Beyond the Momo
Forget the stereotypes, northeastern cuisine is a smorgasbord of
unique ingredients, flavours and recipes
Think northeastern food, and the fare that comes first to mind
is the much-touted -and, of late, much-vili fied -momo, right? Well, it
shouldn't. Momos may be devoured by Nagas, Manipuris, Mizos and others from the
seven sisters (and one brother), but it's not quite a northeastern staple.
Pigeon-holing momos at the vanguard of traditional NE cuisine is akin to label ling
vada pav as a Maharashtrian flagship food or idli sambar as “south Indian“. A
lot else figures higher up the food hierarchy (bharli vangi or avial, to begin
with). But at least the vada pav and idli can trace their origins back to
Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu and Kar nataka, respectively. The momo took shape
in Tibet.
Since February 2015, Delhi-based culinary ex pert Sneha Saikia
has been trying to dispel a rash of misconceptions among city slickers about
north eastern food, including its apparent lack of palata bility, as a few in a
social media discussion seemed to believe.Saikia, who is from Assam, teamed up
with chef and restaurateur Karen Yepthomi who runs Dzukou, a restaurant for
Nagaland cuisine in Delhi's Hauz Khas , for a pop-up on Assamese cuisine there.
“There is a certain demographic in Delhi that is enthusiastic
about exploring food from different parts of India and open to Northeast
cuisine,“ says Saikia who has since been doing popups at different restaurants
across the NCR since then. Yet, despite having travelled through India and
studying in different schools -her father was an army man -Saikia has faced
bullying because of the food that people from her native state eat.
The NE Palate
“I travel to Guwahati and my family village at least three times
a year and have explored the different cuisines of my state, including the
tribal fare. For my pop-up offerings, I have introduced unique ingredients from
the region such as jute, cane, red-ant eggs and silkworms. I meticulously
source everything from Assam to ensure quality,“ she says.
Typically, her pop-ups are for 45-50 people, priced at `1,500
`2,000 per person, and include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes from
Assam such as bhoja maas with bhut jolokia chutney (fried small fish with a
bhoot jolokia sauce); tora phool aru haanhor koni bhaji (moringa stir-fried
with duck eggs); khorisa alu-pitika (mashed potato with bamboo shoots); haanh
kumura (duck cooked with ash gourd) and mosur dali aru komola pitika (steamed
and mashed red lentils with oranges). Bhut jolokia aka the ghost pepper was
certified the hottest chilli pepper on the planet by The Guin ness World
Records. It is cultivated mainly in Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Like Saikia, there are others from the Northeast who have been
taunted for the food they eat. “The most outrageous thing I've heard is:
`Northeast mein toh kutte honge hi nahi shaayad?' When I asked why, he said
audaciously, `Sab toh tum log kha gaye honge.' Even in 21st century, I'm amazed
to find people who think we eat raw meat and wild leaves,“ says Akum Imchen, a
student from Nagaland, who is preparing for the civil services examination in
Delhi.
Nishi Gohain, a student from Assam, says his landlady was
apprehensive about leasing out the apartment. “Before I shifted, she strictly
warned me against cooking any sort of `weird' meat, bamboo shoots or akhuni
(fermented soyabean). She said neighbours would complain if I cooked anything
that smells `foul' or `unappetising'. Whatever that means.“
Mary Lalboi, a teacher from Manipur who moved to Delhi 15 years
back to start Rosang, feels that recent debates about banning momos -which is
today a favourite street food across India -is a waste of time. “Momos
represent new trends in food in metros and along with snacks from other parts
of India also show that people of this country are becoming more inclusive
about food and culture,“ says Lalboi, who recently relaunched her restaurant in
south Delhi with an expanded menu with signature dishes from all the eight
northeastern states. She feels that, rather than meats and other non-vegetarian
fare, the problem that many people in Delhi have with her northeastern cuisine
is the unfamiliar aromas linked to unique ingredients from the region and the
process of fermentation that is an important part of the cuisine. “Even though
beef and buffalo meat are common ingredients in our cuisine, I have kept it out
of the menu at Rosang because I respect the sentiments of many of my friends,
customers and neighbours over the years in Delhi -Punjabis, Jats, Gujjars and
Biharis -who have always come forward to support me in my business venture and
other issues.It is because of them that I could survive in this city.“ However,
she is not willing to compromise on the unique flavours of the Northeast. “I
will not change the flavour of the traditional thukpa soup, for instance, even
if many people from north India find it too bland; however, I have created many
appetisers and sauces using spices and chillies from the Northeast since we
don't have the concept of small eats,“ she says.
Melting Pot
Assamese actor Adil Hussain, a regular at Rosang and a home cook
himself, believes social media platforms are playing an important part in
helping people understand and accept northeastern cuisine. “There are many in
Delhi who want to understand different cultures, including the northeastern
ones. For them, food provides an easy access to the region without having to
travel. Restaurants such as Rosang are a celebration of India's plurality and
diversity.“
Yeti, The Himalayan Kitchen, a favourite hangout for Nepali,
Tibetan, Bhutanese and Sikkimese food, is back at Hauz Khas Village since
April, af ter it was shut down for over a year. “Menu-wise we have changed
nothing and have the same hand-picked dishes, many of which came from the
family kitchens of previous owners,“ says entrepreneur Joy Singh who, along
with Rahul Kundan, owns the lounge bar Raasta. The duo are the new owners of
Yeti which had been set up by Ardahun Pinky Passah from Meghalaya and Tenzing
Sonam, a Tibetan, in 2012. And even though the basic menu remains the same,
Singh and his team are open to new ideas that come from many of the guests.
Momos inevitably feature prominently on Yeti's menu and come in aloo, chicken,
mutton and buff variations. “Our chefs, many of whom are from Nepal, are given
a free-hand with all the spices, plating and recipes. We, however, ensure that
everything is freshly produced in our kitchen, including the dough for the mo
mos,“ explains Prashant Singh, the food & beverages consultant for the
restaurant. The aloo or po tato momo, a Yeti innovation, is the most popular
variant accord ing to him, with not too many tak ers for the buff dishes. Some
of the classic favourites from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim include choila,
gyuma, Nepali thali, thukpa, mushroom in black bean sauce, gundruk curry and
steamed bread with cheese sauce.
Nagaland's Kitchen, probably the first northeastern eatery in
Delhi set up seven years back, started as a restaurant that catered to
northeasterners living in the capital. “Now we also attract expats, including
Japanese and Koreans. Our pork dishes prepared with raja mircha are a big hit,“
says Sumit Kumar, operations manager at Nagaland's Kitchen. While most spices
and specialty items including chilli, bamboo shoot, yam leaves and fermented
soyabean are sourced regularly from Dimpaur, Kumar who has been with the
restaurant and is a vegetarian, has introduced a smoked dish with mixed
vegetables and Naga spices. The restaurant offers catering services and
delivery of northeastern delicacies across NCR. Boxing champion Mary Kom is a
regular visitor to Nagaland's Kitchen and recently had a party catered by them
at her home.
Binita Chamling, an organic food consultant and entrepreneur,
turned restaurateur last year with Sikkimese restaurant Nimtho in south Delhi's
GK 1 partly because she found synergies between her Organic Sikkim business
through which she sells organic products and a café format restaurant. “While
beef is not on the menu of any restaurants out side the Northeast and
restaurant owners abide by the law of the land, people in Delhi are hesitant to
accept certain ethnic items on our menu because they are very different from
the food in this part of India,“ she says. These include sisnu, a Sikkimese
nettle soup made from forest products, and wacheepa, a rice-based dish
garnished with burnt chicken feathers. “Both these dishes are healthy options
and made with organic products following the recipe handed down generations in
Sikkim,“ explains Chamling.
Despite Delhiites being slow in accepting the new kind of
cuisine from her home state, Chamling still feels the capital is a melting pot
of different cultures. Except for that occasional apprehension of what else
could be lurking in that pot.
Ishani Duttagupta
With additional inputs from Joyshree Baruah
Aug 06 2017 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)
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