Why not on Tripura?

The other day I was wondering that since the time I started  blogging I've written about all the places I've travelled, all kinds of food and have uploaded pics. from every where but what is funny is, Why have I not written much on Tripura, this is where I've been living for the past 3 yrs, this is one place I know so well...aisa koi district nahi hai jahan mei nahi gayee North, South, West and Dhalai...I've been to Dammcherra, Kachanpur, Ganganagar which are like the back of the beyond of beyond. Tripura has many options and I could have written so much on Tripura but after analysing my blog I realized maine kuch kash likha nahi hai Tripura ke baare mei..jabke mujhe likhna chhayeh tha...but koi nahi..abhi bhi time hai and I have decided to start my travel n food series on Tripura.

I hope I can do my bit and make Tripura known to whoever reading my blog a lit bit more. 

Road Trip- Leimaram

One of the best thing about staying n working in Tripura is I can travel home even for weekends...I remember going home for a day. The 40 mins flight to Imphal from Agartala is the shortest flight route I take, pata he nahi chalta ke kab flight mei baithe aur kab pahunch gayee. I plan n try goin home once almost every 2-3 months and I always look fwd to my home trip, thats the time when I can relax and not worry about work...aaj woh cluster mei kya hua...kal dusre cluster mei meeting hai...oh..I have to attend the meeting at secretriat

My trip this time was short but it was good, we travelled to Leimaram as I really wanted to see Manipur mei world famous "Leimaram Waterfall" but my dad's poor car betrayed us as it had rained the previous night, the poor old Maruti 800 couldn't climb,  I've seen only the pics of the waterfall but next time I'll ensure that we go in a bigger car. I've gone to Leimaram many times and  remember the horrible road condition from the main road till the village which is about 2 Kms, this time I was very surprised as the roads have improved and driving was not a pain anymore. The trip was like a family picnic trip and I enjoyed my road trip tp Leimaram.

Oukabi Atouba

Oukabi (Koi Mach in Bangla and Climbing Perch in English) is one of the most yummest fish found in Manipur. Okay its not as yummy as Ilish mach but its sure beryyy beryyy tasty. The price is more or less the same when compared with mid size Ilish mach. The other day I went to the market near G.B Hospital to buy some veggies, I ended up buying 1/2 kg of Oukabi. Fried Oukabi  taste best with sougri kongsoi or any other Kangsoi.

Marinating the Oukabi with salt, turmeric powder and lil musterd oil before frying it enhance the taste and frying  it in mustard oil instead of vegetable oil is the best ....my best fren AN lovesssss Oukabi athouba and whenever I travel to Delhi I always take atleast a kg of fried oukabi for her....the mouth watering pic is below yummyyy :)

Sougri- Eromba

Okay I know it sounds weird Eromba adusu sougri ge...howgadaba maande da but trust me if u ever try sougri eromba you will love it. Sougri is bit sour and wen I was younger I really used to hate sougri kangsoi but now I love it...Sougri Kangsoi, Morok metpa and Rice....yummmmm. The way to prepare Sougri eromba it is lil different compared to other Eromba preparation's, I use a lil more ngari and it taste best wen you add atleast 2 fried fish , the main ingredients are:

- Sougri.
-Aloo
- Red Chilles
- Ngari ( a lil extra)
- Fried fish (must)

Method:
- Wash all the ingredients and pressure cook the Aloo and red chillies.
- In a separate container, steel tiffin box preferably put the sougri and lil water.
- Put the tiffin box inside the pressure cook and  cook it only till one whistle
- Steam the Ngari and fried fish. Prepare a paste with ngari, fried fish ,salt & boiled red chillies.
- Squeeze excess water from the boiled sougri to drain the sourness
 -Mix the paste of ngari with boiled aloo and add the sougri.
-Garnish with spring onion....yummmy.

Yendem- Eromba

Yendem (I have no idea what its called in English) is quite a popular vegetable in Manipur. Yemdem kangsoi and Yendem eromba are two of the most popular Meitei dish, two types of yemdem are found in Mnaipur the green one and the black one. The more popular one is the green one and for some reason I don't like the color of black yemdem, below is the picture of yendem and ingredients for Yemdem Eromba

Ingredients:
- 1-2 yemdem.
- Dried Red Chillies
-Aloo (I used the small red ones)
-Koli Hawai Maru (Fresh Rajma not the socked one)
-Ngari
-Fried fish (opitional)
-Salt to Taste

Method:
-Wash all the ingredients and make round slices of Yendem.
- Put all the ingredients (Yemdem, aloo, koli hawai maro and red chillies) in a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water.
-Wait till three whistle and let it cool down.
- Steam the Ngari and fried fish (Optional)
- Prepare a paste of Ngari, fried fish, boiled red chillies and salt.
- Mix the paste with the boiled ingredients and mix it well.
- Garnish with spring onion and have with rice.

Lafuu Tharoo Eromba

Lafuu Tharoo (Banana Flower)is one of my all time fav. veggie. I like Lafuu Tharoo Paknam (Meitei Version of Pancake), Lafuu Tharoo Eromba and best of all is the lafuu tharoo bora (Pakora).Thankfully it's available through out the year here in Agartala and I normally make Eromba as its more convinent and easier. The recipe is simple:

- Make round slices of Lafuu Tharoo and pressure cook it with potato's and dried red chillies.
- Prepare a paste of steamed/Roasted Ngari, Chillies, salt and fried fish.
- Mash the boiled ingredients and mix it with the paste. Add water if required.

Lafuu Tharoo eromba is supposed to have medicinal qualities, it helps our internal system get quickly adapted to change of climate while travelling from one place to another. My mom always prepare this eromba when we go home for holiday and for some reason I can never make eromba as good as my mom's.