Christmas special: Recipes from Nagaland

We bring you traditional Christmas recipes from Nagaland.

Megovino Kehie shares her recipe for Pork with Bamboo Shoot.

"This dish is mostly prepared by the Angami Naga, a major tribe of Nagaland," she says.

"The cuisine has been passed down from great ancestors. It is prepared on occasions like weddings, Christmas, harvest festival, etc." 

Ingredients:

• 1 kg pork
• 1 tbsp washed and sliced bamboo shoot (baans ki kalli)
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 dried or fresh king chilly
• 3 tsp red chilli power
• Salt to taste

Method: 

• Cut the pork into medium-sized pieces and place it in a cooking pot. 
• Add salt, king chilly, chilli powder and enough water to immerse the pork. 
• On a medium high flame, cook the meat, king chilly and chilli powder for 30 mins or until the pork is half cooked. 
• Add the sliced bamboo shoot and stir the mixture. 
• Add some water and cook the meat until it is cooked or the water has almost evaporated. 
• Add in the ginger and garlic paste and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure there is enough water in the dish so that it doesn't burn. 
• Add some more water and let it boil for 5 minutes. The curry formed should be medium thick. Serve hot with rice.

Tip: This dish is usually served dry, but you can add a cup of water with the remaining ingredients, if you want a gravy. 

Chicken with Bamboo Shoot

Journalist and founder at Northeast Odyssey, Hoihnu Hauzel shares her secret recipe. 

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken
• 200 gm bamboo shoot 
• ½ cup rice powder
• 2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• 1½ tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp salt 

Method:

• Clean chicken, cut into 2" pieces and wash. 
• Wash bamboo shoot and cut into 1" pieces.
• Place 2 cups water in a pan and bring to boil over high heat. 
• Add bamboo shoot, cover pan and cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes. 
• Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes longer. 
• Blend in rice powder and keep stirring. 
• Stir in remaining ingredients and continue stirring constantly for about 10 minutes, till the chicken is cooked and gravy thickens. 

Lead pic used for representational purpose only. Kind courtesy: Krista/Creative Commons

ALSO READ:

• Christmas recipe: How to make Madras Mutton Curry
  
• Desi dessert for Christmas: Paal Kozhukattai
• Kerala's Xmas recipe: Coconut Ice Squares 

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