BM # 39
Day : 20
State: Nagaland
On the 20th day we are cooking from Nagaland. The information of this state gave me extreme shocks…read on….
The Naga cuisine is primarily non-vegetarian, although vegetables are included in the cooking. The food is extremely hot and spicy as the Nagas use Naga King Chilli in most of their dishes. This is the hottest chille pepper in the world.
The state comprises 16 main tribes whose occupation is primarily agriculture. Hunting is done traditionally as a pastime in this region. Each tribe of Nagaland has a distinct style of cooking.
Rice eaten with meat or vegetables is the everyday food of the Naga people. Dal is included along with the meat curries, but smoke dried pork curry with fermented soya beans and snails is a traditional Naga food.
Plain rice, vegetables like potato, and meat are the main ingredients used in the Naga cuisine. As Naga people are hunters, the meat also includes that of other animals such as dogs, cat, rats, birds, snakes, spiders, monkeys, bear, and even elephant. It is shocking to know that these Nagas use solidified animal blood, to prepare curries.
Apart from meat, bamboo shoots, lettuce, soyabeans, mustard leaves, and yam leaves are also used in cooking. The Naga tribes ferment their food, especially meat, in order to preserve it. The food is fermented by first boiling it and then putting it out in the sun . The fermented food is parceled with a banana leaf and stored next to the fire until further use.
With all this information on Naga Cuisine it seemed absolutely difficult to find a vegetarian recipe from this state. This is the only vegetarian recipe, I could search.It seems authentic, but at the same time I could be wrong. I was glad that Archana , my fellow blogger had shared this link with some other friends, that surely was a relief.
Anyway lets get on to the recipe which is from here.
500 gms pumpkin, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup tamarind water
1/2 cup jaggery
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp raisins
2 dry red chillies
1 cup water
1 tsp mustard oil
Salt to taste
Mix the pumpkins with tamarind water.
Fry the mustard seeds in hot oil till they start sizzling.
Add chillies, bay leaf and raisins and stir for few minutes.
Add the pumpkin tamarind mixture and cook for a couple of minutes.
Now add the jaggery mixture and boil at a low flame for a couple of minutes.
After removing from the fire add the lime juice and mix well.
This was a chutney which had a nice pleasing taste, the mild sweetness of pumpkin was enhanced by jaggery and raisins.Tamarind gave it a litle tangy flavor which we all loved.
Very similar to the Jammu Ambal I had made except that was made with yellow pumpkin.
Omg, this oambal makes me drool.. Wish i get a a bottle of this oambal from u, do pack me some.
the raisins actually are the highlight of this dish, when i made them this i was skeptical but it worked for me in the end, your looks so tempting with the tempering on it
Nice to read about this state Vaishali..I guess we would love that naga chilis ..:)..and with raisins, I guess the hot is balanced.
This seems to be the popular choice as well. Good one.
same pinch!!! I also made oambal… was so tasty and inviting!!
i made a tomato oambal and loved its flavours. this pumpkin oambal looks even yummier
Even I made the same. Love your version and the raisins on top looks so inviting…
Pumpkin Oambal sounds delicious.
Naga gave me nightmares Vaishali. I was so hunting for recipes. This looks like a great one!Nice pic with the raisins and tempering on top…
I am glad you found a vegetarian recipe. Oambal looks delicious,
I love the almost gelatinous texture it has – must be from the melted jaggery – interesting taste to tbe sure!
Pumpkin oombal sounds delicious and inviting,addition of raisin makes it more yummy..
Wow Vaishali this looks yum . I like your pic better Thanks for the mention
Tempting clicks and the dish looks tatsy….
very tempting oambal looks very very yumm !! addition raisins is a nice twist ..