Cuisine

People of North East India, has unique blend of food habits, starting from most traditional to most modern cuisine are readily cooked or served in the dinning table both at home and in restaurants. The famous traditional or local cuisines are unique in taste and great to have in our menu.

Food culture in this zone is much different from what we see in rest of India. And it is largely the same in these seven states and in parts of Sikkim and Northern part of West Bengal. The inhabitants of this region are basically non-vegetarian. Even if they cook vegetable they will add non-vegetarian to the same. In most parts of this zone, especially Nagaland people eat every available animal and do not waste any part of it.

Fish remains the favourite dish for the majority of the local population of North East India. Tripura and Assam, due to their proximity with parts of Bengal shows more love for fish than any other state. Rice is the staple food in this Zone. In Assam people consume rice in variety of forms and flavours. Pitha, a rice based sweet is a popular dish of this region. People put less oil and use mustard oil as the medium of cooking. Dishes prepared from ducks, bamboo shoots etc are very much popular in North-East Zone.

The following are the popular dishes of the region

Assam Laksa Stock

Wet your appetite with delicious Assam Laksa, a rich spicy broth made with a stock of flaked ikan kembong and Daun kesom (polygonum). Assam Laksa is also known as Penang Laksa. A seasoning with galangal, lemongrass, turmeric and dried chillies and, most importantly, the wild ginger flowers gives Assam Laksa a distinctive rich aroma. Enjoy the Assam Laksa prepared with your own

Ingredients

• 600 gm: Flaked ikan kembong
• 50 gm: Tamarind, strained
• 3-4 stalks: Daun kesom (polygonum)
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• 4 litres: Water
• Spice Paste (grind together)
  
  
  • 30 : Fresh Shallots
  • 1 tsp.: Belacan granules
  • 2 stalks: Lemon grass
  • 10 no: Dried chillies
  • 10 no: Fresh chillies
  • 1.5 cm: Lengkuas
  • 0.5 cm piece: Fresh turmeric

Method

• Mix water with tamarind and strain.
• Bring tamarind water to the boil. Put in spice paste and daun kesom.
• Add salt and sugar to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes. Put in flaked fish, stir well and remove from fire.
• Serve the stock with Laksa noodles and garnish with shredded cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, big onions and chillies.
• Add a few mint leaves and sprinkle some finely sliced ginger buds and add a tablespoon of shrimp paste (har koe).
  
  

Panch Phoron Taarkari

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 150 pcs: Gym pumpkin, dims
• 1 1/2 cup: Potatoes, diced
• 1 cup: Large brirtjal, diced
• 2-3: Large dry chillies, slit
• 2 tbsps: Cooking oil
• ½ tsp: Fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp: Aniseeds
• ½ tsp: Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp: Cumin seeds
• 2 : Bay Levels
• 2 : Green chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp: Turmeric power
• 1 tsp: Milk
• ½ tsp: Sugar
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat the oil and add all the spices.
• Stir-fry the spices, add the cut vegetables and mix well.
• Add the green chillies, sugar, salt, turmeric and mix thoroughly.
• Pour enough water and add milk to cook the vegetables.
• Simmer till vegetables are tender and the water is absorbed.
• Serve hot with luchies (pooris) or rice.
  

Thukpa / Gya-Thuk (Noodle soup)

Gya-Thuk or Thukpa is a noodle-based soup with vegetables or meat popular in Sikkim and the rest of North West India. In the cold weather of North west states of India thupka presents an ideal hot savour. Thupka is usually popular with meat but pure veggies can also prepare it with vegetables. Check out this Sikkim special with us

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)

• 250 gm: Meat (beef/pork/mutton/chicken), minced
• 300 gm: Egg noodles
• 2 large: Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon: Onion leaves, chopped
• 3 flakes: Garlic, chopped
• 4-5: Green chili, sliced
• For soup: About 3 litres of clear bone soup - beef/ pork/ mutton / chicken stock. Add 1
• 1 Teaspoon: Salt

Method

• Fry chopped onions with garlic and green chilies, then add minced meat, fry for 10 min. Add salt to taste. Then keep aside after cooking.
• Boil 4 litre of water vigorously and drop noodles, boil for 2 min, stirring occasionally.
• Drain the noodles through a large sieve and run cold water over them to stop them from sticking. Squeeze the water from the noodles and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Pour hot soup into bowl with noodles.
• Put fried meat-onion mixture and finely chopped green onion leaves on top of it.
• Thukpa/Gya-thuk is ready to serve hot.

Poora Haah (Roasted duck)

Poora Haah or in simpler term, Roasted Duck, is a special dish of the people of North East India. The duck as a whole is roasted and it is very delicious to eat with boiled rice and roasted potatoes. Try to prepare this mouth watering dish at home and invite guests for lunch or dinner. Just follow the cooking method below and become the best chef to make roasted duck.

Ingredients (Serves: 4)

• 1 Medium size: Duck
• 1 Egg
• 4 slices: Bread
• 1 large: Onion, chopped
• 1 large: Potato, cubed
• 3 tsp: Lime juice
• ½ tsp: Black pepper powder
• 2-4: Large green chillies, chopped
• 1 bunch: Coriander leaves, ground
• 2 stalks: Green spring onions, chopped
• 1 tsp: Vinegar
• ¼ tsp: Chilli powder
• 1 cup: Cooking Oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• First of all remove the giblets. Clean it and wash. Chop them to fine pieces. Next, clean the duck and wash it. Keep it whole. Take salt and mix it in lime juice. Rub this mix inside and outside of the washed duck. After doing this keep it separately for at least fifteen minutes.
• Crumble the bread slices and mix to the potato cubes. Now also mix all the ingredients mentioned above along with half of the cooking oil. Beat the egg properly and fold it into the mixture. Take the giblet and add it the this mixture and stir well.
• Half of the oil is left with you. Rub it all over the duck once again stuff the mixture and truss it properly. Roast the whole duck on a charcoal fire for at least 30 minutes or till it is done. Instead of charcoal fire, you can also roast in hot oven. Dont forget to baste the duck with a little cooking oil frequently while it is being roasted.
• Poora Haah is ready to serve. Serve it hot with boiled rice and roasted potatoes.

Bamboo Shoot Fry

Ingredients (Serves: 3-4)

• One-foot long: Tender bamboo shoot
• 2 tsp: Baking soda
• 1 tsp: Fenugreek
• 4 : Dry red chillies
• 1 cup: Oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Scale off the hard exterior of the bamboo shoot, wash and cut into small pieces.
• Add the baking soda and mix it well.
• Fry the methi seeds and red dry chillies and add salt to taste.
• Put the bamboo shoot into the pan and cook on a slow fire.
• When the bamboo shoot dries up, add 2 tbsps of water, stir well.
• Serve hot and crisp.

Dal and Eggs

Ingredients

• 100 gm: Moong dal
• 100 gm: Masoor dal
• 100 gm: Afar dal
• 2 tsp: Turmeric powder
• 4 Hard-boiled eggs, pierced with a fork
• 1/4 cup : onion paste
• 2 -3: Green chillies
• 4 flakes: Garlic, ground
• ½ cup: Mustard oil
• Paste of one tomato
• Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the three dals together with salt and turmeric powder.
• Heat the oil in a shallow pan, fry the onions and tomato paste.
• Add the whole eggs into it and fry further till the onion paste turns brown.
• Add half cup water and cover the pan, allowing it to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour the eggs with the onion tomato sauce into the cooked dal, stir well.
• Boil once before serving hot with rice.