Tilapia Fillets Cooked with Slices of Raw Mango

Tok Maach

This dish is to die for! In Rangoon (Burma/Myanmar) this was made with whole Topshe maach (Mango Fish). I used filleted fish pieces which is not the same at all! Mum used to make it with Topshe maach, potatoes and wedges of green mangoes. A Bangladeshi market opened up in our neighbourhood and I found frozen raw mango in packages. I used about 10 slices in a pound of fish and it came out too tangy. Perhaps the unsweetened, dried mango slices in Mango Fish are a better bet or the amount of raw mango slices should be cut down drastically and ground to a paste before adding to the gravy.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Tilapia fillets, cut in pieces (medium sized whole fish is better)

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise in long pieces

2-3 slices raw/green mango, ground to a paste 
     or 1 pkg. dried, unsweetened mango slices

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds

4-5 green chilies, slit
2 medium onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. ginger paste

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika/chili powder

salt to taste

Chopped cilantro

1 tsp. mustard oil

Directions:

1. Marinate fish in turmeric & salt, fry lightly in 2 Tbsp. oil and set aside.
2. If using dried mangoes, soak in 2 cups hot water until water cools, drain, reserve water for gravy and blend soaked mangoes to a paste.
3. Heat 4 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat and sputter mustard seeds. 
4. Add green chilies to oil, stir-fry until skin blisters and turns grey.
5. Remove chilies from oil and set aside.
6. Stir-fry sliced onions until translucent.
7. Add potatoes and Kashmiri mirch to pan, cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are half-cooked.
8. Add tomatoes and ginger paste and continue to cook until tomatoes break down. 
9. Heat reserved liquid in which mangoes were soaked and add to pan along with mango paste.
10. If using raw mangoes, add the paste along with 2 cups simmering water.
11. Return green chilies to pan, bring gravy to a boil, adjust salt to taste and add fish to gravy.
12. Stir well, bring to a boil again, cover and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
13. Garnish with mustard oil and cilantro.

Serve with steamed Basmati rice.