Nga Thongba
Manipuri fish curry, thin and ginger-sharp, built on a small hit of fermented fish
Allergens in Nga Thongba: fish, mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 600g, firm freshwater, cut into 3cm pieces Fish
- 20g Dried Fishthe nearest catalogued thing to ngari, the Manipuri fermented fish this dish is built on; toast it hard and use it sparingly. It is saltier and less funky than the real thing
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1 medium, finely sliced Onion
- 6 cloves, crushed Garlic
- 1 tbsp, cut into fine matchsticks Ginger
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 4, slit Green Chillithe local umorok is far hotter and has no catalogue id; add a pinch of chilli powder if you want closer to the real heat
- 2, chopped Tomato
- 3, chopped Spring Onion
- 700ml Water
- to taste Salt
- 3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Toast the dried fish before anything else and keep it aside. Done in the curry pan it makes everything taste of it.
- Rub the fish with a little turmeric and salt while you chop, so it firms up.
- Manipuri curries carry very little oil and no thickener. Resist the urge to reduce this into a gravy.
Method
- Dry-toast the dried fish in a small pan over low heat for 3 minutes, until it is brittle and smells strongly nutty. Crumble it and set it aside.Toasting takes the raw edge off. Untoasted, it dominates everything.
- Rub the fish pieces with 1/2 tsp of the turmeric and 1 tsp salt and leave them while you prepare the rest.
- Heat the mustard oil until it smokes, rest it off the heat 30 seconds, then fry the fish 90 seconds a side just to set the surface. Lift it out.
- In the same oil cook the onion 4 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and half the ginger for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato and the remaining 1/2 tsp turmeric and cook 4 minutes, pressing the tomato until it breaks down.
- Stir in the crumbled toasted fish and cook 1 minute. The smell should turn savoury rather than sharp.
- Pour in the water, bring to a boil and simmer 8 minutes uncovered so it stays thin but tastes concentrated.
- Slide the fish back in with the green chillies and the rest of the ginger. Simmer 5 minutes without stirring, tilting the pan instead.Salt only now. The dried fish has already brought a lot of it.
- Off the heat, scatter the spring onion and coriander and stand 3 minutes before serving with rice.
Safe temperatures: Fish is done at 63°C / 145°F, or when it turns opaque and flakes easily. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a wide pan, never at a rolling boil. The broth stays good even when the fish has softened, so leftovers are best spooned over rice.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Nga Thongba (422 g) is about 307 calories, or 73 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 35 g a serving, 46% of the calories
| Per serving422 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 307 kcal | 73 kcal |
| Protein | 35.4 g | 8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.3 g | 2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.5 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 2.2 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 13.9 g | 3 g |
| of which saturated | 1.8 g | 0 g |
| of which unsaturated | 10.5 g | 2 g |
Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Northeast Indian recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.