Food of Assam
Assam is a place of food lovers and food enthusiasts who love to experience new food and new restaurants. People of Assam love to eat and are great connoisseurs of food. There are many restaurants in Assam ranging from family to buffet to Chinese to multi cuisine. Restaurants in Assam offer food varying from authentic Assamese cuisines to North Indian to Continental to Oriental. So, a visit to restaurants in Assam would be a satisfying experience for tourists. Here is a list of top restaurants in Assam.
Food is a very important part of the culture of any state. A state is known by the food consumed by people. Assam, one of the important states of northeast India, is also known by its unique food. Assamese cuisine is one of the notable cuisines of India. The food cooked here is simple yet unique in its own sense. The style of cooking of Assamese food is simple with much use of vegetables or meat and lesser use of oil and spices. The food of Assam would comprise both vegetarian and non vegetarian and is mostly boiled in nature. And as such, it is one of the healthy forms
of food and is widely sought over by many Assamese and
non-Assamese people alike. Features of traditional Assamese dish:
- Rice is the main food of Assam.
- The cuisines are prepared by the use of fresh vegetables and fish in abundance centered on rice as the staple food.
- Apart from fish, birds like duck are also cooked and eaten with rice and a vegetable dish.
- Chicken, mutton, pork and pigeon are also widely consumed.
- The traditional food in Assam comprises largely of a ‘Khar’ and a ‘Tenga’ (or sour) dish. These two dishes are the definitive characteristic of a traditional Assamese meal.
- The food is served in bell metal utensils and is concluded with ‘Tamul’ (betel-nut).
Traditional Assamese Meal
A traditional Assamese meal includes rice, dal, aloo pitika, khar, vegetable curry, fish, meat and pickle. Let us take a closer look at a traditional Assamese platter:
Rice
Rice is the most important food of Assamese people. Due to its availability in abundance, it is consumed with almost all the dishes. There are different rice varieties which are grown in Assam. Rice is eaten either boiled or sun dried. Rice is also prepared as ‘Jolpan’ or snack in different forms as roasted and grounded (known as xandoh), boiled and flattened (chira), puffed (akhoi) and a rice type which is soaked and eaten (kumal saul). Another form of rice preparation is ‘Poitabhat’ where rice is soaked overnight and eaten in the morning garnished with mustard oil, chilies, pickles, onion and so on.
Fish
The next important Assamese delicacy is fish. Fish are available in abundance with people involving in pisciculture and fish farms. Different types of fish like Rohu, Hilsa, Chital, Borali, Maagur, Xingi, and Bhakua fried and baked as different delicacies. However, the popular fish delicacy is Tenga Mas (fish sour) which is prepared with tomatoes, kajinemu (thick elongated lemon) and thekera (dried mango stem). Apart from that, fish is also baked in leaves and prepared as a dish named Patotdia maas.
Meat
Assamese people are also fond of meat dishes. Different types of meat dishes are prepared by Assamese people. The Assamese meat dishes comprises meats like duck, squab, venison (though venison is legally prohibited) cooked in different styles.
Spices and Pickle
An Assamese delicacy includes a large number of pickles prepared with ginger, garlic, onion, cumin seed, black pepper, chili, turmeric, fenugreek seed, white mustard seed. Pickle of mango, olive, tamarind, mango stem, radish, carrot, elephant apple and lime are also included in cuisine.
Pitha
Pithas are sweets prepared from rice, coconut, sesame and jaggery. Pithas are rice cakes, laddo prepared mostly during Bihu. Rice is soaked and grounded and then fried or baked on fire. Pitha types like Til Pitha (a pitha made with sesame seeds, coconut and jaggery), Ghila pitha (pitha made with rice flour and jaggery and fried in cooking oil), Sunga pitha (pitha made with rice flour and jaggery roasted in a bamboo cork), Tekeli pitha (pitha made with rice flour, coconut, sugar made in vapor over a pitcher or earthen ware), Deksi pitha (same as tekeli pitha but baked in a kettle rather than a pitcher) are worth
mentioning. There are also Larus (Laddu) which are prepared with coconut and sesame seeds mix pasted with jaggery. Narikol laru and Tilor laru are the prime types of laddus.
Some of the other recipes of Assam are:
- Panch Phoron Taarkari
- Misa Mach Poora (Grilled shrimps)
- Poora Mach
- Assam Laksa Stock
- Koat Pitha (Banana pitha)
- Bamboo Shoot
- Poora Haah (Roasted duck)
Assamese Food Preparation Types
Assamese food is prepared in the same way it is prepared in other places. However, there is a typical way of preparing some food items not to be found in any other places. They include:
Khar:
Khar is a type of food preparation made with the ingredient ‘Khar’. This ingredient is prepared by filtering water through the ashes of a banana tree. Then suitable meal is cooked with this khar ingredient along with the main ingredient. Khar dishes like omita khar and pani lau khar are most loved ones.
Tenga
This is a sour dish prepared predominantly with fish as the main ingredient. It is prepared with tomatoes, mango stem, lemon and fermented bamboo shoot. Another popular tenga dish is cooked with matimah (urad bean) and outenga (elephant apple).
Pitika
Pitika is a side dish which involves mashing of the main ingredient. The most popular form of pitika is Aloo pitika where potatoes are mashed and garnished with raw onions, chilies and mustard oil. Khorisa tenga is a fermented bamboo shoot which is mashed and garnished with mustard oil and spices. Kharoli is fermented bamboo shoot pickled in mustard oil and spices.
Bora and Pokori
Bora is made with local ‘Xaak’ within the main ingredient and served with tamarind pickle. Pokori or fritter is made of flowers and tender leaves of pumpkin, bottle gourd, eggplant and night flowering jasmine.
Popular Restaurants in Assam
Not only is Assamese food popular but there are some renowned restaurants that offer the best of Assam. The restaurants in Guwahati offer cuisine of the rest of India and the world like Bengali Restaurants, Chinese Restaurant and even some south Indian restaurants
Terra MayaAddress: GS road, Guwahati
Phone: 7399013444
Mainland ChinaAddress: GS road, Guwahati
Phone: 0361 2466222
Yo! ChinaAddress: GS road, Guwahati
Phone: 0361 2467999
MochaAddress: G S Road, Bhangagarh, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2454555
Subway RestaurantsAddress: Lachit nagar, G S Road, Guwahati
Phne: +(91)-361-6014747
Machaan RestaurantAddress: G S Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2466158
Spice Route RestaurantAddress: Super Market, Dispur, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2229500
Moti Mahal Delux Tandoori RestaurantAddress: G S Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2466113
The Yellow ChilliAddress: Bhangagarh, G S Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2462381
ConfuciusAddress: G S Road, Ganeshguri, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-9706453588
Crackling MustardAddress: Zoo Narengi Road, Zoo Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-9854080801
China TownAddress: Rajgarh Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2523584
PizzeriaPhone: G S Road, Ulubari, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-9864291111
KFC RestaurantAddress: G Baruah Road, Zoo Road, Guwahati
Phone: +(91)-361-2204441
Rajasthan BhojnalayaAddress:Thana Road, Tinsukia
Phone: +(91)-374-2338610
Zurich RestaurantsAddress: N B Road, Tinsukia
Phone: +(91)-374-2351517
Diamond RestaurantAddress: H S Road, Dibrugarh
Phone: +(91)-9706152838
Ginger SpiceAddress: H S Road, Dibrugarh
Phone: +(91)-373-2321936