Recipe | Fresh Pork with Bamboo Shoot and Szechuan Leaves

“Pork with bamboo shoot” is almost synonymous with Naga pork dish – as bamboo shoot is the most favored spice to cook meat dishes in Nagaland. Another spice that compliments this particular dish is the szechuan pepper (the Aos call it “mong mong”), which is usually roasted and sprinkled on top as a finishing add on for a zingy taste.

Today Lidang cooks her famous pork-bambooshoot dish with szechuan leaves (Michinga pata in Nagamese). Here she uses the leaves as one of the main ingredients, along with the pork. This way, the dish is green and healthy while also maintaining that zingy flavor of the szechuan. Here’s the full recipe – which is super simple, and is done in four simple steps!

Cooking time: 40minutes-1 hour

Ingredients :

500 grams of fresh pork, cleaned and chopped.
Some dried chilies as per taste
A handful of szechuan leaves leaves
A handful of fresh bamboo shoot
500 ml of water
Salt to taste

Directions to cook :

Put the pork and red chilies together into a deep vessel, add water and salt and cook with the lid on.
After the chilies soften, take them out, mash them and put it back in
Check if the meat is tender.If it is still a little hard, add a cup of water and cook till the meat is cooked and tender, and the water is almost dry.
Add bamboo shoot and cook for atleast 10 minutes before adding the szechuan leaves and allow the water to dry completely.