The North East beckons

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The flavours of the North East are definitely the least known in our country. Its lack of popularity perhaps is due to the fact that there are hardly any spices used in this region. This, however, does not mean that the food is tasteless. The fresh and sometimes unique ingredients that are used to make food from this region are delicious and one will be mistaken if one thinks that the food is bland. Try a raja mirchi curry; it’s one of the hottest curries our country has to offer.

Asin Puinam — Fish in Bamboo hollow
Food from Arunachal Pradesh is a study in simplicity. Spices and oil are hardly ever used in Arunachal and this helps the original flavours to come through. Ginger is predominantly used here as are fresh vegetables and tuber. A hollow section of bamboo is used in this recipe for cooking, though one can wrap the fish in foil and cook it in the oven.

Ingredients
500gm small fish (not sardines, try to use river fish)
2½ cups rice
1 tsp ginger paste
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
2 sections of bamboo hollows, roughly 5 to 6 inches long

Method
Wash and pat dry the fish. If the fish is slightly bigger, you can cut them in half. Wash and drain the rice.
Combine all the ingredients and place in the bamboo compartments. Seal the mouth of the bamboos with foil to make them airtight.
Now place them over a charcoal fire and cook for about half an hour. Rotate the bamboos from time to time to cook evenly.
At the table, serve the dish with the bamboos.

Ooti — Dried Green Pea Curry
This is a popular dish from Manipur which appears regularly during normal, everyday meals.
A limited amount of spices are used here and this in fact makes it more palatable for outsiders.

Ingredients
500 gm dried green peas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tbsp sodium bicarbonate
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
3 dry red chillies
1 tsp salt
1 small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped

Method
Soak the green peas in a big bowl of water overnight. Drain and wash under running water and drain again.
In a pressure cooker, cook the peas with half a litre of water and the sodium bicarbonate for roughly fifteen minutes in medium heat.
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the bay leaves, cumin seeds and red chillies, stir fry for around 30 seconds and add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry till the onions turn golden brown.
Add the peas along with the liquid it was cooked in and salt and bring to a boil. Cook for a further five minutes, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot chapatis or rice.