North East India is known for its natural beauty and it is called an off rare natural elegance and God-given wonder but one of the things about North East India that is usually not talked about and overseen is the savory cuisine of North East India.
North East India has an exciting resume of flavors and dishes that are as unique as their culture and way of living. Most of the dishes of North East India usually contain fresh flavourful ingredients such as Bamboo Shoot, Bhut Jolokia, etc. Meat is also an important part of most of the dishes there but meat there is usually light and pleasurable. The use of mustard in foods there is more to increase the flavor in the food. With all of that out of the way, let’s have a look at some of the foods of North East India that will make you drool and lick your fingers:
Khar
Khar is one of the traditional dishes in Assam and a meal in Assam is never complete without the presence of Khar. Khar is an off-beat dish and most people outside of North East India are not familiar with this amazing and delicious dish.
Khar is made using an unusual and unique combination of red rice, beaten pulses along with raw papaya, and the traditional spices of Assam that play a major role in giving taste to the dish.
Pitha
Pitha is a common name for a variety of homemade codes throughout the North East. It is consumed a lot by people, especially the people of Assam. Some people even take Pitha for morning meals as well as for lunch. A pitha can be made in a variety of different ways including pleasant ones covered in sugar, salty ones covered in light butter, also there are some variants mixed with light spices.
A pitha is usually made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour. Pitha can also be eaten with fried/roasted/barbequed meat inside. There are so many ways that Pitha can be eaten. It can be made sweet, savory, salty but most of the locals there prefer the sweet variant.
Smoked Pork
The state of Nagaland is famous for its pork delicacies and the locals in Nagaland consider pork to be their main source of meat. One of the dishes very popular there is smoked pork that is crispy on the outside while tender and juicy on the inside. The pork is cut into small pieces and then prepared either dry or in a curry-type mixture with local ingredients.
Bamboo shoots can be also found in the pork meal from Nagaland that gives it a smoky flavor. Other active ingredients include fermented soya bean (Akhuni) and fermented leaves of the yam (anishi) that are included to draw out a rich flavor. Raja Mirchi, one of the most potent chillies in the world is also included to add a fiery tinge to the meal.
You can enjoy this smoked pork meal while you are doing anything. The masalas and spices make the flavor of this meal very rich and spicy. Whether you are watching a movie, socializing with people on platforms such as Omegle, or other similar platforms like CooMeet, then you can enjoy your Smoked Pork meal alongside.
Kelli Chana
Kelli Chana is a very popular meal on the roads and streets of Manipur. The dish got its name from an old lady named Kelli who used to seal spicy ‘Channa’ or chickpeas under a tree in Manipur and after that, the dish got famous in the whole state of Manipur.
The dish is prepared with flavorful herbs and spices which give a spicy and juicy taste to the chickpeas. Kelli Chana is served on a lotus leaf that gives it a local and fresh touch.
Tenga Fish
Tenga Fish is a delicacy from Assam and it is a fish meal that contains a sour and aromatic flavor. The meal preparation involves capturing a local fish from the rivers of Assam and then adding plenty of sunlight-dried tomatoes, lemon skin, and green chilies that give the fish a sour and appetizing flavor.
Afterward, the fish is then fired in mustard oil and curried with bottle gourd and spinach to enrich its flavor. It is ideally taken along with white rice like the majority of dishes in Assam.
Jadoh
Jadoh is a popular Meghalayan rice meal that is a very popular Pulao dish eaten in North-Eastern India. The meal is generally prepared with Amrmbrosial rice that is grown in Meghalaya. The specialty of this rice is that the grains are lengthy, light-red tinted, and endowed with a distinctive fragrance besides being deliciously low in gluten.
The meal is prepared using a very low amount of oil which makes it less in calories and healthier. The vegan Jadoh is usually seasoned with tomato, tinda, jhinga, potato, and also okra while the non-vegan is loaded with delicious pieces of pork and chicken.