Assamese food is very unique just like it’s demographic composition. It embraces both hills and plains of the Northeast Indian region in terms of food. Rice is the staple food in Assamese cuisine. Fish and vegetable play a very important part in Assamese food habit. Local river fish cooked with any sour vegetable like elephant apple, bamboo shoot or hug plum etc. is very popular. Another important food stuff is Khaar (Alkaline or Alkali). Dishes prepared with alkali is a very popular, in fact, there is a saying, “Khar khuwa Axomia”. Meaning People who eat alkali. It basically denotes the laziness of people after eating alkali based food. Moreover, Silk worm fry and Red Ant eggs fry etc. are some of the most exotic food items that makes the Assamese cuisine quite quirky in nature.
This cuisine is mostly non-spicy. However, the use of ginger, garlic, fenugreek, cumin, bay leaf, coriander and mustered seed is extensive. A day to day meal of any Assamese family primarily consists of, rice with lots of steamed and roosted accompaniments or side dishes.
Meanwhile, there are many food items that are unique and drool worthy, here we are looking at my favorites only. To be honest there are a few I could not include. For example, Bamboo shoot and river fish fry, steamed and mashed Fish mint leaves, Hewali phulor khaar and Mustered Green (Lai xaak) with baby potato fry etc. Anyway, I shall keep some things for my next post as well, right? Now, let us look at “Top 10 dishes from my Assamese kitchen”.
Poita Bhaat and Alu Pitika
This has to be my number one pick. It is one of the most iconic meals of Assamese cuisine. It’s simple, delicious and so satisfying. As I have already said, Assamese food is all about BHAAT, this is a unique way of having bhaat. Poita bhaat is something that is also widely taken in other parts of East India. In Bengal it is called “Panta Bhaat” and in Odisha it is known as “Pakhal Bhaat”. The way we have it may differ but it is basically the same. This is prepared with rice cooked and socked in cold water day before. The next day this rice socked in water is garnished with mustered oil and salt. A number of side dishes can be had with this but the combination of mashed potato (Alu pitika) is an absolute must. This is basically a summer meal of every Assamese household.
Goroi Masor pura pitika
My second pick is “Goroi masor pura pitika”, mashed roasted sneakhead murrel. This is another unique dish from Assamese cuisine. This recipe is a prove that how much we love our roasted and mashed food items. This is a very tricky recipe, the amount of concentration it needs is immense. The fish is first cleaned and some slits are made, turmeric and salt is rubbed over the fish. Next, it is roasted and deboned. This part is crucial because the bones are hard and small. It needs precision to clean it properly. Lastly, the fish is mashed with oil, salt, ginger, garlic, coriander and green chilies. Being a fish lover this is definitely my one of the most loved food items.
Mangxo Bhaat
The most humble meal of every household perhaps. Sundays are incomplete without this divine meal. It is so simple and humble that you can never dislike it (if you are a non-vegetarian). Mangxo meaning Mutton curry and Bhaat i.e. Rice. In general, Duck and Mutton dishes are kept for special occasions only. Therefore, a Sunday special meal in my childhood is always Mangxo Bhaat.
The curry is prepared in a simple way with very minimal spice and potato. The mutton is first cleaned properly and fried along with onion in mustered oil. Next, all the spice mix, ginger, garlic paste, turmeric and salt is added. To enhance the aroma and flavor a bay leaf is always added in the beginning of the recipe. Lastly, shallow fried potatoes are added to it. To complete the cooking water is added and cooked till the meat is tender and moist. Simple and delectable, indeed a favorite.
Tita Kerelar Pur/ Stuffed Bitter Gourd
Bitter Gourd also known as Karela is something that we usually don’t say yes to. However, this particular recipe of bitter gourd is very delicious. This one is not exclusively Assamese, It is made almost everywhere. But my father makes it in such a way that I can not replicate it till now.
The recipe is really simple and takes very less time to prepare. At first, the bitter gourd needs to be boiled for few minutes. Next, take out the seeds and make a paste with ginger, garlic and chilies. make a slit on the pre boiled bitter gourd and stuff it with the paste mixture. The next step is fun, we need to tie the bitter gourd with a thread to prevent the filling from coming out while shallow frying. As I said lastly shallow fry it in a pan using any oil. Serve it hot and enjoy. I love it and it is definitely my one of the most cherished dishes.
BHut Jolokia Achar/ Ghost Chili Pickle
This one is probably the most popular among all the top 10 choices for me. Bhut Jolokia or Ghost chili or Naga Mircha is very unique to Northeast India. This is known as one of the hottest chilies in the world. Assamese cuisine includes this chili in most of it’s dishes. But for me what makes the best of it is the pickle or achar. Since I live in an area where I can hardly get my hands on fresh ghost chilies. Therefore, I make sure to prepare this pickle and keep it for future use.
I usually wash the fresh chilies and sundry it for a day. Later I cut them into small bite size pieces. Next, I heat some mustard oil and let it cool, after that I add some chopped garlic and a small amount of vinegar to the cold oil. Finally, I add the dry chilies with some salt in the oil mix. Most people add masala or spices but my father adds nothing and so does me. By the way my father is the one who mostly thought me cooking. Moreover, Bhut Jolokia pickle is something that he prepares in various ways. Dry and crisp Bhut jolokia flakes is one of his specialties.
Patot dia Maas/ Steamed fish in a banana leaf
Another fish favorite is “Patot dia maas” also known as “fish paturi” in Bengali. This particular dish is similar to both the food culture. I love it because no matter what type of fish you are using the whole process makes it absolutely delicious. Generally, we don’t add mustard paste and use little river fish to prepare it. But, for some fish types we add the mustard paste as well. Again banana leaf and Turmeric leaf both can be used for steaming the fish.
Here, in this recipe I used a Catla or Bahu fish. Hence, I added mustard paste to enhance the taste. Adding mustard paste in this preparation is widely popular in Bengali cuisine. The recipe is simple, if we follow typical Assamese style. First, clean the fish and add salt, turmeric and little bit mustard oil. add green chilies, ginger and garlic paste or grounded. Mix everything together and wrap it in a banana or turmeric leaf. Secure the leaf and make a parcel and steam it for few minutes. Serve it hot after adding a little bit of lemon juice.
However, there is another way. the way I have made and showed in the picture here. The fish is cleaned and mixed in a mustard, salt, turmeric and oil mixture. Next, wrapped in a banana leaf in a parcel shape and steamed for sometime. I personally love both the ways, it depends an the availability of the type of fish. But the taste of both the the preparations are very different. The former one is more earthy and raw in taste and the later one has a more spicy flavor. I guess now you know why I love it so much.
Masor konir bor aru thekera tengar jul
This particular dish is very unique to Assamese food culture. The curry is sour in taste and considered good for tummy health. Fish egg fritters are very popular in Assamese households and prepared this way is a delicacy. However, the unique part is the gravy that is prepared with dried Garcinia. The recipe is a bit elaborate but let me explain it in easy words.
The fritters are made first and then added to the gravy and cooked untill a bit soft. For the gravy I used dried Garcinia also known as Thekera in Assamese. I socked it in hot water for few hours and drained the pulp keeping the water aside. Later, in a pan added some jeera and garlic in a little bit of hot oil and added the Garcinia water with some more plain water. To thicken the gravy half a piece of boiled potato can also be added. But, I did the simple way and straight added the fritters. I kept the gravy watery and runny just like prepared back at home. This sour curry is definitely unique and delicious. Also one of my top 10 favorites.
Pabho Maas aru Omora Tenga
This particular combination is very different from any other dishes prepared at home. My grand mother is a huge fan of such combination curries, particularly this one. Hug plum or Omora tenga has a very distinctive flavor and cooking it with fish makes it more different. To be honest, these recipes are actually very healthy and flavorful. Again, very simple to cook and requires less time. My grandmother learned this recipe from her sister and it is a common dish in every household. The fish may be different but the process is more or less same.
Firstly, clean and shallow fry the fish. Next, add oil to the pan and add some panch phoran or jeera along with this add garlic (optional). Some people don’t add garlic or ginger or onion. Just the jeera or panch phuran. Cut the hug plum into desired pieces and add in the pan. After few seconds add hot water and let it come to boil. Next, add the fish and cook till the gravy looks a bit dark in color. Add salt according to taste. The flavor and taste might be a bit different for someone with a different food palate. But for me it’s the taste of home.
Guror Payokh or Kheer with Jaggery
I do not think this dish requires any explanation. Just like the whole India we Assamese people also love our Kheer/ Payokh. Be it birthday, puja, happy occasion or guests a bowl of Payokh is a must. The one prepared with jaggery is my absolute favorite. I don’t think a recipe is needed, because India is known for it’s kheer culture. Therefore, my favorite too.
Sewat dia bora saul/ Steamed sticky rice
I kept the best one for the last. We the people of northeast India love our rice and sticky rice is something we cannot live without. There are so many things that can be prepared with this type of rice, e.g. Variety of Pitha, pudding, rice cake, Bamboo rice etc. But the one I am talking about is different. It is steamed in a particular way. This is actually an Assamese breakfast recip. It is called Jolpan, i.e. breakfast.
In general, the rice is socked for an hour and steamed till cooked without water. I do it a bit differently, I sock the rice and wash it. Next, add some salt and sugar and some milk to it. After this I steam it until soft and fully cooked. Later, I have it with some curry or curd or cream or Mango. The traditional way of cooking is blend in taste and consumed with any vegetable curry or curd. In my version I added fruits to make it more interesting. Both the recipes taste amazing and I can have it at any time of the day.
This marks the end of top 10 dishes from my Assamese kitchen. I hope you guys had an idea of how the food is in my community and will try some of these recipes soon. I feel really good about even thinking about theses food items as it reminds me of home.
Let me take sometime to cook some more of my favorites, till then enjoy the blog.
love
JintyR.
