All posts filed under: FOOD

Naga Food, Nagaland – NorthEast of India

Recipe | Nagaland Chutney Made of Banana Blossoms

Published by Lidang

  A Naga meal without a chutney can never make for a complete meal. That said, let us show you to make a special chutney made with banana blossom.  Ingredients 2 banana blossoms(chopped and washed) One large tomato One large onion 1 ghost pepper or 3-5 green chillies(based on your preference) 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 tbsp oil Ingredients of the banana flower chutney (clockwise from left: chopped tomatoes, green chillies, finely chopped banana blossoms and chopped onions) Directions to cook Remove the first few layers of the banana blossom and chop the rest into fine pieces. Chop onions, chillies and tomatoes into thin slices Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions. Now put the chopped tomatoes and chillies and stir fry for 5 minutes in medium flame Add the turmeric powder and chilli powder Once the oil separates, add the banana blossoms. Cook with lid on till it’s soft and tender. Once soft, remove the lid and cook till the water dries. Voila, your banana blossom chutney is …

Recipe of Mixed Vegetable Dish from Nagaland “Rosep Aon”

Published by Roots & Leisure

Although Naga cuisine is often known for its non-vegetarian delicacies, it’s worth noting that the region boasts a diverse and healthy selection of vegetables as well. Vegetables are often an essential component of Naga meals, with a variety of preparations such as raw, steamed, boiled, blanched, and more. Today’s recipe highlights one such popular mixed vegetable dish, “Rosep Aon,” which is a specialty of the Ao tribe in Nagaland. This dish is slow-cooked with a blend of local vegetables and bamboo shoot juice, resulting in a unique and flavorful dish. Mixed vegetable dish, “Rosep Aon,” which is a specialty of the Ao tribe in Nagaland Ingredients: 500 gms of young furled taro leaves (of the Colocasia plant) 250 gms of Mejanga/Sichuan pepper leaves 100-200 gms of bitter eggplant (“Likok” in Ao dialect) 1 cup of bamboo shoot juice 10-15 green chilies – split vertically into 2 each Some dried fish for flavor A handful of garlic chives for garnish (optional) Salt to Taste Water as required  Young furled taro leaves (photo below)  Mejanga/Sichuan pepper leaves (Photo …

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Naga Recipe | Chicken with Dried Colocasia Leaves and Fresh Bamboo Shoot

Published by Lidang

  A hearty Naga meal would consist of cooked rice, some boiled vegetables (fresh from your/your neighbour’s kitchen garden), hot chutney and of course meat! We love our pork, but chicken is a favourite too. We just make sure that it has the right mix of local herbs and spices to get that authentic Naga flavor irrespective of what the main ingredient is. Today we have a special chicken recipe from Lidang’s kitchen – made with dried Colocasia Leaves and our favourite ingredient: the bamboo shoot. Super easy to make (as long as you can get your hands on these local spices), and mouth-wateringly delicious!Full recipe below 🙂 Ingredients: Chicken-250 gm  Handful of dried colocasia leaves  2-3 tablespoon of fresh bamboo shoots  Green chillies as per taste Ginger Salt to taste 2 cups of water Ingredients (clockwise from Left) : Dried colocasia leaves, fresh bamboo shoot, sliced ginger, Green chillies Preparation (5mins) Wash all the ingredients throughly Slit the chillies into two, and keep aside Cut the ginger into thin slices and keep aside Directions to Cook (30 …

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Recipe | Naga Traditional Method to Make Steamed Sticky Rice and Axone Chutney

Published by Lidang

If you are travelling to Nagaland in the Northeast of India, and trying out local cuisine is your top priority, do not forget to taste the traditionally cooked “Sticky rice.” Sometimes eaten as a substitute for regular rice, it is also quite popular in Nagaland as an afternoon snack/mid-day meal. With the relatively earlier sunrise and super early breakfasts in this part of the country, a plate of sticky rice with some axone (akhuni) chutney on the side and a hot cup of tea is indeed a delightful treat. Sticky rice puris are also very popular as noonday snacks with hot tea [Recipe here] Our R&L contributor Lidang takes us to her kitchen to show us how their family cooks sticky rice and the very popular axone chutney (fermented soybean chutney). Full recipe and video below: Ingredients for Steamed Sticky Rice 1 kg of Sticky rice soaked overnight 2 types of pots: earthen pot with small holes at the bottom (like a momo steamer) and an aluminum pot (both medium sized) 2-3 banana leaves Some newspapers (to connect the two vessels together – one top of …

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#Recipe | Naga Smoked Meat Cooked with Kholar Beans

Published by Elika Awomi

Today we have yet another simple-to-make and super yummy dish from Nagaland. A traditionally cooked meat dish – made of smoked meat* with kholar (local kidney beans) to be relished with cooked rice and vegetables and chutney on the side. Recipe was contributed by food lover Elika Awomi from Nagaland. *Smoked meat used in this dish is a combination of both pork and beef – which is a common way of cooking smoked meat dishes. The smoked pork lard adds a distinct flavor and texture to the whole dish.  Cooking time : 45 – 60 minutes Ingredients: 1.5 kilo of mixed smoked meat (cleaned and cut into 2 inch pieces) 5-6 greens chilies 4-5 cloves of garlic Handful of dry fermented bamboo shoot (BUY  ON OUR SHOP) 1 cup fresh or dried kholar (local kidney beans) 1 small pice (~2 inches) Naga ginger (more zestier than regular ginger) Salt to taste Directions to Cook: Wash the kholar if it is fresh, or soak it overnight if it’s dry Cut the smoked meat into 2 inch pieces …

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A Chat With Utchi, Founder of Little Sunshine Cafe in Thailand

Published by Asmita Das

As we continue to explore local cultures around the world to grow this community, one of our friends from Chiang Mai introduced us to this charming cafe in Bangkok and recommended it as a must-visit on a trip to Thailand. This cafe called ‘Little Sunshine Cafe’ and managed by its founder Utchima Sriprachya or Utchi, is known among the locals for its menu full of Healthy and Delectable dishes. And not just the food, this cafe is also loved for its warm homely environment – an important USP of ‘Little Sunshine’ Cafe. “We want our customers to feel like they are at their friend’s place, having home-cooked food – creating a familiar warm ambiance that is hard to find in a restaurant.” ~Utchi, Founder, Sunshine Cafe We chat with the founder Utchi to know more about her journey, her food philosophy, inspiration behind her cafe, and more. Hi Utchi, so nice to be having this chat with you! Please introduce yourself. I’m Utchi, founder of Little Sunshine Café. I’m actually a dietitian, graduated from the …

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Recipe | Naga Fish Dish Made of Fresh River Fish and Prawns

Published by Sochonphy Lunghar

Who remembers those family picnics to the river side, where everyone  – young and old gets busy catching fish? The day ends with cooking a hearty meal with a huge vessel of rice (to match the big appetite!) – and the fishes caught , with fresh local ingredients and herbs – over an open fire. Absolute bliss! We may not be able to go on such picnics often, but at least we can try to recreate the mood and the appetite in our kitchens. Thanks to our passionate cook – Sochonphy Lunghar, who sends across her very own Naga recipe of rivercatch fresh fish and prawns – cooked with a local ingredient “Tree Tomato or Tamarillo”   Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes Ingredients: 1 kilogram fresh river fish and prawns Local ginger leaves 4 chopped Naga onions 5 hooker chives 1 dry king chilli 3-5 cloves of garlic 2 chopped tree tomatoes 1 tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste Directions to Cook: Clean the fresh river fish and prawns thoroughly; remove the bitter innards from the fish if needed. Put all the ingredients …

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A Chat With A Designer Cake Artist of Culinart – Shwethaprajwala from Bangalore

Published by Asmita Das

They say, “If you have creativity in you and haven’t realized it yet, no matter wherever you are, whatever you are doing, creativity is bound to hit you.” Being a Commerce student and an MBA in Human Resources, she found her calling for baking cakes with utmost creativity and love after experimenting on being a Graphic Designer. Today, we got a chance to strike up a conversation with a Designer Cake Artist Shwethaprajwala from Bangalore who shares on how she got hooked onto baking fondant cakes with her Designer Cake Boutique – Culinart. Hey Shwetha, share a brief about yourself I’m Swethaprajwala, the Chief Designer of Culinart. Like most modern Indian women wear many hats, I’m a proud Bengalurean, a Homemaker and a Cake Artist working out of home. Tell us about your venture – Culinart. What’s so special about it? Culinart is a Designer Cake Boutique, started in 2012, specializing in creating designer cakes. Our cakes are usually ordered for special ceremonies, occasions for family, friends and significant others.  My creations are homemade, customized, and based …

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#Recipe | Masor Tenga – An Assamese Style Cooked Tangy Tomato Fish Curry

Published by Puravee Bordoloi Pari

Today we present to you a delicately flavored & light fish curry from Assam by one of our Recipe Contributors – Puravee Bordoloi (@puraveebordoloi). Tenga, as it means sour, is added by using different souring agents like, elephant apple, mangosteen, lemon, tomato, jujube, fermented bamboo shoot, different leafy veggies, etc. Other seasonal veggies like gourds, yam, taro root, cauliflower, potatoes etc. go along with it and make a perfect dish. Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes Ingredients: 6-8 pcs of Rohu fish 3 large cut ripe tomatoes 1 medium sized chopped onion 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds or five spices 3 chopped green chilies 1 tbsp of Turmeric powder 4 tbsp of Mustard oil 1 glass of lukewarm water Salt to taste Fresh coriander leaves for garnish Method: Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder. Heat oil in a pan; fry both sides of the fish and keep them aside. Do not over fry Set the flame on medium. Add fenugreek or the five spices in that hot oil and let it splutter Now add the …

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#Recipe | Boroila Fish Cooked With Khutora Xaak And Cherry Tomatoes

Published by Asmita Das

Today we have a refreshing and light fish curry from one of our favorite Recipe Contributors Geeta. The small fresh water Boroila fish when cooked with khutora xaak, a variety of Amaranthus and tangy cherry tomatoes, tastes the best when the weather becomes all dry. Cooking time: 20-25 minutes Ingredients: 250 grams of Boroila fish 250 grams of khutora xaak or green amaranthus 1 cup of cherry tomatoes 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds 6 garlic pods 1 tsp of mustard oil 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder 2 cups of water Salt to taste Method: Roughly chop the khutora leaves and keep it aside Heat a tsp of mustard oil in a wok, add half tsp of fenugreek seeds or methi seeds to it and let it splutter Add a few pods of garlic, add the khutora leaves and sauté it Add turmeric and salt to taste Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for around 5 minutes. Smash the tomatoes with a spatula during this process Now add 2 cups of water and let it boil Lastly, add Boroila fish to the …