Manipuri cuisine refers to the cuisine of

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

, a state of northeastern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Daily meals are based on rice, with a few side dishes of vegetables, fish and meat. A meal would usually have a vegetable stew called or , flavored with dried or fried fish; stir-fried vegetables called ; and a spicy item, which could be (a chili paste), eromba (boiled and mashed vegetables with chili and fermented fish), or singju (a piquant salad). All piquant side dishes are accompanied by a choice of fresh herbs, collectively called . The base and essence of Meitei cuisine is the fermented fish called . Several dishes of meat, mostly chicken and pork, are cooked with unique recipes. Due to religious taboos, Muslims living in Manipur do not cook pork. A side dish of steamed () or boiled vegetables with a hint of sugar () are also quite common as palate cleansers in most meals. The aromatics of most dishes start with frying bay leaf, chives, onion, garlic, and ginger in mustard oil. The rest of the vegetables follow after that. Oil is sparingly used in most of the main stews but the side dishes of (stir-fried spicy vegetables) and (fritters) make up for that. Fish is also a staple, and appears in every meal, either as or as roasted or fried pieces. While fish is an essential part of the diet, due to increasing prices, fish curry is prepared only occasionally, or during feasts. The Meiteis live in the valley of Manipur where freshwater fish from lakes and rivers and ponds had been plentiful until recent times. In Manipur, meals are known as chakluk.

Basic diet

The staple diet of Manipur consists of rice, fish, large varieties of leafy vegetables (of both aquatic and terrestrial). Manipuris typically raise vegetables in a kitchen garden and rear fishes in small ponds (''Pukhri'') around their house. Since the vegetables are either grown at home or obtained from local market, the cuisines are very seasonal, each season having its own special vegetables and preparations. The taste is very different from other Indian cuisines because of the use of various aromatic herbs and roots that are peculiar to the region.

Aromatic herbs and roots used by the Manipuris

# Nungshi hidak ( Mint) # Maroi napaakpi ( Hooker chives) # Yenam (maroi nakuppi) ( Chinese chives) # Awaa phadigom ( Mexican coriander) # Mayang-ton (

Lemon basil Lemon basil, hoary basil, Thai lemon basil, or Lao basil,Dorothy Culloty (''Ocimum'' × ''africanum'') is a hybrid between basil (''Ocimum basilicum'') and American basil ('' Ocimum americanum''). The herb is grown primarily in northeastern ...

) # Toning-khok ( chameleon plant) # Khanghuman / Kanghu-maan ('' Salvia dianthera'', formerly ''Meriandra dianthera'' and ''Meriandra bengalensis'') # Mukthrubi ('' Zanthoxylum armatum'' / Sichuan peppercorn) # Phakpai ( Vietnamese coriander) # Chantruk ( pepper cress) # Yaipan ('' Curcuma angustifolia'') # Kang-hu mapaan (

galangal Galangal () is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus ''Alpinia'', and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor. Greater gal ...

) # Takhel-manao # Leibakmaroom ( Calvatia gigantea) # Uyen (similar to shiitake mushroom) # Uchi-na ( jelly ear) # Chengum (

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

) # Charu-yen ( Volvariella volvacea) # Kanglayen ( split gill mushroom) # Ushoi (bamboo shoots) There are also ingredients in the cuisine that require an acquired taste, such as Hawaijaar (fermented soya bean, somewhat similar to the Japanese Natto), Soibum (fermented bamboo shoot), Ngaa-ri (fermented fish), and Hentak (fermented fish powder and herbs).

Meats and seafood used by the Manipuris

* Hameng (mutton) * Khajing (shrimp) * Nga (fish) * Nganu (duck) * Oak (pork) * San (beef or buffalo) * Tharoi (snail) * Yen (chicken)

Dishes

*'' Eromba'': a chutney of vegetables boiled or steamed with a lot of red chillies or umorok (king chilli) with ngari (fermented fish), smoked or roasted fish and mashed together. It is garnished with herbs like maroi (maroi nakuppi, phakpai, mayang-ton, toning-khok, kaanghumaan, lomba, tilhou, chaantruk, coriander leaves and many more). *'' Singju'': a piquant salad which is prepared with an assortment of raw vegetables, and can have varying combinations depending on preference or season. The vegetables are julienned, while the accompanying herbs and leaves are coarsely chopped or shredded. Some of the usual main ingredients are cabbage, lotus stem, (banana flower), (a kind of scented herb), (another herb), (tree beans/stink beans/'' Parkia speciosa''). The accompanying herbs and leaves include sweet pea shoots, ''toningkhok'' (''Houtuniya cordata'') leaves and roots, ''heibi mana'', coriander leaves etc. Most singju items are seasonal, making every season's singju a much loved treat. Singju can be seasoned with a chili paste flavored with roasted (fermented fish), or with roasted "thoiding" seeds (''Perilla frutescens'') powder and roasted chick pea powder/roasted ''besan'', plus roasted red chili powder. Thoiding seeds are rich in healthy fats and vitamins, and when they are roasted they give a nutty flavor that is distinctive to a Singju. Other additional ingredients include boiled beans and peas, and also savory crispies, though these are optional. *''Chamthong'' or ''kangshoi'': a stew of any seasonal vegetables with coarsely chopped onions or spring onion, - both and , ginger, and salt, topped with ngari, dried fish, or fried fish pieces and water. It is soupy in consistency and is eaten with rice. *''Morok metpa'': a coarse paste prepared with green or dry red chilies mixed with chopped onions, coriander leaves and other local herbs for garnishing. The chilies are steamed or roasted with ngari or simply crushed and then mashed with salt and ngari; fried fish pieces can also be added to it. This is something which accompanies both the meals as a routine side dish. *''Kang-ngou'' or ''kaang-hou'': various vegetables stir fried with traditional spices *''Nganam'': fish and baked on a pan *''Paaknam'': a pancake prepared with a mixture of pea flour, , , , and wrapped in turmeric and banana leaves and either baked in a pan or steamed first and then roasted it for sometime *''Nga thongba'': a fish curry *''Nga ataoba thongba'': a fried fish curry *''Nga atoiba'': mashed fish *''Ooti'': a typical vegetarian dish generally characterised by its slightly overcooked texture of having the ingredients slightly mashed. Baking soda is also frequently used for this dish. *''Pakoura thongba'' or ''bora thongba'': a fritter curry *''Chagem pomba'': a curry made with fermented soya, mustard leaves, roasted or smoked fish and other herbs; broken rice is also a main ingredient and so the name "Chagem" in this dish *''Keli chana'': a spicy chickpea snack *''Alu kangmet'': boiled potatoes mashed with fried red chili and with salt and/or dressed with mustard oil *''Sana thongba'': a curry prepared with paneer *''Yen thongba'': a chicken curry *''Nganu thongba'': a duck curry *''Oak thongba'': a pork curry *''San thongba'': a beef curry *''Hameng thongba'': a mutton curry *''Tharoi thongba'': a snail curry *''Pan hawaijar thongba'': a taro and fermented soybean curry *''Soibum thongba'': a bamboo shoot curry *''A-nganba or champhut'': steamed vegetables, such as pumpkin, peas, carrots, French beans, etc *''Chakhao kheer'': a black rice pudding *''Tilhou kheer'': a onion pudding *''Chemmeen kheer'': a prawn pudding *''Sangom kheer'': a white rice pudding *''Kabok'': A puffed rice snack *''Hei thongba'': a fruit curry *''Kangshubi'': a ground seed snack *''Yerum tal'': an omelette

References

{{cuisines

Cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

Northeast Indian cuisine Indian cuisine by state or union territory

Basic diet

Aromatic herbs and roots used by the Manipuris

Meats and seafood used by the Manipuris

Dishes

See also

References