Have you tried these mouthwatering dishes from Manipur?

In the northeast corner of India lies the beautiful and serene state of Manipur. Bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west, Manipur is a much-preferred spot for tourists and nature enthusiasts. Also, Manipur is home to many sports and the origin of Manipuri dance and is credited with introducing Polo to Europeans.

Manipuri cuisine is usually represented by the traditional cuisine of the Meiteis, an ethnic majority of the state. The staple diet consists of rice, fish, and large varieties of leafy vegetables. The daily meals are simple, basic and nutritious. They are based on rice, with a few side dishes of vegetables and fish. Also, Manipuri people grow their vegetables in their gardens or farms and breed their fishes in their backyard ponds which adds to the taste. Here are some mouthwatering dishes from Manipur.

It is a nutritious vegetable stew which is very popular in Manipur. It contains seasonal vegetables that are boiled and flavoured with sliced onions, cloves, salt, garlic, maroi (locally available herb) and a bit of ginger. This stew is served with rice or fish and is supposed to be consumed piping hot.

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An ethnic cuisine of the Meitei community, Eromba is prepared with boiled vegetables and fermented fish mashed together along with chillies. The main ingredient of this dish is the fermented dried fish known as 'Ngari' in Manipuri, which are usually a few varieties of small freshwater fishes that are first sun-dried and then fermented.

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It is a salad kind of a dish and is often served as a side dish with most of the main course dishes served for lunch. It can be prepared in two ways—veg and non-veg. Veg is usually made by frying red chillies, chives and onions. In non-veg, chillies are mashed into a paste and then boiled with some Ngari fish, which is again mashed and then sprinkled with salt.

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Often served as a spicy side dish, Singju is popular as an afternoon or evening snack. There are two main types of the dish: Ngari-based and Thoiding-Besan based. Ngari is a kind of fermented fish and Thoiding is an oily seed which when roasted gives a nutty flavour.

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Paaknam is a side dish quite popular in Manipur. It is a savoury cake which is prepared from a thick batter of besan, herbs, vegetables, flavoured with chilli and the traditional Ngari. It is finally wrapped up in a banana leaf and steamed.

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It is an authentic Manipuri black rice pudding, made of forbidden black rice and sugar. The black rice has a very unique flavour and is nutty in taste and texture. The kheer is rich in antioxidants, fibre, and prevents the risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases.

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It is a dish included in most non-vegetarian meals, especially by the Meitei community. It is a preparation for which the fish is cut into bite-sized pieces and intentionally mashed a bit so that the fish becomes disintegrated. It is often flavoured with crushed pepper and other spices.

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