ASSAM – Poshan Maah – 28 Days, 28 States

Assam has an intriguing array of culinary jewels to offer to a quintessential foodie. Assamese food is focused on minimizing waste. The cuisine of Assam has a distinct flavour that is marked by Bengali influence and consists of a delicate taste that would make anyone go gaga thanks to the choicest herbs and fresh fruits and vegetables that are used in the dishes.
Let’s have a look at some of the authentic dishes from the land of the Red Rivers and Blue Hills.

KHAR: Khar is both an ingredient and the name of any dish prepared using it. The basic ingredient “Khar” is obtained by filtering out the liquid from a solution of water and dried, charred banana peel. This Assamese dish is unique in the sense that it preserves the alkaline or astringent taste of the Khar liquid. This dish is believed to have appetizing and digestive properties. It can be prepared with pulses, vegetables, or even fish or meat.
The invention of Khar may be explained by the fact that it probably was a more cost-effective and easily produced ingredient for preserving food as compared to salt which was preferred by aristocrats.

MASOR TENGO: The word “Tenga” means sour in the Assamese language. The Masor Tenga is a lightly spiced, tangy fish curry best enjoyed with rice during lunch or dinner. Consumed during summertime, this dish is believed to enhance digestion after a heavy meal. The favourite souring ingredients are tomatoes, dried mangosteen, lemon, raw mango, and elephant-apple.

GHILA PITHA: Ghila Pitha gets its name from its shape – ‘Ghila’ which means kneecap in Assamese.It is also known as Tel Pitha, as it is deep-fried in oil, unlike most Assamese Pithas which are steamed. It is had as a snack or a dessert that is lightly sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamom made in rice batter.

PITHA: Pithas are rice cakes typically made of rice flour, but some variants are also made of wheat flour. In Assam, pitha is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on special occasions like Bihu. Assamese pithas are often made from bora saul, a special kind of glutinous rice, or xaali saul, or sun-dried rice.

SAVORY KORDOI: Kordoi’ means ‘star fruit‘ in Assamese and this snack is named after the star fruit as its shape is very similar to the star fruit. It is a very popular deep-fried snack which may be sweet or spicy. It is made using wheat flour mainly during the Bihu festival.

LABRA: Labra is a very popular Assamese dish that is made using a lot of chunky vegetables. It’s a popular side dish that goes well with rice and roti. It is flavoured with subtle spices and is quite light on the palate.

NARIKOL LADOO: In simple terms, this is a coconut laddu that has the best of both worlds, coconut and sugar. And yes, having one is simply not enough.

Assamese food surely amazes us with its traditional dishes and techniques. Also, most of the Assamese food is boiled and steamed and uses mainly locally sourced ingredients, making it extremely nutritious and wholesome.