Whenever we talk about the Indian food, we often miss to highlight the food from the North-East India. The dishes that originate from the North-East has rich blend of tradition and culture of the Seven Sisters state. Meghalaya also has the same traditional foods with distinct dishes like Narikol, Khapse, Khar, Zan or Gyathuk to gratify one’s taste bud. Here is the list of some of the famous and tasty dishes of Meghalaya, not to miss while travelling to Meghalaya.
1. Pumaloi
Rice is the staple food of Meghalaya and it is consumed in many different way by adding it with different preparations. So, with Pumaloi which is one such favourite dish of Meghalayan cuisine. Pumaloi is prepared with powdered rice, after steaming it. The pot which is sued to cook the rice is called Khiew Ranei. The dish is cooked on medium heat with just right amount of water. The Pumaloi dish is very unique dish of Meghalayan culture as it is served mainly during public celebrations and festivals in Meghalaya.
2. Doh-Neiiong
Doh-Neiiong is a pork curry dish, one of the richest and delicious dishes of Meghalaya. The preparation of this amazing dish demands fried pork with a rich thick gravy flavoured with green chillies, pepper, red onions, local spices, and black sesame. The magical ingredient of this dish is black sesame, which provides it its unique taste. This is highly recommended and must to try for the pork lovers during their tour to Meghalaya.
3. Tungrymbai
Tunrymbai is a humble everyday meal of the peasant community of Meghalaya. However, taste and the preparation of the meal make it something special and a food that is not meant for everyday meals. The dish is made up of fermented soya beans, boiled and chopped pork, black sesame, ginger, onion, and other spices. All these ingredients fried and sauted together and left it simmering some time to deepen the colour and taste.
4. Jadoh
As it is known that rice is the staple food in Meghalaya. Most of the dishes are entirely incomplete without rice. So, as Jadoh, which is a very popular dish made up of red rice among the Khasi community of Meghalaya. It is very appetising as it is made up of red rice, cooked with generous amount of pork meat, green chillies, onion, ginger, turmeric, black pepper and bay leaves. All these ingredients provide it with a rich colour and taste. It is mainly a non-vegetarian dish, however, a little modification results it into eatable for vegans as well by substituting pork with some local vegetables.
5. Nakham Bitchi
Nakham Bitchi is a famous soup that consumed as a starter before the main meal and usually served to guests. Nakham is a special kind of fish from Meghalaya which is sun-dried or fire-dried. And for making this delicious soup, the dried Nakham fish is fried and boiled in water to make thick, rich soup. The soup is flavored with chilies and pepper for making it tastier.
6. Don-Khlieh
It is a very wholesome and healthy both at the same time kind of Salad. Don-Khlieh is made up of minced pork, onions, and chillies. Now, if you like experimenting with the food then you can ask to add beans, tomatoes, carrot and lemons to have a Mexican touch of your food. It is also cooked with chicken curry for eating with breads.
7. Pukhlein
This is another dish which is made up of rice, but this time the dish is going to be sweet and appeaser your taste buds after eating so much tangy and spicy dishes of Meghalaya. Pukhlein is prepared by powdered rice, sweetened with jaggery. Now, the jaggery and rice mixture is fried together in the pan, to form a deep thick paste. Now, it shapes like a fried crispy cookie which is eaten with variety of meat items. It is also served as the welcome dish to cleanse the palat before gorging on to the next dish of Meghalayan cuisine. Hence, Pukhlein is very simple yet tasty dish that you must try.
8. Minil Songa
Minil Songa is another tribal food of the Garo Tribe of Meghalaya. It is a sticky rice preparation with rich nutty flavour and delicate texture. The dish has a high amount of starch, making it sticky. Minil Soga is prepared by cooking rice, vegetables, and green leaves together in a fresh bamboo. It is eaten as snacks which helps in improved digestion.
9. Kyat
Kyat is a kind of fermented rice bear which is simply not to be missed once you are in Meghalaya. It is considered as must-try party drink among the local people of Meghalaya. The drink is made from fermented rice which gives very intense and unique flavour. It is boiled along with water, and garnished with local ingredients. You can find this amazing drink at almost all the bars and restaurants in Meghalaya. It is also a mandatory part of the Meghalayan hospitality.
10. Pudoh
Pudoh is very similar dish to Pumaloi. It is also a type of rice preparation which is made from the powder rice adding up some pork pieces into it. The powder rice is steamed along with the small pieces of pork to infuse the flavour into rice. Next, for enhancing the taste further a curry sauce with green chilies, tomatoes are prepared. This is the special meal made and served on special occasions such as weddings and carnivals. However, you can still try it without any special occasion as lots of restaurants started serving it with their own method of cooking.
From all the above examples of rich variety of foods we can easily understand that rice is the staple part of the Meghalayan dishes and a very significant diet of the people there. The foods of Meghalaya are unique due to lots of cultural and traditional influences.
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