Ngaa atoiba thongba is more of a way of cooking fish than a dish itself. The name itself describes the way the fish is cooked. Ngaa means fish and atoiba means disintegrated in our language. So, the fish is disintegrated in this way of cooking it. Usually, the ingredients are almost the same as the ones that are used in the Manipuri fried fish curry (will post that later)… the difference is in the way it is cooked. It is a dish best eaten with clean bare hands rather than with a spoon, fork or chopsticks. But if you do not want to venture into eating with bare hands, you could always remove the fish bones before cooking the fish. 

It can be cooked using any fish (though, usually fresh water fishes are preferred, specially carps). I decided to use tilapia (ngaa tunghanbi) for this one. 

The ingredients that you will need for this recipe are as follows:

• 350 g tilapia (one medium sized fish).
• 123 g baby onions or shallots (around 10 pieces).
• 1 medium sized potato.
• 2 medium sized tomatoes.
• 4 cloves of garlic.
• 1 thick piece of ginger.
• 5 fresh chillies (you can reduce/increase the number or avoid it altogether).
• a few maroi napaakpi/hooker chive roots (optional).
• 1/3 cup green peas.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 tbsp mustard oil (you can use olive oil if you want).
• 1 tsp turmeric powder.
• 1 tsp red chili powder.
• 1 tsp maru maraang powder (powdered toasted cumin and coriander seeds).
• a pinch of hing/asafoetida.
• cilantro for garnishing.
• salt to taste.

These are all the ingredients sans the fish.

Chop up the onions, potato, tomatoes and chillies as shown in the picture. You can leave the peel of the potato on if you like. Pound the garlic, ginger and maroi napaakpi roots.

Traditionally, we cook the fish with the bones and the skin on (with the scales removed, of course). Most of the flavour comes from the skin of the fish. But if you don’t find that appealing, you could make yours with the bones and the skin removed.

Cut up the fish into approximately 1”X1”X1” size…. the size of a chunky ice cube. 

Now, heat the oil in a pan and gently toss in the hing. This will ensure the hing’s flavour to get infused in the oil. It also helps in neutralising the fishy smell in the dish. Fry it for a few seconds.

And then add the bay leaf and fry it for another few seconds.

Add the onions and fry them till they just start to soften.

Now, toss in the potato and fry them till the onions soften properly.

You can now put in the pounded garlic, ginger and maroi napaakpi roots.

Fry them for around 30 secs to 1 minute and then add the turmeric powder and red chili powder. By now the mixture will become sticky and will tend to stick to your pan. If you are not careful, the ingredients will burn. To avoid that, just keep adding a tablespoon of water to it from time to time.

Fry them for about a minute and then add in the tomatoes.

Another minute of frying and then add the green peas, fresh chillies and salt. Mix them well and fry for 30 secs.

Now, add the fish. Ideally, you shouldn’t disturb it after you add in the fish. So, make sure that the ingredient are mixed really well before you add in the fish. 

Work fast and mix the fish with the ingredients before the fish gets cooked. Even though this dish is called ngaa atoiba or disintegrated fish (curry), you do not try to disintegrate it on purpose. It should come naturally as you handle it. One has to be always careful while handling the fish. My mom never uses the spatula once the fish is in the dish. She holds the sides of the pan and slightly throws around the ingredients to mix them up.  

Now, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Once it starts boiling, put on the lid (it shouldn’t be a tight lid) and let it cook on high heat for about 8 minutes. You have to put on the lid to make sure that the ingredients get cooked properly. Now, take off the lid and let it cook for another 5-6 minutes. 

You should get something like this. Your Ngaa atoiba thongba or Manipuri fish stew is done. 

Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with plain rice. 

Hindsight: It couldn’t be more perfect!

• Serving: 2-3
• Calories: 661 approximately