Northeast India is a beautiful region with a strong presence of culture and tradition. Each state in the Northeast has a different ethnic food habit. Food trail in Northeast is an experience in itself. Apart from unmatched natural beauty, the regions are also renowned for their interesting cuisine. The food of the northeast will definitely slake a true foodie’s palate with great relish.
The North-eastern food mainly symptoms for simply boiled food with amazing smell and taste uniquely flavoured by local herbs and simple combination of chilly, ginger and garlic. Though the 7 sister states are mostly famous for non-vegetarian dishes idiosyncratic mouth-watering sweet dishes and desserts are also a part of the culinary heritage of the states.
In this post, we take you through a vivid gastronomic journey of all states of Northeast. The unique flavour of Northeast Indian foods are defined by the use of locally grown vegetables and herbs with minimal use of spice. They keep the age-old flavour intake by using the same method of cooking as their ancestors.
A tour is hardly complete without enjoying special plates from different states of Northeast.
Food trails of Assam
Each Northeastern state has unique food habits. If you are in Assam you can surprise yourself with the luscious test of a special fish dish prepared using locally grown vegetables and herbs. To name a few Outenga masoor tenga( fish curry with elephant apple), Kon Bilahi masor tenga ( Fish curry with cherry tomatoes), fish cooked with colocasia leaves etc. Apart from these smoked fish, kasu pitika (mesh colocasia leaves with garlic and chilly), khar etc are some distinct cuisine of Assam. If you are a meat lover then different pork and chicken dishes like pork curry with Urad dal, pork curry with Lai sak(Mustard Greens), smoked pork/chicken are some palatable dishes to catch. The appetizing aroma of sizzling boiled chicken and pork blow you away.
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The unique flavour of Meghalaya
Meghalaya is the home of Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes. All the tribes have unique traditional recipes having customary cooking style. Cooked using pork blood Jadoh is the most popular dish in Meghalaya. Jadoh can be accompanied with sticky red rice for a perfect meal. Doh Neiiong (pork with ginger-garlic paste and black sesame seed), Dohsnam ( a dish made of pork intestine), Dohkhlieh ( Boil pork salad with Onions, Chillies, Spices and Salt), Ki Kpu, Tung-rymbai (fermented soybean), and pickled bamboo shoots are some of the most popular Khasi delicacies. Khasi and Jaintia tribes mostly eat chicken, pork, fish, beef, and lamb. Purambhi masala is a special spice mostly used in the food of Garo tribe.
Meghalaya is also famous for delicious juicy fruits such as citrus species, pineapple, banana, papaya, guava and jack-fruit etc. One can see many organic vegetables and fruits farm in every nook and cranny of Meghalaya. Organic vegetables are blessed to this land. They grow in abandon without using any fertilizer.
In search of the homely Khasi meal, I visited Jadoh restaurant in Donbosco square Shillong. We relished authentic Khashi meal of Meghalaya, the plate had Jadoh, smoked pork, fish ball salad, curry, chutney and vegetable. This place offers Khasi food at pocket–friendly rates.
Another place to try local dishes in Meghalaya is Trattoria restaurant in Police Bazaar Road, Shillong. The menu offers Jadoh and pork dish, fish platter, chicken platter, mutton platter etc. The recipes are simply amazing cooked with local ingredients in Khasi style accompanied by traditional chutneys.
Our next destination is Mawlynnong village in search of a rural and rustic taste of Meghalaya. Mawlynnong is a small village located in East Khasi hill district near Bangladesh border. We offered a delicious vegetarian meal prepared using limited oil and spices. Red rice with pork or chicken curry is the main traditional dish here.
You can also check: Top places to eating out in Shillong.
The wired platter of Nagaland
I heard about delicious and wired Naga cuisines for a long time. Naga dishes are unique combinations of flavour and taste. Traditional food preparation of different tribes of Nagaland are unparalleled and they have no resemblance with the traditional cousins of other states. On searching for traditional Naga platter we headed to Chingtsoung restaurant at the Razu point in Kohima which is famous for traditional Ao cuisines. It’s the perfect blend of flavour, herbs and spices that makes the difference and elevates the taste of the dish. Orami is another place to test traditional Naga cuisines.
Some of the most delicious Naga dishes are Yam curry with roselle ginger and sticky rice, Smoked pork with Axone, Smoked chicken stew, fish chutney, Hinkejvu ( Dish made with colocasia, shredded cabbage leaves, mustard leaves and French beans), Akini Chokibo (a special dish made with Snail meat) etc. Zutho is a famous rice beer popular among the Angami Nagas. Naga tribes used a specially fermented soybean known as Axone in their food which makes the dish heavenly.
Our second day in Nagaland was a grand feast for us. We joined the Hornbill Festival the great cultural festival of Northeast that day. Variety of food served at that festival was astonishing. The smell coming from the food stalls blend with the misty evening of the festival ground makes it heavenly. We tasted snail fry, sticky red rice, pork curry, chicken curry, various pickles and chutneys. Local rice beer and small prone fish pickle were also available there – I liked this combination most and packed some more.
Our next destination in Nagaland was Khonoma green village. Khonma village had a remarkable place in the culture and history of Nagaland. Inhabitant by the Ao Nagas the village offers unmatched hospitality and delicious traditional food. We spent our last day in Nagaland in a homestay in Khonoma. The hospitality offered in our homestay was outstanding. We savoured few more delicious dishes such as fish curry, special fish chutney, egg boil, abundant boil vegetables, fresh vegetable salad etc. Khonoma village is truly a green village with small farms and colourful flowers in every household.
Food trail in Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh the most beautiful hill station in Northeast India is a blend of divergent culture and tradition. The beautiful hilly state is the home to many tribes migrated from Tibet, China and different part of the world. Nevertheless, all tribes have different food habits and cooking style which makes it a giant treasure trove. The simplicity and aroma of the authentic Arunachalese cuisine are superb.
Tawang is the most sought after hill station of Arunachal Pradesh. Rich Buddhist influence can be seen in the food habits of Monpa inhabitant of Tawang. There you must try Millet, a special dish made by the Monpas. It is prepared with millet or any other flour with boiling water. It can be taken with vegetables and meat. Sometimes fermented cheese and soya beans can be added to it as a condiment. You can also test delicious Maggy, Thukpa and Momos made using homegrown fertile vegetables.
If you are looking for a fine dining restaurant in Tawang hotel Mon-valley is the first preference in our list. You can try delicious Chinese and Tibetan dishes here. We had a bowl of scrumptious fried rice with chicken gravy and fried pork meal.
Chamin is a special chutney made by grinding chillies with fermented cheese is a favourite food of Monopas. Fermented cheese is used in most of the traditional preparations. Butter tea (Sueja) is another delicious beverage made using yak butter.
In the cuisines of Arunachal Pradesh local herbs, bamboo shoot, boil chicken, pork, beef and other vegetables are used. Use of chilli is also seen most to keep the body warm in cold weather. Bamboo shoots are used as a condiment with boiled vegetables, meat, pickles and chutneys. Rice Beer (Apong/ Chang) is the favourite beverage in Arunachal. It is used for all social occasions like birth, death, housewarming and other festivals. Surprisingly, rice beer-making style of every community in Northeast India is a little different. It’s difficult for a local to distinguish the variety by its smell and taste.
Ziro valley is another attractive place in Arunachal Pradesh Inhabitat by the Aptani tribes. Pika Pila( Pike) is the most popular and delicious dish only made by the Aptanis. It is a type of pickle made using pork fat, bamboo shoot and chilli. Lukter is another most popular Arunachalese cuisine. It is a combination of smoked dry meat and chilly flakes, Chura Sabji is a kind of a curry made of fermented cheese and yak milk or cow’s milk. Chilli flakes are added to it for sharp pungency.
Apart from these you can enjoy many superb dishes in your food tour in Arunachal Pradesh.
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The vibrant food culture of Manipur
Manipur is another state in the Northeast having rich food varieties. In Manipur people cook by instinct alone, making even the ordinary extremely extraordinary. It is no surprise that the Manipuri cuisine is awesomely assorted —from the simple and bland to the lavish and pungent. Eromba is the staple diet of Manipuris and generally made of boiled vegetables mashed together in a sauce of chili pepper paste and Ngari (fermented fish). It is served with a combination of herbs and garnishes with onion, spring onion, coriander, basil etc.
Some other famous delicacies from Manipur are smoked pork, Split gill mushroom, Maroi thongba(a special vegetarian curry prepared using Chinese chives leaves, Tharoi Thongba(river snails cooked in spicy sauce) etc.
Manipuri food also includes varieties of mouth-watering sweet dishes. Some of them are Chahao kheer (Black rice cooked with milk using honey or jaggery), Sangom Kheer, Kabok (Ladoos), Meitei Gulla etc. Tanghou is a special sticky rice cake. Home-made sesame and puffed rice Ladoos can be found in Imma Market also. You can buy them at a very reasonable rate.
Manipur is also known for pure vegetarian Manipuri thali (vegetarian chakluk) which served more than 20 different dishes. This thali contains Hawai, Iromba, Kanghou, chamfoot, variety of vegetables, lentils and fish cooked in the traditional way followed by Black rice and Kheer. Luxmi Kitchen in Imphal is the best place to relish delicious Manipuri veg dishes. Some more ethnic food joint in Manipur are Naoba’s chakhumang, Thoibi Hotel, Blue Chilli etc.
Homegrown herbs are the most essential part of Manipuri cousin. Most of the household had a small organic herb and vegetable garden in their backyard. Few commonly used herbs in Manipuri dishes are Awaa phadigom (Mexican coriander), Mayang-ton (Lemon Basil), Toning-khok (Chameleon plant), Mukthrubi, Phakpai (Vietnamese coriander), Chantruk, Wavy Bittercress, Khanghuman, Nungshi hidak (Mint), Maroi napaakpi (Hooker chives), Maroi naakuppi (Chinese chives), Takhel-manao etc.
Food trail in Northeast is such a diverge which is hard to summarise in one go. I will write about some more dishes in my next blog. Till then stay tuned and stay safe!
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