Hawaitharak Ooti (Green Peas Ooti)

Hawaitharak Ooti used to be a winter delicacy in Manipur. Come winter and one gets to eat the best greens n veggies in Manipur, Singju taste better and mom gets busy cooking in the kitchen with many varieties of dishes to be cook n serve. But in the past few years the vegetable market has changed...from a Vegetable importer we have almost become self sustainable...now Green Peas is available throughout the year and one can cook it any time of the year but I still prefer to eat vegetables during the season. Ooti is a vegetarian Manipuri dish and its one of my absolute fav...easy to cook...yummy to eat but not very healthy. It tastes good with Manipuri style Khichadi but I like it best with Puri/luchi. The recipe is below.

Ingredients:

• 500 Gms green peas.
• 50 gms rice.
• 4-5 green chilles.
• 2 Spring onion
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/3 tbsp cooking soda
• Salt to taste

Method

• In a pressure cooker add 2 cups of water, peas, slit green chillies and a pinch of cooking soda.
• Cook till 4-5 Whistles and let it cool.
• In a Kadhai add 2 tbsp of ghee and fry the chopped spring onions  for 2-3 mins.
• Add the boiled peas and bring it to a boil.
• Add 2 pinch of cooking soda and cook it for 10 mins in low flame.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve hot with Khichidi or Puri/luchi.

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Hawaitharak Ooti (Green Peas Ooti)

Yongchaak Singju

Yongchaak Singju is a very popular Meitei dish, its not a main dish but one of the all time fav, side dish. I like it spicy and the best is with Oumorok...worlds ex.hottest chillie. The Picture and Recipe is below.

Ingredients:

• 2 Yongchaak (Peeled and thinly chopped as the pic. above)
• 1 Oumorok  or 10 Dry Red chillies.
• Ngari
• 1 piece Fried fish (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Onion for garnish.

Method:

• Peel the yongchaak and chop it into thin pieces.
• Prepare a paste of Oumorok with Ngari & Salt (One can steam it by putting Ngari and chillies in a small steel container inside a pressure cooker or alternatively what most Meitei's do is we put the Ngari and chillie in a small steel bowl and let it cook by steam while cooking rice in a Handi or Rice Cooker)
• Mix the Chillie paste with yongchaak.
• Garnish it with onions.

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Serves: 4-5

Yongchaak Singju

Pakora Thongba

Pakora Thongba

If someone writes a book on Manipuri Cuisine esp. on the Meitei Cuisine,one will end up with volumes of  healthy & yummy vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dish. Pakora Thongba is a popular  vegetarian Meitei Dish prepared during "Ousop" (Community Feasting/Grand Feasting) and also made popular by local hotels. Pakora Thongba with mangan atouba is one of the perfect afternoon snacks. 

We normally do not make this dish at home, mainly because its not easy too cook and takes time...so in short one needs to be very patient and make the pakora very carefully...coz its the shape which makes all the difference. I wanted to attempt cooking this dish since long and finally succeeded last month and all thanks to youtube I saw this video of making Pakora Thongba, uploaded by a Manipuri  guy based in UK. This person had explained the whole process in the video (video below) and must say he sure must be quite a foodie....so with all the ingredients and the video I made my first ever attempt  and bingo....except for the shape of the Pakora the final dish was mind blowing.

( While trying to recreate the dish last week, I realized the Youtube video is not available for public view anymore, which I feel is rather sad but to me rescue my fren Dr. AN is always there. I followed her instruction and made Pakora thongba but still could not manage to make that Pakora shape, the taste was authentic though. I will try and make the dish again and upload the recipe with pictures soon)