Thursday 30 June 2011

Ondla-Mewai Jwng Naa Jwng


This delicacy is a very popular and a favourite of the Bodos.
A few Bodo terminologies :
1.Ondla : curry made of rice powder, mainly cooked with either fish or meat.
2.Ingkhree : curry with gravy
3.Jwng : with
4.Naa : fish
5.Gonger mosla : long coriander (Eryngium foetidum)
6.Joha rice : a variety of small grained rice with a beautiful aroma
7.Khaari : alkali, procedure of making : sun dry banana peels and trunks of the plant, burn to collect the ash. Pour water, keep over night, strain and store the clear brown liquid to use in curries. This is very common and used in a variety of dishes all over the North Eastern part of India.
8.Mewai : tender bamboo shoot, Bodos eat only fresh bamboo shoot whereas others eat it fermented too.
Ingredients :
Fresh bamboo shoot which is found only during the summer months of June, July.
To clean, keep taking off the layers till you find the tender white edible part....
... wash them whole .....
...and slice. For this recipe you need 2 bamboo shoots.
 8 pieces of Rahu fish (Carp), any fresh fish can be used. Clean, wash and marinate fish pieces with salt+turmeric for 20 minutes.


1/2 cup rice, preferably Joha. Grind to a smooth paste with 1 or 2 cups water. Originally rice powder is used, but I have made this variation as, if not expert, while adding the rice powder the curry might turn lumpy.

 1 tbsp khaari
1 onion sliced or grated
Garlic 12 pods, grated
Chilly cut lengthwise
2 tsp turmeric
2 to 3 tsp salt
2 tbsp mustard oil for the curry and 1/2 cup to fry fish.
A few leaves of gonger mosla
Method :
Fry fish and keep aside
Heat oil and saute onion+garlic+chilly for 2 minutes
Put in bamboo shoot, salt, turmeric and stir fry for a few minutes.
Pour warm water, cover and cook till bamboo shoot is cooked.
Pour the rice paste, keep stirring .....
... drop the pieces of fish, cook for a few more minutes.
Add Khaari, stir, cook for few more minutes

Add long coriander, Ondla ingkhree with naa and mewai is ready to serve. 

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