Haah aru Kumura Aanja

Haah aru Kumura Aanja (duck curry with gourd)

A few Assamese terminologies :

1. Haah : Duck

2. Kumura : a variety of gourd known as Ash Gourd 

3. Poka : ripe

4. Aru : and

5. Aanja : curry

6. Joha rice : a variety of tiny grained rice, gives out aroma when cooked. 

7. Aaita : grand mother 

8. Maa : mother

Indigenous Assamese cuisine is incomplete without this particular dish. In the upper region of the state of Assam, this dish is regarded very highly. In the olden times and even today, when a dear friend or a respected guest is invited over a meal, this delicacy takes the place of the main course. I remember as a young girl, whenever a reputed person or a respected guest is invited to the house, instead of the cook, either my Aaita, Maa or aunt would be doing the honours of cooking this particular dish with utmost care. 

Although duck meat is found and eaten any time of the year, it tastes best during December-January. During this time of the season the ducks are full of fat.  Harvesting season starts from the month of November and during this time ducks get to eat a lot of freshly harvested seeds of paddy. This is believed to be the reason behind the taste of duck meat during this time of the year. 

After toiling all year round, when harvesting is over, its time to celebrate and merrymaking. In mid January Assam celebrates one of the three Bihus. In this Bihu, called the Maagh Bihu or the Bhogali Bihu, duck becomes the most preferred meat. 

Cutting and cleaning : 

Today we cut and clean duck in may ways to suit the recipe we plan to cook. But here I am narrating the traditional method. 

Duck is kept in hot water for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

This makes it easier to dress the duck. Pull the feathers off. Wash it thoroughly. Then lightly roast over a fire, turning all the time to brown it evenly. This gives out the unique roasted aroma. Now it is ready to be cut into pieces. Although I add a little garam masala while cooking duck meat, my Aaita never did. She liked keeping the natural roasted flavour of the meat. 

To make Haah aru Kumura Aanja, you need : 

400gm duck meat

Kumura growing in my kitchen garden. 

It is very easy to grow Kumura in this part of the country, without much care. Notice the two different colours of kumura in the above picture. Green one is tender and can be eaten as a plain vegetable, the white is ripe which is generally used for the duck curry. Grow much bigger as they ripen. The ripe ones remain fresh, can be preserved up to a year. 

A piece of ripe kumura

350 gm Kumura, cubed. 

Method :

Marinate the meat with : 

1. paste of 1 onion

2. paste of 6 pods garlic

3. paste of 1 tsp ginger 

4. paste of jeera (cumin seed) 1 tsp

5. paste of dhania (coriander seed) 1 tsp

6. pepper powder 1/2 tsp

7. turmeric 1tsp

8. salt 1 tsp

9. raw mustard oil 2 tbsp 

Mix well and keep aside for an hour. 

Ingredients for cooking : 

1. chopped onion 1

2. chopped green chilly to taste (optional)

3. garam masala powder (cardamom+cinnamon+clove) 1 tsp (optional)

4. mustard oil 1 tbsp

5. salt to taste

6. a few tezpaat (bay leaves)

6. a few fresh coriander leaves for garnishing. 

Heat oil, put in tezpaat and onion, fry for a while and put in the marinated meat.  Keep frying in low heat, stirring occasionally. Add kumura, fry again. The kumura will give out lot of water gradually while frying. 

Take the pieces of kumura and leave aside. Cook the meat in pressure cooker to save time and energy. 

Open cooker, add the kumura, little water and cook again till done. 

Pour the curry out into a pan, add garam masala, green chilly and cook again for a few minutes. Check salt. 

Gravy should be neither too watery nor thick. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander. Serve with a plate of steaming hot Joha rice. 

Ondla Jwng Naa Jwng

Ondla Jwng Naa Jwng (Fish curry with rice powder) 

Ondla is another favourite curry of the Bodos. It's an extremely delicious and very healthy dish, basically made of ground rice, can be cooked with fish, chicken or pork. There are many variations to this curry. Following is the recipe to make Fish in Ondla Ingkhree with either baskar bibaar or mwdwmphool bibaar.
A few Bodo terminologies:

1. Ondla: a curry cooked with ground rice.

2. Ingkhree: curry

3. Naa: fish

4. Jwng: with

5. Baskar bibaar:known as Bahek Tita or Tita Bahekor Phool in Assamese. A tiny red flower, tastes a bit bitter, believed to be nutritious.

6. Khaari: alkali,known as Kol Khaar or Kola Khaar in Assamese.Procedure of making:sun dry  peels and trunks of banana plant and burn to collect the ash. Then 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.
7. Mwdwmphool bibaar: papaya flower
   

Ondla can be cooked with either meat or fish alone. But adding Baskar bibaar or mwdwmphool bibaar certainly enhances the taste as well as the colour and texture of the curry. This is my observation, over the years, cooking and visiting many Bodo village kitchens. 
To cook Ondla Jwng Naa Jwng,  you need:

Fresh(live if possible) fish 6pieces. Seen in the above picture are pieces of a 'Sole' fish.

1cup baskar bibaar, cleaned and washed.

Baskar bibaar can be replaced by 100g mwdumphool bibaar. 

    1/2 cup rice, soaked for an hour and ground to a fine paste with water. Normally this recipe is made with rice powder. But if not an expert, the curry gets lumpy while cooking. This variation gives a smoothness to the curry.

1tblsp Khaari.

6pods of garlic, ground coarsely. Half tsp turmeric. Salt to taste. Chopped green chilly to taste. 1tblsp oil for the curry and 1/2 cup to fry fish. A bunch of fresh coriander, chopped.

Fry the pieces of fish smeared with turmeric and salt.

Heat oil in a pan and fry baskar bibaar, adding salt, turmeric and chilly. Pour water and cook for about 5mnts.

Now pour out the rice paste into the pan stirring constantly. Cook for another 5mnts.

Put in the fried pieces of fish and cook. Add garlic paste and stir well when fish is cooked, cook for a few more minutes. Finally add Khaari and chopped coriander.

Ondla Ingkhree with fish and baskar bibaar is ready to serve.

This curry can be cooked with a little variation by replacing baskar bibaar with mwdwmphool bibaar, tastes almost same, only colour of the curry is pale.

Method is same, in place of baskar bibaar, fry mwdwmphool bibaar ...

... add water, cook till the bibaars are tender. Pour the rice paste stirring and cooking for a few minutes.

Put in the fried pieces of fish and garlic paste. Cook for sometime and finally, add khaari and chopped coriander.

Ondla Ingkhree with fish and papaya flower is ready.

Bhapot Diya Iilis Maas

Assamese Cuisine is incomplete without this delicacy. 'Bhapot Diya' means to cook in steam, 'Iilis Maas'  is Hilsa fish.

 Steamed Hilsa is very easy to cook yet divinely delicious. 

To cook Bhapot Diya Iilis Maas, you need :

Iilis Maas (Hilsa Fish)

6 or 7pieces of Iilis Maas, washed and pat dried.

  3tsps level yellow mustard seed, ground to a smooth paste with little water.
1/2 Onion, ground to a smooth paste.
5or 6 pods of Garlic, ground to a smooth paste.
3or 4 Green Chilly, slit length wise.

1 and 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder. 

2 tsp level salt.

3 to 4 tblsps Mustard Oil. Usually for this recipe, mustard oil is added without prior heating, it exudes a strong oily aroma, which is very appetizing and much loved by the Assamese. Oil can be heated and cooled before adding, in case you find the smell of raw oil too strong.

Mix all the ingredients well till it turns very smooth, leaving aside Iilis Maas.

Smear the pieces of Iilis well with the batter of all the mixed ingredients.

Steam the Iilis in a steamer.

Cover and steam for 20 to 25 minutes. You can also steam in a pressure cooker.

Bhapot Diya Iilis is ready to be served with a steaming hot plate of Joha rice ( a small grained rice with a  lingering aroma, a favorite of the Assamese).

  

Sojinar Aanja

Sojinar Aanja: Curry of Drumstick.

To cook this popular Assamese dish, you need :

10 very tender Sojina(Drumsticks), cut into around 2 to 2and a half inches long. Matured Sojina is equally tasty and the recipe is same for both.

1Potato, cut into big pieces(optional).

Paste of 1 Onion+6pods Garlic+2tsp white mustard seeds+Green Chilly to taste.

1 small Tomato sliced, for the colour and taste.

1 tsp Turmeric. Salt to taste. 1tbsp Oil.

Heat oil and fry paste adding Turmeric, Salt and tomato. When half fried, add Drumsticks and Potato. Stir well and fry till golden brown. Add water and cook covered till it is cooked and gravy thickens.

Delicious Sojinar Aanja (Curry of Drumsticks) is ready. Serve with rice.

Sri Sri Athkhelia Naamghar

Being born and grown up in Golaghat, the quiet township in the upper region of Assam, the word "Athkhelia" or "Athkhelia Naamghar" has always been very dear and close to my heart. For an Assamese this name brings the same feeling as the names of Tiraths like Ayodhya, Kashi or Brindavan.

Living away from this place now has made me feel even closer to my roots. Hence, a slightest opportunity takes me on a trip to visit this  District Head Quarter and to Athkhelia Naamghar.

The 307km drive from Guwahati on NH 37, via Dergaon is a pleasure, no matter what the season is.  With lush green tea gardens lining the road, making the journey even more enjoyable.

If you want to inhale the raw smell of tea, roll down your windows and drive at a speed not more than 60 km per hour, .... ah, sheer bliss ....

If  lucky, while crossing the Kaziranga National Park, you might have pleasure of a wonderful view of Kaziranga's pride, the one horned rhino, wild buffaloes or elephants like I had on this trip.

A 40 minutes drive from Golaghat town would bring you to the serenity of this little village where I would come every now and then as a child with my Aaita to offer our prayers in Athkhelia Naamghar. 

The pictures here are of the old auditorium where the Naamghar is temporarily shifted. Construction is going on at the spot of the hermitage where Athkhelia Naamghar was originally founded.

The Naamghar is situated in Bacha Gaon, Ghiladhari Mauza of Golaghat District, near the confluence of the three rivers- Kakodonga, Mokrong and Ghiladhari. 

The word Athkhelia is a combination of two words, 'aath' and 'khel'. In Assamese 'Aath' meaning eight and 'khel' meaning a fraternity or guild. A 'khel' is also known as a 'kuri'. The division of khel was made by the Ahom Kings who ruled Assam over 600 years from 1200 AD to 1800 AD. The word Athkhelia comes from these eight fraternities that lived in the surrounding areas. A Naamghar is the religious centre where villagers gather to pray and to discuss religious matters. Hence, the name, Aathkhelia Naamghar.

The above picture is of the auditorium of the Naamghar, where Bhaona is performed every year. Bhaonas are dramas created by the great Mahapurush Shrimanta Sankardeva, to convey religious messages to the masses through entertainment.

Although there is no written history of this Naamghar, the story we all grew up hearing goes like this :
There was a hermitage where the Naamghar is situated now. The place was full of wild animals. A few families that lived had to confront all odds, coping with the wilderness.
The Ahom prince Gadapani, the husband of Sati Jaymoti was then in hiding in the surrounding Naga Hills to escape the wrath of Lora Roja, who had unlawfully occupied the Ahom throne. Wandering in the jungles, Gadapani reached this hermitage and lived here for a long time in the hermit's love and care.

In 1681 A D, Gadapani, now known as Gadadhar Singha, ascended the throne of Ahom kingdom. He never forgot the care and love the hermit bestowed upon him during his hardship. He immediately set out in search of the hermit, but couldn't find him. The place was by then well populated. Gadadhar Singha ascribed the responsibilities of maintaining the hermitage to the eight families who lived there.  In course of time these eight families constituted eight clans. Each clan was known as a 'kuri' or 'khel'. Unitedly they were called 'aathkuria', meaning eight clans. Later the term transformed into 'Athkhelia'.

The pond in the Naamghar premises with big turtles.

The eight 'khel' or 'kuri' :
1. Bochakuri : The clan, who were selected specially by the king for various services.

2. Bairagikuri : This clan was chosen to work as messengers of the king to other kingdoms or foreign                    countries.

3. Brahmankuri : Ahom Kings had brought and settled Brahmans from other parts of the country for  religious purposes. This particular clan consisted of some of them, although non Brahmans too were included in this khel or kuri later.

4. Nangalkuri : 'Nangal' means plough in Assamese. Members of this clan were in charge of cultivating the land.

5. Solalkuri : Not certain, perhaps 'Solal', which means well versed/knowledgeable, was an intelligent person who could guide the villagers. In due course, his family or descendants formed Solalkuri.

6. Kacharikuri : Kachari was the name of a person by whose name this khel was formed.

7. Borahikuri : This khel was constituted of the Borahi tribe, who later converted to Vaishnava.

8. Kakatikuri : 'Kakati' was a title given by Ahom Kings to those who were engaged in keeping accounts of land and it's produce. This khel was formed by the Kakatis.

Placing the 'Trishul', that was found in the hermitage and a 'Thoga' (book stand) of Sandal wood, a temple was erected on the hermitage. Regular worship and visits by people from far and wide soon turned this temple into a desired destination for pilgrimage. It was then known as Sri Sri Athkhelia Hari Mandir.
Each kuri erected a thatched hut around this temple. Later the huts were renovated with posts of timber. Since then, in memory of the kuris, eight parts of offerings are made on their behalf, to Lord Vishnu, before the naam-kirtan (prayer) starts in the Naamghar everyday.

Devotees offer Gold and silver in different forms to the Naamghar, which adorn the shelves and cupboards of the office room of the Naamghar committee. 

The pair of deer, made of pure silver caught my attention and I could not resist holding them in my hands. They weighed not less than three kg each. 

Representatives of each kuri carried on their responsibilities of maintenance and the religious rituals of the Naamghar. Most of the members of these kuris now have intermingled and some of them have even migrated to different parts of the state. Borahikuri and Kakatikuri fled the place during the Burmese invasion during the years 1821 to 1825. Although few members of Nangalkuri, Salalkuri and Brahmankuri are still found in the committee or performing in the religious rituals of the Naamghar.

Gradually the need arose to construct a bigger Naamghar to accommodate more devotees as the glory of the Naamghar reached far and wide. Especially during the month of Bhada (from mid August to mid September) devotees throng Athkhelia Naamghar from all over the state and outside. Wishes are believed to be fulfilled by worshiping here.
As the Naamghar gradually grew, with various religious activities, maintenance became difficult. In the year 1956 the members of the kuris assembled to discuss the matter. In this meeting a committee was formed to manage the huge work load of the Naamghar. This committee, in due course, decided to construct a much bigger, stronger and a permanent Naamghar.

The names and amount of donations for construction are displayed on the walls of the Naamghar. 

With the contributions of devotees and well wishers, a permanent Naamghar was constructed with eight doors. An alter of five steps was built in the centre and ceremoniously 'Naam Prasanga' began as per Vaishnavism, initiated by the Bahjengani Elengi Satra.
'Satras' were established by the Vaishnava revivalist, Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. These Satras became the centres for education and dissemination of all kinds of art and harmonious living.

The Athkhelia Naamghar continues the Vaishnava form of worship, carrying the message of the two Gurus, Sankardeva and Madhabdeva, the message of bhakti (faith) to the only Great God Shri Krishna.
From the year 1970, Sri Sri Aathkhelia Hari Mandir was known as Sri Sri Athkhelia  Naamghar. 

The Guest house

With the increase of population in the kuris, the Naamghar premises needed to be expanded further. Therefore, in the year 1974, a new structure was added to the old one. The old Naamghar still stood in its place, although the condition deteriorated. In the year 1993, construction started yet again and completed in 1996. This time the alter was raised to a higher position. 

 Today the Naamghar has a huge complex with guest house having all modern amenities, office rooms, rest homes for the visitors, residential quarters, meeting hall and auditorium. The Naamghar covers the area of 56000 square feet. 

Collection of religious books in the Naamghar

 The reconstruction and renovation of some parts of the main Naamghar is still going on, which is due to be completed by end of this year. Hope I can visit then, offer my prayers and update this post with pictures of the completed Naamghar.

Reconstruction of the  Naamghar was completed in the year 2013.

Close-up of the Guxai Gamosas adorning the Thapona in the Athkhelia Bor Naamghar 

The Naamghar now stands tall with its new look.