Thasso Bitroi Jwng Naasina Naa

Colocasia cooked with pickled fish

Two different ways of cooking this recipe : The First Recipe :

All parts of Colocasia plant is eaten in the north-eastern region of India. Bodos love for colocasia is well known. This particular side dish is very popular among the Bodos. But do make sure you pick up the right leaves for this recipe. They are all itchy but some of them are rather itchy and not advisable to eat. Napham or Naasina Naa can be used for this recipe.  Bodos are hugely non-vegetarian, hence, most of the vegetables and greens are cooked with either meat or fish.

Some Bodo terminologies :

1. Thasso : Colocasia or Taro
2. Thasso bitroi : the very tender leaves of Colocasia
3. Naa : Fish
4. Napham : Napham is a very popular and favourite fish delicacy of the Bodos. It is made out of small fish which is first half dried in the sun. This fish is then pounded in a wooden pastel and mortar blended with a variety of herbs and jack fruit leaves. This is then put in a bamboo tube, usually a foot long and the mouth is sealed tightly with a paste made of earth and cow-dung. Napham is ready to eat in about three months’ time from putting in the bamboo tube.
5. Naasina naa : This is generally found in the market, made of small fish called Naa Phitikri. It is neither dry nor smoked but pickled in earthen jars called Dubka. 
6. Thenthlung : Tamarind (used as a souring agent)
7. Maitha : Roselle(English), Tenga mora(Assamese), Hibiscus sabdariffa(botanical)
                 A leafy vegetable (herb) used as a souring agent. Very popular among the 
8. 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.
Bodos. 
To cook this side dish, you need :

4 tiny bunches of Thasso bitroi 

3 Naasina naa. 
If cooked with Napham, replace Naasina naa with 2 tbsp of Napham. 

3tbsp Mustard oil

paste of 25 red dry chilly

1tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2tsp Turmeric

paste of 10pods of Garlic

2 Tomatoes 

little ripe Thenthlung, around 1tsp pulp

Best result can be derived by using Cherry tomatoes which are generally very sour. Tamarind may be omitted in that case. Tomato too may be replaced by a bunch of Maitha. Adding of souring agent while cooking colocasia is must, to neutralize the itchy property in it.

Method :

Clean, wash and chop thasso bitroi. 

Chop tomatoes

Take the seeds out of thenthlung, squeeze with little water to get the pulp. Pass this pulp/juice through a soup strainer.

Heat oil, fry fish. The fish gets dissolved in a minute as it comes to contact with hot oil.
Put in the Thasso bitroi, keep stirring. Add the remaining ingredients leaving aside Tamarind and garlic paste. 
Keep stirring on low heat till Thasso bitroi is dissolved. Add a cup of hot water, cover and cook on low heat. Stir occasionally and add little more water if needed till it is cooked. 
Add garlic paste and tamarind pulp/juice stirring well. Check salt. 

This dish is very delicious and eaten in small quantity with rice.  

The Second Recipe : 

Ingredients :

2 bunches of Thasso bitroi, cleaned, washed and chopped.

2 small bunches of Maitha, cleaned, washed and chopped.

Paste of 1onion+6pods garlic+little ginger
2 green chillies (add more if required) 

2 Nasina naa
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp mustard oil
3tbsp Khaari (Khaari can be replaced by a pinch of Soda-bi-carb)

Method :
Fry paste of onion+garlic+ginger+chilly and add Nasina naa. Fry for 2 more minutes. Add Thasso, salt and turmeric. Add khaari, keep stirring. Thasso will soon dissolve, add maitha and keep stirring again. When dry, add 1 cup water, cook on medium heat. When cooked, stir and cook on low heat for some time till it is completely dry. 

Delicious Thasso Bitroi Bathwn is ready.