Book review
Discover the flavours of the North-East
If there is one part of this country that is still to be discovered, at least in terms of its cuisine, it is the North-East. Those who live in, or have visited the seven sister states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura—would tell you that the kitchens of the North-East are the source of an extraordinary range of dishes that blend tradition and innovation in unexpected ways. The basic tribal diet of jungle produce has over the years been shaped by the influence of various other communities: the Thais, who once ruled over some parts of the territory; the Chinese, because of their proximity; and the Bengali migrants, and it is this unusual combination that makes the food of the region unique in India.

Lightly spiced, with hardly any oil, and flavoured with herbs that are now available in stores across the country, the stews, chutneys and curries in this book can transform the most ordinary meal into an exotic experience.

Recipes include:
Galho (Rice with green vegetables)
Guntok (Vegetable potage)
Komal saul (Soft rice)
Ar sawchiar (Chicken pulao with herbs)
Bhoja haah (Stir-fried duck)
Mansha jhol (Mutton curry)
Berema butui (Sun-dried fish and chilli potage)
Masor jhol (Fish curry)
Jadoh (Pork biryani)
Voksa pok (Pork with mustard leaves)
Akhuni chutney (Fermented soya bean chutney)
Ironba (Vegetable chutney)
Rongpu takeng (Egg chutney)

About the author Hoihnu Hauzel was born in 1974 in Imphal. She completed her schooling in Shillong and Delhi, and got a Master’s degree in political science from Delhi University. She has been a journalist for the past five years and worked with the Asian Age and the Indian Express before joining the Hindustan Times in Delhi. She also has to her credit a collection of poems, Moments of Time.