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 !!!!!

Bamboo Shoot and Lentils

This one is a tiny recipe and on demand from a dear friend Nidarshana! This is a typical quick fix in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
1. Red Lentils - 1 cup
2. Bamboo Shoot - to taste
3. Salt and Turmeric - to taste
4. Fenugreek Seed - a pinch.
5. 2 Green Chillies.
6. Oil - 1 spoon

Method:

Wash the lentils and add in a pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric and cook with water. Add enough for 4 people and this needs to be a little watery and not thick.  Once cook set aside, let the steam go and open the cooker.

In a wok / deep pan, heat a spoon of oil (veg/ mustard.. as you like). Add the fenugreek and let it split. Reduce the flame. Add the cooked lentils, water and all, and add the chillies. Now add two spoons of wet bamboo shoot. Check for taste, if it is not sour enough add some more. But remember, once boiled, the sourness will increase. Let the whole thing bubble a while and you are done. You can garnish with coriander if you want to.

Serve with hot steam rice, crispy fish fry  and mesh potato (aloo pitika) or any good mesh/ pitika.



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