Smoked pork with bamboo shoot is the dish most associated with Nagaland. Naga households traditionally hang strips of pork over the kitchen hearth for days or weeks, where the smoke dries and preserves the meat. Fermented bamboo shoot, prepared at home in every village, is the other pillar of the cuisine.
The cooking is simple and the flavours bold. Pork is boiled with ginger, garlic and raja mircha, the king chilli, and the sour, pungent bamboo shoot is added to cut through the fat. There are no masala powders, and often no oil, since the pork releases its own. The result is smoky, sour and very hot, with tender meat and a little thick gravy.
At a glance
| Region | Nagaland |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Naga |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 70 minutes |
| Total time | 90 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Hot |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | smoked pork / fermented bamboo shoot / king chilli / ginger |
Ingredients
- 750 g smoked pork with fat, cut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 cup fermented bamboo shoot, shredded
- 2 tbsp ginger, crushed
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 raja mircha (king chilli), slit, or 4-5 dried red chillies
- 4 green chillies, slit
- 2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp axone (fermented soybean) paste (optional)
- 3 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 2 spring onions, chopped
Method
- Wash the smoked pork in warm water to remove soot and excess salt.
- Put the pork in a heavy pot with ginger, garlic, the king chilli and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes (or pressure cook for 4 whistles) until the pork is almost tender.
- Add the fermented bamboo shoot, green chillies, tomatoes and axone if using. Add salt carefully – smoked pork can already be salty.
- Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and the fat has rendered into the gravy.
- Keep cooking until most of the water evaporates and the gravy is thick and glossy, clinging to the meat.
- Taste, adjust salt, scatter spring onion and serve hot.
Tips
- Raja mircha is among the hottest chillies in the world – use half of one first and remove it once the dish is hot enough.
- Without smoked pork, use pork belly and add a little smoked paprika, though it will not be the same.
- Fermented bamboo shoot is sour and strong; rinse it once if you want a milder flavour.
Serve with
Sticky or plain steamed rice and boiled greens.