#Recipe | Quick and Easy Way To Make Manipur’s Favourite Salad Dish “Shingju”

“Shingju” is an all-time favorite salad dish/snack of Manipur. Made with a hearty variety of green vegetables and local spices, it makes for a delicious and healthy accompaniment to your meal, or as a refreshing afternoon or evening snack. Its unique taste is courtesy of the fermented fish which is the main flavor and texture component of this recipe. and of course, king chili, perilla seeds (thoiding in Manipuri), and chickpeas powder also adds their special touch.

Shanmi from Imphal shares her version of the famous Manipuri “Shingju.” Our mouths are watering just looking at the photos! Let’s find out how we can whip up some in our kitchens right away! Full recipe below

Shingju is a Manipuri salad dish made with easy-to-find ingredients from the kitchen garden – comprising of local vegetables and spices, and fermented fish. Today we learn how to make this popular dish from Manipur.

Manipuri “Shingju” made with fermented fish, fresh, healthy and easy-to-find green veggies.

Ingredients:

Half a cabbage
Green leafy vegetables. Here, we have used the chameleon plant and its roots, onion leaves, pea shoots, wild mint, coriander, etc.
1 cup of Perilla seeds or ‘thoiding’
1 cup chickpea powder
1 piece King chili
2 pieces fermented fish
1/4 tablespoon of salt

Main ingredients for Shingju (L-R): Shredded cabbage, snow pea leaves, wild mint, onion leaves, coriander leaves, and Chameleon plant or Houttuynia (Toningkok in Manipuri) roots and its leaves

Main ingredients for Shingju (L-R): Shredded cabbage, snow pea leaves, wild mint, onion leaves, coriander leaves, and Chameleon plant or Houttuynia (Toningkok in Manipuri) roots and its leaves

Shingju flavoring ingredients (L-R): Perilla seeds (Thoiding in Manipuri) – roasted and powdered, Chickpea – roasted and powdered, fermented fish, King chili, and salt.

Shingju flavoring ingredients (L-R): Perilla seeds (Thoiding in Manipuri) – roasted and powdered, Chickpea – roasted and powdered, fermented fish, King chili and salt.

Preparing the Ingredients and Flavorings:

Shred the cabbage into very thin strips
Make a chutney by mashing together the chili and fermented fish.
Roast the perilla seeds for about 1-2 mins and grind them to a fine powder.
Soak the chickpea overnight, roast it, and grind it to powder.
Wash and finely chop all the green leafy vegetables

Directions to make Shingju :

Put all the ingredients into a bowl, add salt, and mix thoroughly with your hands (wear gloves)
Your Shingju snack is ready!
Serve as a side dish with a rice meal, or eat as a snack.