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 !!!!!

Sour Pumpkin Curry ---- Rongalaur Tenga Torkari

Ingredient :
  1. Pumpkin - Rongalaou
  2. Ribbed Goud - Jika
  3. One potato
  4. Mustard Seed
  5. Mustard Oil - One Spoon
  6. Salt, Pinch of Sugar, Turmeric
  7. Lemon Juice - 2 Spoon

Method:

Cut the pumpkin, potato and the goud in small pieces. heat a wok and add oil. Sputter the mustard seed, add the vegetable. Add salt, sugar and turmeric. Cover to cook. Stir occationally. When it is half cooked, add little water to make very little gravvy. Once cooked, add the lemon juce, remove from flame. If you want it to be very sour, add some extra lemon Juice. It goes well with rice, plain dal and some dry fry.

1 comment:

Xaak Bhaaji ---- Green Vegetable Assamese Style


Well... first I do not know the english of most of the green leafy veges we use in assam. This may be one of the most simple but tricky recepie.
Ingredient:


  1. Green Leafy Vegetable.

  2. Seasoning - Onion/Ginger / garlic / Methi seeds

  3. Salt to taste

  4. Masturd oil - 1 tea spoon

Method:


Clean the vegetables, chop them finely. heat a wok. Add oil and the seasoning, let it sputter. Add the vegetable, add salt. Mix well and cover it. Once cooked,remove from flame. Serve hot with rice.

No comments:

Sagoli Mangxor Jol ( Mutton Curry )


I am sure we get mutton in all parts of the world. So this recipie can be tried and tasted by any one.
Ingradients :


  1. Mutton - 1 Kg ( Cut into medium size pieces)

  2. Onion - 2 Medium

  3. Ginger - 2 tsp paste

  4. Garlic - 3 tsp paste

  5. Cumin - 3 tsp

  6. Dry red chilly - 3

  7. Salt, Turmeric - to taste

  8. Black Peper - 4 to 5

  9. Potato - Cut in half ( optional)and light deep fried.

  10. Mustard Oil

Method:


Clean the meat and add Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Salt and turmeric. Add one spoon Mustard oil. Mix it all well. Heat a wok. Add about 3 spoon oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the Mutton. Cook till the water is out and than dried. Now boil some water seperately in a pan. Add the potato and mix well. Add sufficient water and pressure cook for the meat to be tender. Once done, place the meat in the wok back or remove the lid from the cooker and cook open for the water to dry a little bit. Add broken black peper. Remove from heat. Serve with rice or Roti.

No comments:

Kasu thor Jalukia or Jhola


Kasu Xaak or Taro Leaves is a green vegitable variety. This recipie is one of the typical assamese cooking with least of oil and spices.

Ingredients:


  1. Kumolia Kasu Thor - Taro Leaves which have not grown completely : 7 to 8 stems

  2. Jaaluk - Black Peper : 5 to 7 broken

  3. Masoor/Boot/ Rahar Dal - Red Lentil / Bengal gram : 3 table spoon

  4. Salt to taste

  5. Turmeric to taste

  6. Ginger Garlic paste (not fine paste) in equal amout about 2 tea spoon

  7. A pinch of Sugar if you prefer.

  8. Paanch Foran - One Pinch

  9. One spoon oil


Method:


Clean the Kasu Xaak and chop in big pieces.Put all ,but oil and paanch foran, of the ingredients in a pressure cooker ( preferably a pressure cooker, you can use othe heavy pan as well). Once it is cooked well, remove from flame. Place a pan on the stove, heat well. Add one spoon oil and add the paanch foran to the hot oil. Saunt for half a minute. Add the boiled kasu in to the pan. Let it shimmer for some time in a very low flame.


Serve hot with a rice platter.

No comments:

Maas aaru Thekera Tenga


Well, THEKERA I think is again patented to the land of Assam. Though I could find out the English Name, it has a scientific name. It is green at the beginning, get deep purple when ripe and turns deeper purple or almost black when dried.It is a souring agent.


Thekera - Garcinia Mangostana of Garcinia indica Family.

SO if you manage to import Thekera from Assam, great !!! Or else you can use other souring agents. But I like it with Thekera only.


Ingredients:


1. Fish - 1 cleaned catfish, cut to about 3/4 inch pieces.
2. Turmeric - Half Teaspoon
3. Green chilies, Chopped - according to taste
4. Panch Foran
5. Mustard Oil
6. Salt to taste
7.The most important thing - Thekera


Method:


Put the "thekera" in a cup of water. A piece of thekera will give you one bowl of curry to serve one person.SO soak as much as you want. Keep for about 1/2 hour.Mix the turmeric and salt with the fish. Fry the fish in oil lightly. Remove from pan.


In the same pan, Remove the extra oil, leaving about a table spoon behind and add panch foran. Put green chillies. When fried, put the cup of water with "Thekera". Add extra cups of water (depending on the number of "Thekera" used). When it comes to boil, add fried fish and reduce flame
Let it simmer for some time (10-15 minutes), till the juice gets cooked and a tangy flavor comes out.


Serve with steamed rice.

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