Oambal~ Indian State Nagaland

Oambal~ Indian State Nagaland

Nagaland is a state that belongs to the north-eastern part of India. This state is mostly covered by lush mountains, which gives the land a unique beauty.

The various Naga tribes have their unique dishes and the cuisine is never same for any two of the tribes. A typical Naga meal comprises of rice accompanied by a meat dish, a couple of boiled vegetable dishes and chutney.

The characteristic of the Naga cuisine is that dishes are boiled to cook instead of frying. The meat and fish are smoked, dried or fermented. Smoked meat is prepared by keeping the meat above the fire or hanging on the wall of the kitchen for 2 weeks or longer, which could last for the whole year ahead. Fermenting food is practiced in the cuisine of Nagaland in order to preserve the food. The food item is first boiled and then dried under the sun or near the fire. It is then wrapped in a banana leaf and stored for future use. Traditional homes in Nagaland have external kitchens that serve as smokehouses.The main components of Naga cuisine are rice, potatoes and other vegetables and meat. Various meats include beef, pork, fish, chicken, crabs, frog, snail, spider, insects, bee larvae, dog, cat, rat, birds, snake, spider, monkey, bear, and even elephant. Pork meat is highly popular and is cooked with bamboo shoots . Meat of dog and other wild animals are considered a delicacy in Nagaland. Apart from meat, bamboo shoots, lettuce, soybeans, mustard leaves, and yam leaves are also used in cooking. These ingredients are fermented and used to make various dishes.

The Nagas being hunters by nature are meat eaters. The food is hot and spicy with a unique taste as due the local flavouring agents are used and have distinct flavours. Chillies are an integral part of the cuisine of Nagaland and are used in most of the dishes. The ginger used in the Naga cuisine is spicy, aromatic and is different from the common ginger. Various local herbs and leaves are also used to spice up the dishes.

 The cuisine of Nagaland has largely remained free from influence of other cuisines.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcake & A Break

For Baking Partners this time around we had to make Chocolate pumpkin cupcake with frosting. Of the 3 recipes we were give I choose  Priya R  of  Cook Like Priya suggested Chocolate pumpkin cupcake with orange cream cheese frosting from Country living.

The cupcakes were to be frosted but before they could cool down they had all disappeared in the tummies that were waiting at the first aroma of the baking cupcakes.

I had not lined the silicon moulds as I was unable to find any shop that was selling the liners of the size of my moulds. The muffins were so light and delicious that the fact that we could not un-mould them bid not deter anyone. The cupcakes were eaten right from the moulds. J

The only moulds that had the liners were these small ones and the only cupcakes that I had that were kept as my” models” as they are called.

Yields:   36 cupcakes

  Ingredients:

·       2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

●       1 cup(s) good-quality cocoa

●       1 tablespoon(s) bakingpowder

●       1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda

●       2 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

●       3/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-grated nutmeg( I did not use)

●       3/4 cup(s) buttermilk

●       1 1/2 cup(s) pumpkin puree

●       1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

●       283grams salted butter, softened

●       1 1/2 cup(s) (firmly packed) dark brown sugar

●       1 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar

●       5 large eggs

Directions:

1.    Heat oven to 160ºC. Since I bake in the convection side of my microwave I am baking at 160ºC else you will need to bake at 180ºC.

2.    Grease the muffin moulds and line with the paper liners.

3.     Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.

4.    Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.

5.    Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until fluffy.

6.    Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light.

7.    Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.

8.     Divide the batter among the moulds and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes or the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I would like to announce that I will be taking a short break. With Carpel tunnel rearing its ugly head again I am scared and under a lot of pain so atleast for 15 days I will not be here. Please excuse me. Also I will try and read your posts but my comments will e something like yum or equally stupid but I hope you ladies will be understanding enough to accept the comment as something that I will be doing because it is so and I cannot be as vocal with my comments as I will like to be.

Linking this to Baking Partners



All rights reserved on photographs and written content are copy-written @The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen!! unless mentioned. Please Ask First
 

Veggie Thai Red Curry

When Kalyani announced the combo of Pumpkin and Chilles for Magic Mingle the only though I had was parathas. But since that is quite a staple in my place the kids were not keen.

Then my FIL did vegetable shopping and came back with ½ kg of brinjals that are shunned by the girls, I had no option but mask them.  Then the fridge threw up some surprises!! I found some par boiled pumpkin and baby corn! What better then to make this delicious Thai Red Curry?

This is from the IFB Cook Book by Neeta Metha.

Pumpkin Stir Fry

What do you do when you have no veggies but pumpkin?

In my place no one eats pumpkin, especially the red one. I just do not know why. I have tried all sorts of way making this veggie in sambhar, a veggie. No sir… they all turn up their noses at it and the poor gourd has become quite upset.

So coming back to the original question what to cook? I have only pumpkin.

Bhopla che Bharit or Pumpkin Salad or Raita

Pumpkin Salad

Many times my MIL made "Bhopla che Baharit" which is red pumpkin mashed salad. There are no fixed proportions that make this simple yet tasty salad.  You can boil the peeled pumpkin in the cooker with your rice and daal.

Today I added grated carrots since I like the colour of these carrots known locally as Delhi gajar.

Ingredients:

1 Cup boiled pumpkin

½ cup curds

A little cream (optional)

Oil

 Mustard

Jeera/cumin seeds/jeerigi  seeds

 Hing/asafoetida

1 green chilli (adjust as per taste)

Curry leaves

Coriander

Method:

1.       Mash the boiled pumpkin.

2.       Beat the curds and cream mix, add salt with the pumpkin.

3.       Heat oil and crackle mustard, Jeera/cumin seeds/jeerigi  seeds, hing/asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies.

4.       Serve chilled.
I am sending this to Taste of Pearl City's event Any One Can Cook

hh

Vegetable Fish Curry

I am writing after a gap of more than one month. The last month we have spent getting my brother married and wedding food you know……..

Yesterday I cooked after a long welcome holiday, we would have loved fish curry and rice, the Goan staple, but since my FIL is home with us and he doesn't eat fish we had the veggie alternative. The taste was wonderful, 'awesome' as my younger kid put it.

I am sorry there are no photographs as I kept postponing the clicking and the stuff was all over.

I am however recording the process for my future reference.

1 potato, peeled cubed into 8 pieces

3 big florets of cauliflower cut

6 pieces of pumpkin

To grind:

1 ½ cup coconut freshly grated.

3 chillies (Adjust as per taste)

1/8 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp turmeric

Lemon sized ball of tamarind

Grind the ingredients to a fine paste using little water.

In a pan boil potatoes with a little salt.

When they par boiled add the washed and drained cauliflower.

As the cauliflower is parboiled add the pumpkin and the ground mixture.

Adjust salt to taste.

P.S. I used these vegetables as these were all I had but radish, carrots, green peas etc can be used. Veggies like radish, carrots will need longer to cook so they need to go in first.