Mizoram food recipes

1. Paanch Phoran Taarkari (Mixed Vegetables Curry)

Ingredients:

• 150 gm pumpkin (washed and diced)
• 2 potatoes (washed and diced)
• 1 large brinjal (washed and diced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 dried red chilies 
• 2 green chilies (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon aniseeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric power
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoon mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté all the spices (bay leaf, all seeds base spices).
2. Stir-fry the spices, add the cut vegetables and mix well.
3. Add the green chilies, sugar, salt, turmeric and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour enough water and add milk to cook the vegetables.
5. Simmer till vegetables are tender and the gravy becomes thick.
6. Serve hot with Pooris or Rice.

2. Thukpa (Noodles Soup)

Ingredients:

• 250 gm minced Meat (beef/pork/mutton/chicken) 
• 300 gm Egg noodles
• 2 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion leaves
• 3-4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 4-5 green chili (sliced)
• 3-4 tablespoon cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For soup: About 3 liters of clear bone soup - beef/ pork/ mutton / chicken stock (any one)

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, fry chopped onions with garlic and green chilies.
2. Add minced meat, fry for 10 min. add salt to taste, then keep aside after cooking.
3. Boil 4 liter of water and drop noodles, boil for 2 min, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain the noodles through a large sieve and run cold water over them to inhibit them from sticking. 
5. Squeeze the water from the noodles and transfer to a serving bowl.
6. Pour hot clear bone soup in the bowl with noodles.
7. Put fried meat-onion mixture and finely chopped green onion leaves on top of it.
8. Hot Thukpa is ready to serve.

3. Laksa Stock (A type of Fish preparation)

Ingredients:

• 600 gm Flaked (ikan kembong) (grilled macrele fish)
• 1 cup of tamarind pulp
• 3-4 stalks Daun kesum (polygonum) (A type of herb)
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• 4 liters of water 
• For garnishing (shredded cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, big onion slices and green chilies)
• Few mint leaves

Spice Paste:

• 30 fresh shallots
• 1 teaspoon belacan granules (prawn paste)
• 2 stalks Lemon grass
• 10 dried chilies
• 10 fresh chilies
• 1.5 cm Lengkuas or ginger (a type of herb, like ginger)
• 0.5 cm piece fresh turmeric

Preparation:

1. Mix water with tamarind pulp and strain.
2. Bring tamarind water to boil.
3. Put in spices paste and daun kesom.
4. Add salt and sugar to taste and simmer for 20 min. 
5. Put in flaked fish, stir well and remove from fire.
6. Add a few mint leaves and sprinkle some finely chopped ginger and add a tablespoon of shrimp paste (har koe).
7. Serve the stock with laksa noodles and garnish with shredded cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, big onions and chilies.

4. Koat Pitha (A type of Banana Cake)

Ingredients:

• 6 Ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1 cup of rice flour
• 1 cup of grated jaggery
• 250 gm cooking oil (for deep frying)

Preparation:

1. In a big bowl, take six pieces of ripe mashed bananas and mix it with jaggery.
2. Fold rice flour slowly into the banana jaggery mixture.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and then drop the batter with help of a spoon in the hot oil, on medium heat.
4. When the cakes have golden brown, place them on paper napkin.
5. This sweet dish is ready to serve.