Peanuts and Soybeans Fry~Indian State: Manipur

Peanuts and Soybeans Fry~Indian State: Manipur

To me Manipuri was always a dance form, not for once have I thought before this marathon as Manipuri food! Maybe because I am mesmerised by their dance form!!

Do you know that Manipuri classical form of dance is not only to be one of the chastest, modest, softest and mildest but the most meaningful dances of the world. It’s a treat to see the Raslila in this dance form! 

So what is the cuisine in Manipur like?

Manipuri cuisines are simple, organic and healthy. Dishes are typically spicy foods that use chilli pepper rather than garam masalas hence healthy, simple and organic foods. Most of the cuisine does not use oil as its ingredients.

The staple diet of Manipur consists of rice, large varieties of leafy vegetables (of both aquatic and terrestrial) and fishes.

Manipuris typically raise vegetables in a kitchen garden and rear fishes in small ponds around their house. Since the vegetables are either grown at home or obtained from local markets. The cuisines are very seasonal, each season having its special vegetables and preparations. The taste is very different from mainland Indian cuisines because of the use of various aromatic herbs and roots that are peculiar to the region.

Common foods are Eromba a vegetable, Singju is a salad, Chamthong  or  Kangshoi  is a stew of any seasonal vegetables, Morok metpa is a routine side dish ,it is a coarse paste prepared with green or dry red chilies mixed with chopped onions, coriander leaves and other local herbs for garnishing.

Other dishes include kang-ngou or kaang-hou (various vegetables stir fried with traditional spices), nganam (prepared with fish and maroi on a pan) or paaknam (sort of a pancake prepared with a mixture of pea flour, maroi napaakpi, laphu tharo, awa phadigom, and ngari wrapped in turmeric and banana leaves and baked in a pan or steam it first and then roasted it for sometime), nga-thongba (fish curry), ooti (a typical Manipuri vegetarian dish), pakoura thongba, chagem pomba (made with fermented soya, mustard leaves, roasted or smoked fish and other herbs), keli chana, alu kangmet  (boiled potato mashed with fried red chilli and nakuppi with salt and/or dressed with mustard oil), sana thongba which is prepared with paneer in Manipuri style, a-nganba (steamed vegetables, such as pumpkin, peas, carrots, French beans, etc.).

For all of us North eastern states have been a really difficult. Because the food is generally non-vegetarian and finding something that suits the availability of ingredients and our palate has been a tedious task. 

I wonder how the North-Eastern people manage once they come down here to the plains. It must be quite a change for them.

Anyway this is what I found page about the same time it was shared on the  group and was thrilled.

Peanuts and Soybeans Fry~Indian State: Manipur

Peanuts and Soybeans Fry

Indian State: Manipur

Recipe Source: Finding the Voices.com

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup peanuts/groundnuts
• 1 cup soya beans, soaked
• 2-3 dry red chilli
• Oil for deep fry
• ¼ tsp jeera /cumin seed powder
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• ¼ tsp dhania / coriander powder
• Salt to taste

To garnish:

• Green/red fresh chilli, sliced
• Coriander leaves
• Onion rings
• Carrots, juliennes  

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadhai/wok, just below the smoking point.
• Fry the Peanuts, stir constantly. Take care the peanuts splutter. Oil burns are painful.
• Drain and transfer to an absorbent tissue.
• Now deep fry a fistful of the soya beans. Transfer to the tissues.
• Once the beans are fried and crispy, take it out and pass it on another bowl with a layer of Tissue.
• Repeat for the rest of the soya beans.
• Lastly deep fry the red chilli till it becomes crisp.
• Mix the fried peanuts and the beans together in a bowl add salt & spices to taste.
• Garnish with the sliced chilli, coriander leaves, Onion rings and carrots.
• Generally I transfer fried stuff to a colander, I did this time too but the end stuff was so oily that I made a thick wad of tissues and transferred the fried soya and peanuts to the tissue.
• Enjoy!

Peanuts and Soybeans Fry~Indian State: Manipur

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