Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
Indian cuisine is a smorgasbord of cultures – perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the northeast. And in the remote corners of northeast India and the Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh, a culinary revolution is brewing.
Led by food enthusiasts and tribal communities, their cuisine is gaining recognition for its simplicity and strong connection to nature. While some of these dishes have found their way to platforms like MasterChef India, others are being championed by vloggers to spotlight the region’s underrepresented food traditions.
The tribal cuisines reveal a long-standing respect for the environment.
“When I ask them [indigenous tribal people of the northeast] about climate change, they say that the vegetables these days are taking longer to get cooked; so they see climate change in everyday-ness," says Abhimanyu Chettri, a PhD scholar at IIT Guwahati who has been conducting an ethnographic study of local narratives on climate change in the Eastern Himalayas.
“Majority of them are unaware of climate change at a global scale. They adhere to a healthy lifestyle and eat only native foods,” Chhetri adds.
From foraging wild yams with her daughter to burying them under a bonfire to cook, Nambie Jessica Marak, a MasterChef India runner-up, recalls a life immersed in nature’s bounty.
“We don’t believe in fast farming; we wait for nature to provide,” says Nambie.
“Even when we catch surplus fish, we make sure none of it goes to waste. We either ferment or smoke fish and meat and store it for the entire year. Fermentation and storing contributes to sustainability,” she explains.
Param Bawm, a food enthusiast from Bangladesh, also believes there is very little representation of tribal cuisine and lifestyle of the tribals from the Chittagong hill tracts.
Leena Mili, an Assamese tribal-food vlogger, says,“Take mustard greens, for instance...We enjoy its sharp flavour and don't eat bottled or packaged mustard paste or seeds. The majority of the ingredients, such as bhut jolokia, kazi nimbu, and Naga mirch, are found in the northeastern states including Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh; the people from other states will usually have to depend on these packaged items which are also packed with preservatives.”
The Telegraph Online highlights eight recipes which are staples in the northeast and also gaining internet attention for being eco-friendly. Some of the ingredients might be hard to find, but the online space is now full with options. So go ahead and put your chef apron on!
Bamboo Shoot with Dry Fish
When Aisha Chakma talks about bamboo shoots, her voice lights up. “For us, bamboo shoots aren’t just food — they’re life,” says the Mizoram-based vlogger. “You will not see us using herbs which don't grow locally, only the ones which are found in the north eastern region make their way to our plates.”
Ingredients: fermented bamboo shoots, dry fish, mustard oil, green chilies and salt.
How to cook: Heat the oil till it sizzles, toss in the dry fish and chilies. Then, stir in the fermented bamboo shoots. Serve with rice.
Lai (Garo-Style Meat Cooked with Bamboo Ash)
Nambie Jessica Marak’s favorite is Lai, a signature Garo dish, which uses an alkali derived from burnt bamboo ashes to tenderise meat.
“Lai isn’t just a dish; it’s a ritual,” says Nambie. Growing up in Meghalaya, she remembers her grandmother gathering bamboo ash and straining it to make the alkaline water essential for this dish.
“We don’t use oil or heavy spices — just ginger, garlic, chilies, and the ash water to cook the meat,” she explains.
How to cook: Marinate the meat in bamboo ash water (preferably overnight), then toss it in a pan with ginger, garlic, chilies, and salt. Let it simmer low until the Lai thickens to a preferred consistency
Tuhja/Budthup (Boiled Foraged Vegetables)
In the Bandarban district of Bangladesh, Param Bawm wakes up early to visit the local “jhum” fields. “Everything we eat comes from nature,” he says. His favourite dish, tuhja, is a boiled medley of foraged vegetables like fern shoots, pumpkin leaves and bamboo stems.
How to cook: Boil the wild greens until they soften, crush garlic and salt and mix them in. Serve the earthy goodness with rice.
Khar (Assamese Khar with Raw Papaya)
Something that the Internet is going gaga over. Everybody seems to love khar. But what is it?
The sun-dried peel of humped featherback bananas, known locally as "bhim kol," and occasionally even the root are charred to create an alkaline extract which is known as Khar. Khar is a filtered extract made from the charred peel (like ashes) that was dried and dipped in water.
Ingredients: Raw papaya, yellow lentils (toor dal), mustard oil, green chilies, salt, a pinch of baking soda.
How to cook: Boil the raw papaya and lentils together until soft. In a separate pan, heat mustard oil, add green chilies and season with salt. Pour the hot tempering over the papaya-lentil mix, add a pinch of baking soda, and simmer until the Khar thickens to a preferred consistency. Serve hot with rice.
Bhut Jolokia Chutney
This is not for the faint-hearted.The hot and pungent king chilli goes under several names, including umorok in Manipur, bhut jolokia in Assam, and raja mircha in Nagaland.
How to cook: Simply smash and mix the dried fish or smoked/boiled meat, Naga garlic, onion slices, and bhut jolokia chillies. A veg version without the fish and meat is also loved by many.
Smoked Pork
The art of smoking meat is a cherished tradition among the Nagas. Pork belly is hung above a wood fire for hours, absorbing the earthy aroma of the smoke.
This recipe has multiple versions but the most popular one is this:
Ingredients: Pork belly or ribs, mustard oil, garlic, ginger, green chillies, salt, smoked bamboo or wood chips.
How to cook: Marinate the pork with garlic, ginger, salt, and mustard oil, letting it soak up the flavours. Smoke it using bamboo or wood chips until tender and infused with that rich, smoky goodness. Serve with rice.
Khuangbai Rawt with Insects
A traditional Chakma dish where insects, particularly termites or crickets, are added for flavour and protein.
Ingredients: Onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chillies, fresh coriander (pahari dhaniya)
How to cook: Start by sautéing chopped onions, garlic, ginger in oil until aromatic, then add the termites or crickets in the last 10 minutes of cooking, allowing their earthy flavour to infuse the stir fry. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.
Tenga (Fish Curry)
In Assamese, ‘tenga’ means sour. This fish curry is soul food for the Assamese.
Ingredients: Fresh fish (rohu or katla), tomatoes, lemon or tamarind, green chillies, mustard oil, coriander leaves.
How to cook: Fry the fish lightly in mustard oil, then cook with tomatoes and green chillies. Add tamarind or lemon juice for that tangy flavour. Simmer until the curry is rich and flavourful. Serve with steamed rice.
(Each of these recipes has its own variations, influenced by regional ingredients and personal interpretations.)
