The mango can be peeled or unpeeled depending on your preferred texture.
Method
Clean the whiting thoroughly
under cold running water, then
pat dry with kitchen paper.
Sprinkle the pinch of turmeric
and a little salt over, gently
rubbing them in.
Heat the mustard oil in a wok
or heavy-based pan over a
medium heat. Once hot but not
smoking, carefully place the fish
in the pan, in batches if
necessary, and fry, undisturbed
and turning just once, for 3-4
minutes on each side until
lightly golden on both sides.
(Moving the fish too much will
mean it breaks up.) Remove
from the pan and set aside on
kitchen paper.
In a separate frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over a
medium heat. Add the onion
and fry for a few minutes until
soft and translucent, stirring
frequently to prevent it catching
at the bottom.
Once softened, add the
ginger paste and cook for a
minute, allowing the raw aroma
to dissipate. Stir in the 1/2tsp
turmeric, the chilli powder and
ground coriander. Cook the
spices for about 30 seconds,
then add the green mango,
cherry tomatoes and fresh
ginger. Stir and cook for about 5
minutes until the tomatoes start
to soften and the mango begins
to break down slightly.
Pour in enough water to
create a light broth, season with salt, give everything a stir
and bring to the boil. Once the
broth starts bubbling, lower the
heat and reduce to a simmer.
Gently slide the fried fish into
the pot, being careful not to stir
too much to keep it intact. Drop
in the green chillies and simmer
for about 10 minutes, allowing
the fish to soak up the broth.
Sprinkle the ground cumin
and fresh coriander over, then
turn off the heat and leave
the broth to sit, covered, for a minute before serving with
steamed rice.
Recipes and photographs taken from Smoke, Rice, Water by Kishwar Chowdhury, photography by Armelle Habib, Ata M Adnan and Rana Pandey (Hardie Grant, £28).
