RAG Demo

Tag: Manipur

  • Chak-hao Kheer

    Chak-hao is the aromatic black rice of Manipur, which received a GI tag in 2020. It was once grown for royalty and is still central to feasts and religious occasions, where chak-hao amubi, the black rice pudding, is served as the closing sweet. The rice is high in anthocyanins, which give it its colour.

    When cooked slowly in milk, the grains release a deep violet colour and a nutty, slightly earthy flavour that sets it apart from regular kheer. The texture is chewier and less mushy, and only a little sugar and cardamom are needed. It is served warm in winter and chilled in summer, sometimes topped with chopped nuts.

    At a glance

    RegionManipur
    CuisineManipuri
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time60 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsblack rice / milk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup chak-hao (Manipuri black rice), soaked overnight
    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1 bay leaf (optional)
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tbsp raisins

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked black rice. Cook it with 1 cup water in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles on medium heat, or simmer in a covered pan for 30 minutes, until soft.
    2. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan with the bay leaf.
    3. Add the cooked rice with any remaining water to the milk. Simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom so it does not stick.
    4. When the milk has reduced by about a third and the kheer is a deep purple and creamy, add the sugar. Stir and simmer for 5 more minutes.
    5. Stir in the cardamom powder, cashews and raisins and remove the bay leaf.
    6. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to serve chilled. It thickens considerably as it cools.

    Tips

    • Black rice takes much longer than white rice to soften – do not skip the overnight soak.
    • Add the sugar only after the rice is fully cooked; sugar hardens rice grains that are still firm.
    • Thin the chilled kheer with a little cold milk if it sets too thick.

    Serve with

    Served warm in small bowls at the end of a festive meal.

  • Eromba

    Eromba is one of the defining dishes of Meitei cooking in Manipur. Boiled vegetables – potato, beans, bamboo shoot, yongchak (stink beans) or pumpkin – are mashed with roasted chillies and ngari, the pungent fermented fish that Manipuris treasure. It is eaten with rice at lunch and dinner, a spoonful at a time.

    The taste is intense: smoky and very hot from roasted chillies, deeply savoury and funky from ngari, and freshened with herbs such as maroi (Chinese chives), coriander or the local mint-like toningkhok. It uses no oil at all, which is typical of Manipuri home cooking. The texture is rough, with soft vegetables and bits of fish crushed together by hand.

    At a glance

    RegionManipur
    CuisineManipuri
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspotato / ngari (fermented fish) / dried red chilli / french beans

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
    • 1 cup french beans, cut into 5 cm pieces
    • 1/2 cup fermented bamboo shoot (optional)
    • 2-3 pieces ngari (fermented dried fish)
    • 4-6 dried red chillies (or 1 king chilli for real heat)
    • 2 tbsp chopped maroi (Chinese chives) or spring onion
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 cups water

    Method

    1. Boil the potatoes, beans and bamboo shoot in 2 cups salted water for 12-15 minutes until soft. Drain, keeping a few tablespoons of the water.
    2. Wrap the ngari in a small piece of banana leaf or foil and roast directly over a low flame for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Alternatively, drop it into the vegetable water for the last 2 minutes of boiling.
    3. Roast the dried red chillies over a low flame or in a dry pan until they darken and smell smoky, 30-40 seconds. Do not let them turn black.
    4. In a large bowl, crush the roasted chillies and ngari together with a pinch of salt, using your fingers or a pestle, until coarse.
    5. Add the boiled vegetables and mash everything together by hand, adding a spoon or two of the cooking water to bind it into a rough paste.
    6. Mix in the maroi and coriander, adjust salt and serve at room temperature.

    Tips

    • Ngari is very pungent; open the window while roasting and start with less if you are new to it.
    • Wear gloves when mashing if using king chilli (umorok) – it burns the skin.
    • For a vegetarian version, leave out the ngari, though the dish loses its signature depth.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice with a light dal or ooti.