Maas Pitika
Dried or smoked fish mashed with mustard oil, raw onion, and green chillies — an intensely savoury and pungent Assamese side eaten in small amounts alongside plain rice.
Cuisines
Assamese
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 200 grams | fresh fish (preferably Rohu or Catla) |
| 1 medium | onion |
| 2 cloves | garlic |
| 1 inch | ginger |
| 1 medium | tomato |
| 2 tablespoons | mustard oil |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| — | salt to taste |
| 1 | green chili |
| 1 tablespoon | fresh coriander leaves |
Instructions
- 1 Clean the fish thoroughly and cut it into small pieces.
- 2 Boil the fish pieces with a pinch of turmeric and salt until cooked. Drain and set aside.
- 3 Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato.
- 4 In a pan, heat mustard oil until it starts smoking slightly, then reduce the heat.
- 5 Add chopped onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
- 6 Add the chopped tomato and cook until it becomes soft.
- 7 Add turmeric powder and salt, then mix well.
- 8 Add the boiled fish pieces to the pan and mash them gently with a spatula.
- 9 Mix everything thoroughly and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- 10 Finely chop the green chili and coriander leaves.
- 11 Add the chopped green chili and coriander leaves to the fish mixture, then mix well.
- 12 Remove from heat and serve warm.
Tips
For a smokier flavor, roast the fish over an open flame before mashing.