Unique Food of Northeast India

The North Eastern part of India is a must visit for travelers who seek inner peace. It is truly a spectacular destination with galore of natural beauty and magnificent attractions. The states of North East also known as seven sister states captivate tourists with the sheer natural beauty, hill stations, tea gardens, river, and the colorful culture of seven sister states. The seven sister states of Northeast India are Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura. The charming art and culture seamlessly blend with the beguiling natural beauty of the Northeast India. The people of Northeast India lead a colorful life with rich culture and so is their cuisine as unique and flavorsome as the rich Northeast Indian culture.

Sunga Saul

This is style of cooking rice is typically followed in Assam. The rice is soaked in water and then the bamboo (edible one) with one side cut is filled with rice and closed tightly with banana leaves. The bamboo is then roasted in a fire place till it turns grey. This exotic rice rolls can be enjoyed with kheer or with eggs or even fish fry.

Sunga Diya Mass

The procedure of making sunga diya mass is same as sunga saul the only difference is that you have to add spices and fishes along with the rice. The roasted rice and fish tastes extremely flavorsome with the hint of spices and is a must try in Assam.

Koldil Paro Manghor Jalukia

Banana flower is called Koldil in Assamese and it is one of the favorite dishes of the people of Assam. The dish is prepared with Koldil and other Indian spices with the main ingredient being pigeon meat. This dish is cooked in mustard oil and you can enjoy tender, juicy pigeon meat with rice or roti.

Samgyetang or Chicken Glutinous Rice Soup

It is a healthy food and it is believed by the Nagamese people that this soup revitalizes one’s immune system. This dish is cooked with small chicken and cooked in sweet glutinous rice sauce with ginseng and herbs. The chicken is then boiled to perfection to get a thick consistency of boiling hot soup.

Kongshia Lon Eel Chili Sauce

This is enjoyed as a side dish in Nagamese cuisines. The eel chili sauce is made with dry eel mixed with lots of chilies and garlic; a piping hot chutney but a must have side dish.

Doh Khileh

This healthy and delicious salad hails from Meghalaya. This is prepared with pork and onion salad. The eccentric part of the dish is that it is garnished with steamed pig brain. The pig’s brain is wrapped in banana leaf so that it does not disintegrate and cooked until it is soft.  People of Meghalaya are fond of pork and this is another delicacy of the Northeast India.

Nahkham

Nahkham is a delicacy of Mizoram. The dish is prepared from dried fish mixed with vegetables and distilled ashes. This dish is sapid and you will like it if only you can stand the unpleasant smell of the dish. Dry fish is consumed in many parts of India but the dried fish used to prepare this dish is foul smelling of all.

Sa-um Bur

The fermented preparation is followed by people of Mizoram. This dish is prepared from pig fats that are collected from the pig’s abdomen and chopped into pieces and place in Sa-um Bur, a special container made from the dried bottle guard. The Sa-um Bur is then placed over fire place for three days or more and then the fermented fat is used as an ingredient for other dishes.

Ai-um

Ai-um is a delicious fermented dish of Mizoram. The main ingredient of this dish is fermented crabs that are first killed with hot water and then grinded. The grinded crab is then mixed with sesame (locally known as chhawhchhi) and stored in a closed container near the fire place. The crab is then allowed to ferment for three days  and then it is mixed with hot water and ash filtrate.

Nghe Thu’um

Nagaland is the land that has hottest chilies and they prepare almost all their dishes with bhoot jholakia. Nghe Thu’um is a chutney or sauce, which is prepared with bhoot jholakia, tomatoes, and dried fermented fish. Be careful to taste the sauce as you may have a flushed face, burning mouth and light-headed with the bhoot jholakia spice but if you can bear this you will relish every bite of this dish.

Poora Haah

Poora haah or whole roasted duck is a very special dish of Arunachal Pradesh. The duck is cleaned and stuffed with bread crunbles, potato, eggs, and other Indian spices and roasted on a charcoal fire. This mouth-watering dish can be taken to gusto with rice and boiled potato.

Koat Pitha

This is a sweet dish basically a delicacy of Assam, which is made during Bihu, but you can find this dish in other Northeastern states. This is prepared with banana, jaggery, sieved rice flour, and oil or ghee. The Koat Pitha tastes luscious and can be enjoyed as dessert or as snacks.

Eromba

One of the famous Manipuri delicacies is Eromba and people of Manipur go dazzled even with the name of the dish. This succulent dish is very simply prepared with fermented fish, piping hot chilies and herbs. This is a must-have dish for the people of Manipur.