Sobai Jwng Oma Gwran Jwng

Sobai Jwng Oma Gwran Jwng, which means, Smoked Pork with Black Gram. The flavour is simply irresistible and once tasted, Its difficult to forget. One of the favourite main dishes of the Bodos.  
Some Bodo terminologies:
Sobai: Black Lentil
Jwng: with
Oma: Pork
Gwran: dry/smoked
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.
A pinch of soda-bi-carb can be substituted to khaari. 


                To cook this delicacy you need: 

1/2 kg Oma Gwran. Pork is cut into bite size pieces, washed and dried in the sun for around an hour. 

Then kept over a fire on a big sieve made of bamboo which is suspended at a height with sticks over fire, stirring and turning the pieces occasionally so that the pieces are not burnt but evenly browned. A favourite delicacy of the Bodos, smoked pork is cooked with a variety of vegetables too.

 1/2 cup Sobai. Before cooking any dish, sobai is lightly roasted and crushed a little to take off the skin, although some of the skin remain. Roasting also gives a delicious aroma to the curry.

                       Paste of 1big Onion
                       Little Ginger
                       12pods of Garlic
                       Chopped Green Chilly, to taste
                       A few Bay leaves
                       A bunch of fresh Coriander, chopped(optional)

1tblsp Khaari

                      1to2 tsp Turmeric powder
                      1tsp Garam Masala(powdered Cardamom+Cinnamon+Clove)
                      Salt to taste

                      2 tblsps oil


                      Method: 

Wash Sobai and cook with 3 cups of water, salt and turmeric till half cooked. Can be pressure cooked. 

 Heat oil and saute paste, chilly and bay leaves for sometime .....

... add Oma Gwran, salt, turmeric and the garam masala powder. Stir and saute for some more time. 

Add the half cooked Sobai to the fried Oma Gwran and stir well. Add more water if necessary. 

Cook covered, best is to pressure cook till meat is properly cooked.

Add khaari. Make sure not to add khaari while pressure cooking. 

 Sobai Jwng Oma Gwran Jwng is ready to serve....

.....garnished with coriander and serve with a plate of steaming hot rice.