Aakhol Ghor, the Assamese Cuisines and Foods from Assam

Its all about Food and Food Habits from the land of blue hills and red river, Assam.

Aakhol Ghor means Kitchen in Assamese. Assamese traditional Kitchens normally has two parts. First the dining area plus a small cooking space for tea etc. And the next bigger and more functional room is the actual kitchen with at least two earthen fire places (chowka).If you are a food lover you can hope to see a lot of authentic Assamese Recipes in this place......

DISCLAIMER

Some famous Chef of India once said, " India is so unique, one can find three different recipes for the same chicken curry in the three houses lined in the same row. Every kitchen and every cook in India has it's own cook book, unlike rest of the world."
I personally feel it is so well said. Even in my case, you might find small to big differences in your known method of cooking and the ones posted here. I call them true Assamese for two main reasons, one: because of the spices used, and two: my granny knew nothing beyond her village ( she did not believe that cauliflower can be green, which is Broccoli). So whatever she cooked was passed on over generation. And my Mom finds it hard to believe anything can be cooked beyond her traditional methods( she is best at it, though she makes excellent Indo - Chinese things, invented). So please feel free to put in your comments / correction. One thing I can assure is I have cooked all these ( everything) myself with my own hands at least once. So whatever is here is tried and tested. You are always welcome to do your bit of experiment !!!!!

Pork with Gaanj Tenga (Chilly Pork Curry in Bamboo Shoot)


Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

Fresh Pork Meat (cut into small pieces as shown in the photo) 1 K.G.



Bamboo Shoot (Grated) 150 gms

Bhot Jolokiya (Raja Mircha)
Dried Red Chilies - 8 nos (If you can get Bhot Jolokiya then its better; one is more than enough)

  1. Garlic 8 cloves
    Ginger 1 inch
    Onions 2 nos
    Salt to taste
    Fresh coriander 1 bunch

    P.S. For more on bamboo shoot, please check the bottom left hand section of this page. This recipe does not need turmeric powder or any other masala.

    Preparation:

    Wash the meat properly and keep a few fat pieces (5-6 medium sized) aside from rest of the meat
    Take the garlic cloves, remove the skin, and then crush them to a coarse paste. Need not be a fine paste.
    Crush ginger and mix it with the garlic
    Make separate paste of the red chilies. Or you can keep them as flakes.
    Cut the onions in thin slices

    Cooking:

    Put a wide pressure cooker on stove and heat it in medium flame till its complete dry and warm. Do not overheat the cooker.
    Put the fat pieces which you kept separately after washing into the cooker and make sure they do not stick to the cooker. Keep stirring the pieces with medium flame one.
    Oil will come out from the fat pieces slowly and the color of the fat pieces will turn from golden to light brown. (If you want to take out the oil from the pieces faster, then u put the flame to bit on the higher side and cover the cooker temporarily.)
    Once sufficient amount of oil comes out, put the cut onions in the cooker and stir fry them till they become golden brown.
    Then put the rest of the pork in the cooker and increase the flame.
    Once oil starts coming out reduce the flame and put the ginger garlic paste you prepared. Mix them well with the meat and cover the cooker and leave it for 2-3 minutes.
    Uncover the cooker and put the red chilly flakes and put the flame at medium heat. Keep frying them for sometime and then put the lid back and let it cook on low heat.
    Once the meat is somewhat cooked, put the bamboo shoots in the cooker and mix them with the meat by stirring.
    Put the lid back on the cooker and reduce the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes.
    At this point of time, you should get the aroma of bamboo shoot and the pork. Keep frying them in low flame till they start to melt.
    Add salt.
    Add hot water to cover the meat and increase the flame. The gravy should be deep golden brown to red in color. If you have added sufficient amount of red chilly paste, then the gravy will take an inviting color without using any other masala.
    Once the curry starts boiling, put the lid clipped on the cooker and let pressure cook it for 5/6 whistles
Take the cooker out of the stove and let it cool naturally. Once you can open the cooker, put it back on the stove and mix the curry and the meat properly. Sprinkle some fresh coriander over it and serve hot with rice.
Home Cooked Pork and Bamboo Shoot with Dried Raja Mircha





7 comments:

  1. Seems a delicious recipe. But, not sure if its easy to get bamboo shoot in Mumbai.

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  2. nice article........


    keep it up....

    stove parts

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  3. nice article........


    keep it up....

    stove parts

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  4. this is my al tym favorite....pork wid bamboo shoot is d smell of ethnic non veg cuisine of axom according to me! and thanx fr d dtailed recipe

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  5. My husband loves this version of pork curry and it turns out perfect every time. Thank you do much for posting this!!!

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  6. excellent dish!I tried making it in Bern, Switzerland (thanks to an Asian shop that sells canned bamboo shoot and dry chillies!) and my friends loved it. Assamese food can go global!! Thanks to your great blog :-)) ankur
    p.s. should think about a book, I say!

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  7. Just came across your blog!! lovely recipes from Assam. Makes me miss home !! loved going through all your recipes :)

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