This xoru maas diya adar jool l small fish in ginger gravy is an Assamese favourite. It’s a light soupy gravy with small varieties of fish added to it.
Coming from a place on the banks of one of the world’s largest rivers (the mighty Brahmaputra) flowing through it, fish is an integral part of Assamese ( from Assam, a state in North East India) cuisine. Fresh riverine fish of all sizes make their way into delectable dishes.
Among the various fish curries, there are some that are made in small quantities to be mixed with a little bit of rice. And most often, smaller varieties of fish find their way into these type of curries. Various medicinal herbs and spices are usually used to make these kinds of curries. These curries are seldom served on their own with rice, but form part of the lunch or dinner platter.
This xoru maas diya adar jool l Small fish in ginger gravy is one such fish curry. It is a light and soupy fish curry full of the goodness of ginger. Although I have always loved this dish, I do remember my ma saying how it is good for digestion among other benefits! All the more reason to make it!
The fish in this recipe-
I have used anchovies in this recipe as they are readily available. Previously, I have also made this recipe using sprats.
Regarding the quantity used in the recipe, I have added a handful of the baked fish in the gravy. The rest were served alongside other dishes. These crispy little things start to get popped into the mouth even before making the curry as they can be quite addictive. You can use as much as mentioned in the recipe or bake only as much as needed to add to the gravy.
Cooking the fish-
I made an oil free baked version of the fish and added them to the curry. If you wish, you can shallow fry them in some mustard oil.
The ginger-
I have pounded / smashed the ginger with a mortar and pestle and let its flavours infuse in the gravy. Some people make a paste and add them, but I prefer it the former way.
The oil-
I have used mustard oil to add more flavour; you can add regular cooking oil if you prefer.
Servings-
This recipe make for 4 very small servings of the gravy. If you wish, you can increase the amount of gravy. We like to enjoy it as one part of the meal and have it with a little bit of rice. We seldom eat the whole portion of rice with this curry, hence I make only a small amount.
Serving suggestion-
As I mentioned earlier, this dish usually forms a part of the lunch or dinner platter. It is rarely eaten as the only curry with rice. We had ours with some (moving clockwise from the rice) dal, garlic-aubergine bake and some of the crispy baked fish on the side.
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Xoru maas diya adar jool l Small fish in ginger gravy
Ingredients
For the fish-
- 540 gms anchovies, washed and patted dry
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
For the curry-
- 1½ tsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp paas puron
- 1 big (halved) or 2 small bay leaves
- 2 whole red chillies, split halfway
- 1 inch stub of ginger, smashed / pounded in a mortar and pestle
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2½ cups hot water
- 1 tsp plain flour mixed with 3 tsp of water
- salt to taste
Instructions
The fish-
- Pre heat the oven at 200 deg C and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Add the anchovies to the tray.
- Add the salt and turmeric powder and rub into the fish.
- Spread out the fish on the tray in a single layer.
- Place the tray in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or till the fish have nicely coloured. Many of them with begin to curl.
- Take the tray out of the oven and keep aside for a few minutes before gently peeling the fish off the paper. They will come off easily. If some of them stick together, separate them. Keep the fish aside for later.
The curry-
- Heat a pan and add the mustard oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves followed by the dried red chillies and stir for a couple of seconds.
- Add the paas puron and stir for a few seconds
- When the paas puron begins to splutter, add the ginger over low heat and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Add the turmeric powder and stir for 30-40 seonds; take care not to burn.
- Add the hot water, stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or till the water is well infused with the ginger.
- Remove the lid and simmer for half a minute before adding the plain flour and water slurry. Stir well to remove any lumps.
- Simmer for 1½ minutes and season with salt.
- Stir and simmer for a couple of seconds.
- Add a big handful of the baked fish to the gravy.
- Stir and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer over low heat for a minute to infuse the fish with the curry.
- Remove from heat and serve hot with rice and other side dishes. We had ours with some dal, garlic-aubergine bake and some of the crispy baked fish.
Video
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Until next time,
Sunita
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