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and of course the ubiquitous panch phuron.

Today’s post has a recipe for the ever so popular Patot diya Maas or fish baked in banana leaves. Traditionally, this preparation cooks over a coal fire and has a wonderful smoky flavour to it.  Your outdoor barbeque would also be a good choice.

However, in the absence of a coal fire or a barbeque you can cook the fish in your oven, as my recipe suggests.

I must mention here that the fish eaten in Assam is primarily fresh water fish such as Rohu, Katla  etc. A variety of small fish is also eaten and savoured. A word of caution though! These varieties of fish, delicious as they may be are loaded with small bones and you have to be as adept as the Assamese in separating the flesh from the bones before swallowing the tasty morsels!


I live in Chennai and I have been using sea fish that is freely available here to make this particular dish with great success. Besides, fish without bones is the only way that I can get my family to eat fish!
Fish baked in banana leaves (Assamese) Serves 4

Fish fillets [Seer or any other fleshy fish]       ½ kg

Unblemished banana leaf                           1 large

Oil for smearing on the leaf   

Marinade

 Mustard oil                                                   1 Tbs

Whole grain mustard paste                         2 Tbs

Salt                                                                1 ½ tsp

Lime or lemon juice                                      2 Tbs

Peeled and sliced onions                            1 cup. Marinate in lime juice.

Coriander leaves, chopped                         1 cup

Green chillies slit                                           4 – 5 or more

Ghee (clarified butter)                                   1 Tbs

  

Method:

Wash and dry fish fillets thoroughly. Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade together and marinate the fish fillets in this mixture for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

Remove the central rib from the banana leaf and discard. Clean the leaf with a wet sponge so that it is free from any dust or grit. You will need to cut the leaf into 3 to 4 rectangular shapes about 10” x 12” each, in order to wrap the fish fillets for baking. It doesn’t matter if you get uneven sizes. They can be placed side-by-side overlapping one another.

Fresh banana leaves are crisp and therefore difficult to handle since they tear very easily. To make them limp and more pliable, place them on a hot griddle for a few seconds or in a microwave oven on high power for about 10 seconds. They are now ready for use.

Smear the leaves with oil. Place a layer of the marinated fish in the center of the banana leaf, leaving a border of about 4” all around. Sprinkle the marinated onions, coriander leaves and green chillies on top of the fish layer. Alternate the layers until all the ingredients have been used up. Dot with the ghee.

Fold the border of the banana leaf up to cover the fish completely, using more leaves if necessary to make a neat parcel.

Place the parcel on a 10” x 10” greased baking tray (seam side down) and bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

To test for doneness, poke with a skewer. The fish will flake easily.

Remove the outer banana leaves carefully and discard. Lift the cooked fish very gently along with the leaf on which it is resting onto a serving plate and serve as a side dish along with rice and dhal or as a main dish accompanied with buttered vegetables and a crisp salad.

Die-hard Asomia s will surely squirt more mustard oil on to the fish before eating it!

The banana leaves

The ingredients

Tied up in a neat parcel prior to baking

After baking

Sometimes, I make a meal of this dish accompanied by a salad and maybe buttered vegetables on the side. I am posting a couple of salad recipes which have a truly Assamese flavour because of the unconventional dressing that is used. I have to add that some of my friends with conservative taste buds have also been converted!

Mixed salad Assamese style

This is amongst the prettiest salads I have ever seen. The combination of vegetables and the dressing is what makes it so distinctively Assamese.

Like with any other salad, add the dressing just before serving.

Boiled beetroot, shredded                  1

Radish shredded                                 1

Cucumber, shredded                           1

Raw spinach, chopped fine                10 – 15 leaves

Tomatoes, sliced                                  2

Onions, sliced                                       2

Coriander leaves, chopped                1 cupful

Ginger, shredded                                2 Tbs

Green chillies cut into slivers              3 – 4

Dressing

Lime juice                                           1 to 1 ½ Tbls

Salt to taste

Mustard oil                                          1 to 2 tsps

Radish and greens salad

This is another combination of vegetables that makes a delicious salad; using the same dressing.

White radish                               2, sliced into thin rounds (about 2 cups)

Spinach leaves, chopped         1 cup

Coriander leaves, chopped      2 Tbls

Green chillies, sliced                 1 to 2 or more

Setting the Assamese dinner table is incomplete without a small plateful of lime cut into quarters, green chillies, a small bottle of mustard oil and salt. The heat in the food is predominantly from the green chilli and black pepper. The use of chilli powder is an external influence though dried red chillies are used to temper dhal.