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Manipuri cuisine facts for kids

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Manipuri cuisine is the yummy food from Manipur, a state in northeastern India. People in Manipur usually eat rice with different side dishes like vegetables, fish, and sometimes meat. A typical meal might have a vegetable stew called ensaang or athongba, which often has dried or fried fish for flavor. There are also stir-fried vegetables called kanghou and spicy items like morok metpa (a chili paste), iromba (mashed vegetables with chili and fermented fish), or singju (a tangy salad).

These spicy dishes are often served with fresh herbs, known as maroi. A key ingredient in Meitei cooking is ngari, which is fermented fish. Many meat dishes, especially chicken and pork, are cooked with special recipes. However, some groups, like the Pangals, do not eat pork due to their beliefs.

Steamed vegetables (a-ngaanba) or boiled vegetables with a touch of sugar (cham-phut) are also common. They help clean your taste buds during a meal. Many dishes start by frying bay leaves, chives, onions, garlic, and ginger in mustard oil for a great smell. Not much oil is used in the main stews, but stir-fried dishes (kanghou) and fritters (bora) make up for it. Fish is also a very important food and is often eaten either as ngaari or roasted or fried. Fish curry is usually made for special occasions or feasts because fish can be expensive. The Meiteis and Pangals live in the valley of Manipur, where there used to be lots of freshwater fish from lakes and rivers. While some parts of Manipuri food have been influenced by other cuisines, its main taste is unique.


What Manipuris Eat Daily

The main foods in Manipur are rice, fish, and many kinds of leafy vegetables. These vegetables grow both in water and on land. People in Manipur often grow vegetables in their home gardens and raise fish in small ponds near their houses. Because vegetables are grown at home or bought from local markets, the food changes with the seasons. Each season has its own special vegetables and dishes. The flavors are very different from other Indian foods because of the unique herbs and roots found only in this region.

Special Herbs and Roots

Manipuris use many special herbs and roots to make their food taste amazing. These include:

Some ingredients in Manipuri food have a very strong taste that you might need to get used to. These include Hawaijaar (fermented soya bean, similar to Japanese Natto), Soibum (fermented bamboo shoot), Ngaa-ri (fermented fish), and Hentak (fermented fish powder and herbs).

Meats and Seafood

Manipuris use various meats and seafood in their cooking:

  • Hameng (mutton)
  • Khajing (shrimp)
  • Nga (fish)
  • Nganu (duck)
  • Oak (pork)
  • San (beef)
  • Tharoi (snail)
  • Yen (chicken)

Popular Dishes

Chahao kheer
Chahao kheer, a popular dessert of Manipur
  • Eromba: This is a type of chutney. Vegetables are boiled or steamed with lots of red chilies or umorok (king chili) and ngari (fermented fish). Smoked or roasted fish is also added, and everything is mashed together. U-morok means 'tree chili'. It is often topped with herbs like maroi nakuppi, phakpai, and coriander leaves.
  • Singju: This is a tangy salad made with different raw vegetables. The ingredients can change depending on what's available or what you like. The vegetables are cut into very thin strips, and the herbs are chopped. Common ingredients include cabbage, lotus stem, laphu tharo (banana flower), and yongchaak (tree beans). The salad is seasoned with a chili paste that can have roasted ngar (fermented fish) or roasted thoiding seeds (Perilla frutescens) powder. Thoiding seeds are healthy and give a nutty flavor when roasted.
  • Chamthong or kangshoi: This is a soupy stew made with seasonal vegetables, chopped onions, ginger, ngari, and salt. It is often topped with ngari, dried fish, or fried fish pieces. It is usually eaten with rice.
  • Morok metpa: This is a coarse paste made from green or dry red chilies mixed with chopped onions, coriander leaves, and other local herbs. The chilies are steamed or roasted with ngari, or simply crushed and mashed with salt and ngari. Fried fish pieces can also be added. This is a common side dish for meals.
  • Kang-ngou or kaang-hou: These are various vegetables stir-fried with traditional spices.
  • Nganam: This dish involves baking fish and maroi (herbs) on a pan.
  • Paaknam: This is like a pancake made from pea flour, maroi napaakpi, laphu tharo, awa phadigom, and ngari. It is wrapped in turmeric and banana leaves and then baked or steamed and roasted.
  • Nga thongba: This is a fish curry.
  • Ooti: This is a typical vegetarian dish.
  • Pakoura thongba: This is a curry made with fritters.
  • Chagem pomba: This is a curry made with fermented soya, mustard leaves, roasted or smoked fish, and other herbs.
  • Keli chana: This is a spicy chickpea snack.
  • Alu kangmet: This dish is made by mashing boiled potatoes with fried red chili and nakuppi, seasoned with salt and/or mustard oil.
  • Sana thongba: This is a curry prepared with paneer (Indian cheese).
  • Yen thongba: This is a chicken curry.
  • Nganu thongba: This is a duck curry.
  • Oak thongba: This is a pork curry.
  • San thongba: This is a beef curry.
  • Hameng thongba: This is a mutton curry.
  • Tharoi thongba: This is a snail curry.
  • Pan hawaijar thongba: This is a curry made with taro and fermented soybean.
  • Soibum thongba: This is a bamboo shoot curry.
  • A-nganba or champhut: These are steamed vegetables like pumpkin, peas, carrots, and French beans.
  • Chahao kheer: This is a delicious black rice pudding.
  • Kabok: This is a snack made from puffed rice.
  • Kangshubi: This is a snack made from ground seeds.
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Manipuri cuisine Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.