Meikthrubi Manna

Meikthrubi Manna- Picture

Meikthrubi Manna is one of the important ingredients used in making "Tharoi- Thongba", the leaves gives a distinct smell when crushed or fried and it is also used in making bora. It can be dried and stored for later use,.The Meikthrubi tree is not very  big, it also has small thorns and one needs to be careful while plucking the leaves, its sold in bunch in local markets. I've not seen it being sold or grown anywhere else other then Manipur.

Interesting Video Clip- Manipuri Veggies

Sunday brunch....French Toast

I had my first french toast when one evening out of the blue dad made it when I was a kid, my dad is not a good cook but he loves to eat n loves to try different cuisine....some of his attempts (which horribly failed....sorry dad) were Shambhar...Dahi Vada and few more. The Indian version of French toast is the bread pakora...which is definitely  not in my list of fav. food items, I've my own version of french toast...which is not only yummy but also perfect for sunday brunch.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Slice of bread (White bread)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Potatos
• 5-6 green chilles
• 2 spring onion.
• Qtr Cup peas.
• Salt to taste.
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Boil the potatos and once done prepare mashed potato and add  finely chopped green chillies, spring onion, peas (make sure you cut the peas into small pieces) & salt.
• Add two eggs in the mashed potato and mix it well.
• Cut the bread into 2 piece & coat it well with the mashed potato & eggs mix.
• Deep fry it in oil.
• Serve hot with a cup of coffee.

Serves: 3

Preparation Time: 20 mins.

Khejur Gur Semiya (Sevinya)

Khejur Gur- Semiya

The other  day I had gone to Saras Mela @ Children's Park in Agartala an SHG group were selling Khejur Gur  it looked much better compared to the one available in local market so I bought 1 kg  Gur and decided to make Kheer & Sevinya. 

The recipe is very simple and the final taste....waooo n just like the Lays chips add...eek baar khaoge toh khatee reh jaoge. I was google searching for Khejur Gur semiya and came across  Jayashree's blog...which is heaven for food in general and esp. bengali food lover....her blog is my current fav. as I love bengali food. Check this link for the Khejur Gur Semiya/Payesh  http://spiceandcurry.blogspot.com/2009/01/noton-gurer-payesh.html

Khejur Gur Semiya

Khejur Gur

Khejur Gur is a winter delicacy, I look fwd to winter @ Agartala every year to have Khejur Gur Semiya and Kheer. I substitute sugar with Gur in lemonade....it tastes really good.

Soibum ga Nga ga Thongba (Fermented Bamboo Shoot cooked with Fish)

Ingredients- "Soibum ga Nga ga Thongba"

Soibum (Fermented Bamboo Shoot) is another Manipuri food item which is fermented before consumption like "Ngari & Hawai Jar" and like me most Manipuri's just love "Soibum Eromba". Eromba is the most common dish from Soibum but its also added in Pork curry and Nga- Soibum Kanghou (Kakching ge Nga- Soibum Kanghou is really famous), few weeks back a fren of mine invited me for lunch and she had made this curry....it was not only yummmm and I was having it for the first time. I liked it so much that I decided to try it myself...the final verdict of my 1st attempt very......really good.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Pieces of fried fish (Rohu/Katla/Karpu (Nga Pukloubi).
• 2 Potatos.
• 1 cup of soibum (Washed atleast 5 times and squeeze the excess water )  
• 1 Tomato
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 3-4 Garlic cloves.
• Green Chillies (4-5)
• Sa Maroi (Also called Awa-Phadigom)
• Jeera 1 tbsp (optional)
• Turmeric powder
• Machal Masala ( Special type of masala powder available only in Manipur made by this SHG group called Kangla) or Garam Masala
• Salt to taste.
• 2/3 tbsp Mustered oil.
• Coriander  Leaves for garnish.

Method:

• In a Kadhai add 2/3 tbsp of mustered oil, once its smoking hot add the chopped Garlic. Fry for 1-2 mins and add the chopped Onion, fry till it turns golden brown.
• Add the chopped Green Chillies and jeera. Fry for 2-3 mins in low flame.
• Add the cube Potato's, chopped tomato and Soibum, mix it with the other ingredients. Cover the Kadhai and cook on low flame.
• Check after 10-12 mins if the potato's are half cooked. Add 1 small tbsp of turmeric powder, sa- maroi and the Machal Masala/ Garam Masala. Stir it well and add the fried fish & 2 cups of hot water, keep the kadhai covered and continue cooking on low flame.
• After 10 mins check if the potato's are cooked  and once its done add salt.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice and oo-morok metpa. Yummmmmm

Cooking Time: 40-45 mins.

Serves: 4 

* I prefer adding turmeric powder towards the end to avoid food from sticking in the Kadhai when cooked in a non stick cookware.

Beautiful n healthy Palak (Palak Kangsoi)

The other day I went too 'Lakechowmuni Market' to buy veggies, a vendor was selling beautiful palak...it was green...fresh and tempted me so much that I ended up buying half a kg of it. I made palak Kangsoi with potato's and nga-ayaiba for dinner, its easy to cook Palak Kangsoi the only thing we need to remember is that  to add Palak at the end and here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg (500 gms) Fresh Palak.
• 2 Medium size potato's.
• 1 Onion
• 3 Garlic Clove.
• 1/2 inch Ginger.
• 4-5 Green Chillies.
• Ngari.
• Salt to taste.
• Nga-Ayaiba (Smoked fish)

Method:

• Boil 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker/sauce pan and add chopped onion, garlic, green chillies, ginger in the boiling water. 
• Add Ngari and cube potato's and cook till the potato's are done.
• Add Nga-Ayaiba and add salt. Cook for 10 mins in low flame.
• Add Palak and cover it for 2-3 mins.

Palak gets cooked real fast so remember not to cook it for more than 2-3 mins. Serve hot with Rice.

Palak