The Culinary Heritage of Northeast India

The Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, spread across three geographical regions—the Eastern Himalayas, the Northeastern Highlands, and the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys and plains—offer the most unique culinary experiences.

While the basics of their cuisines are rooted in ancient traditions, there is no denying the influences brought in by their neighboring countries. A typical example of this is the ubiquitous Tibetan momo and thukpa, the local versions of which can be enjoyed across the Northeast.

The Northeast region has a strong base for dishes of animal origin as well as rich traditional knowledge of vegetal plenty inspired by its status as a major biodiversity hotspot. The culinary heritage of bamboo shoots, like rice, for example, has been a common thread that binds the Northeast region’s food culture down the ages.

Arunachal Pradesh

Its 26 leading tribes and over 100 subtribes have enriched Arunachal’s culinary heritage exponentially. Lukter, a roasted beef-based dish is perfect for the freezing winters. Ngatok, served with local rice is still cooked the traditional way. This is made of marinated pieces of fish wrapped in leaves and cooked in a stone pot with red chillis, tomatoes, and local spices. Pika Pila, a duo of pickle-like dishes made from pig lard and bamboo shoots, is an offering from the Apatanis to the Arunachali kitchen. It marries well with rice, curries and dried fish. Pehak, a vegetarian dish with nuances of fermented soybeans, is teamed with rice.

Assam

The people in the hilly regions practice fermentation and drying, as a form of preserving food; in the plains, people rely on the land for vegetables and the rivers for fish. Culinary historian Colleen Taylor Sen opines that Assamese cuisine is the only regional Indian cuisine that has preserved the six tastes of ancient Hindu gastronomy. Alkalinity is what distinguishes Assamese cuisine from the rest of India. 

Khar is typically prepared from the ashes of ripe Bhim Kol banana peel and has a unique astringent flavour. Every dish made using this food additive is also called khar. You should try Amita aaru Maati Mahor Khar, which is Khar cooked with papaya and black gram. Paroro Mangxo is pigeon meat curry. It is cooked with banana flowers and peppercorns. Pani Hamuk, a tribal dish, is made with water snails, pumpkin, and potatoes. Baanhgajor Lagot Kukura is a popular chicken-and-bamboo preparation.

Manipur

Manipur’s culinary pursuits are adventurous with elaborate cooking methods, which unlike other states in the region use oil quite liberally. Pickling and fermentation are also favoured processes. A typical meal could involve as many as 30 items. Manipur has a wide range of vegetarian offerings.

Popular dishes include Nga-thongba, a fish curry; Eromba, made with boiled vegetables and fermented fish; Ooti Singju, a spicy hot salad; and Chak-Hao Kheer, a black-rice pudding.

Meghalaya

The three distinctive regions of Meghalaya’s Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia communities offer a wide choice of dishes from their ancestral culinary traditions. The Khasi and Jaintia tribesmen have a lot of bamboo-shoot dishes; the Garos prefer a lot of pork-based dishes among other protein-rich animal meats.

Jadoh, popular with the Khasis and Jaintias, is rice cooked in meat stock, served with pork or chicken cooked in indigenous spices; it is served with dohkhleh, a salad-like side dish of boiled pork, onion, and chilli. Nakam Bitchi, favoured by the Garos, is a dried fish that can be either fried or boiled to prepare a soup or Bitchi. Galda Gisi Do’o Pura—a Garo chicken dish—is made with dried and powdered roselle leaves thickened with pounded rice; it’s popularly paired with rice.

Mizoram

Its unique culinary persuasions, while also shaped by neighbours Myanmar and Bangladesh, are deeply rooted in ancestral Mizo food traditions.  

The great variety of vegetarian dishes is evident in their delight in the shoots and tender stems, not only of bamboo but other edible plants as well, such as slender cane, taro and saisu, an indigenous family of the banana. Mizo cuisine veers greatly towards the non-veg options; even veg dishes are teamed with Sa-um (fermented pork fat). Meats (pork, chicken, mithun) and vegetable produce (bamboo shoots, yam leaves) are smoked and dried to ensure all-year-round availability.

Dishes to sample are Maian Bai—young pumpkin leaves stewed with a few strands of dried leaves of the rosella plant (locally, behlwai bai), and tender string bean leaves simmered in a pork stock with a bit of rice to thicken the broth; a dash of saum is added to the dish for tempering.

Vawska Rep, a popular herb-flavoured meat dish, involves pieces of smoked pork stir-fried with oyster mushrooms and greens. Burchiar, or Sanpiau, is cooked with either pork or chicken and served with sticky rice. Sawchair is a rice-based, Burmese-inspired stew made from chicken or pork.

Nagaland

With 16 tribes and numerous sub-tribes Nagaland’s culinary offerings are very distinctive. Yet the common thread that runs through them is ancestral tribal traditions such as fermentation, sun-drying and smoking meats and vegetables. Naga non-veg dishes use pork, fish, chicken, crabs, frogs, snails, insects, bee larvae and birds; veggie dishes are made from a variety of local leaves, plants and the ubiquitous bamboo. Akhuni (fermented soybean) is used to flavour pork and buff. Smoked pork with anishi (fermented yam leaves) is a Naga favourite. Awushi Kulho, a no-oil preparation, is a chicken stew with green vegetables and spices found only in this region. Akini Chokibo is made of perilla seeds and snails. Samathu is a curry of smoked pork pieces, akhuni, bamboo shoot vinegar, pepper, chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, etc.

Sikkim

Neighbouring Nepal and Tibet have also left their mark on Sikkim’s food culture. Momos, Thupka, Sel Roti, and bamboo shoots are evidence of the fusion of Tibetan, Nepali and Lepcha dishes. But you can also explore more traditional dishes in the state. A must-try is Niguru with Churpi Curry, in which wild ferns are paired with cottage cheese and tempered with spices such as turmeric or chilli powder and bamboo shoots. Wachipa, from the Kirat Rai ethnic group, is a dish of cooked rice and minced chicken flavoured with a powder produced from burned chicken feathers. The distinct bitter aftermath is an acquired taste. The veg version involves using leaves or flowers of the bitter Damlapa plant.

Tripura

A typical Tripuri table would feature rice, pulses, vegetables, fish, meat and chutney. Oil use is minimal but herbs play a big role here. Staple dishes also include fish stews and bamboo shoots favouring delicacies. Snails too have an important place reserved for them for their protein and other nutrients, in Tripura’s tribal kitchens. Dive into the distinctive Mui Borok which also features snails is tempered by its organic, mild, zesty and distinctive aromatic flavour. Kasoi Bwtwi served on special occasions has two key ingredients: kasoi leaves and bwtwi fish, abundantly present in local rivers and ponds. Wahan Mosdeng is a popular pork dish cooked with, coriander leaves, onion and green chillies.