Fresh fish marinated with ngari, garlic and maroi then steamed inside a banana or lotus leaf — a fragrant, clean Meitei preparation that infuses the fish with the leaf's natural aroma.
Ingredients
400g fresh fish fillets
1 piece ngari — roasted and pounded to paste
3 garlic cloves — finely minced
1 tsp ginger — finely grated
2 green chillies — very finely chopped
2 tbsp maroi nakuppi or spring onion — finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard oil
Banana leaves or lotus leaves — for wrapping
Method
Roast ngari piece 2 minutes. Pound to a paste.
Mix ngari paste, minced garlic, grated ginger, finely chopped green chillies, maroi or spring onion, turmeric and mustard oil together into a marinade.
Coat each fish fillet or piece thoroughly with the marinade. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Soften banana leaves by briefly passing over a gas flame for 3 to 4 seconds.
Set up a steamer with boiling water.
Place 1 to 2 pieces of marinated fish on a softened banana leaf.
Fold the leaf completely around the fish. Fold in the sides. Secure with a toothpick.
Arrange parcels in the steamer. Steam on medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes until fish is completely cooked through.
Open the parcels at the table — the fish inside has absorbed the leaf fragrance and all the marinade has concentrated around the fish.