Pleasure palate, courtesy Assam

PUSHPESH PANT

Assam has recently been in news for all the wrong reasons. First it was the unrest and protests regarding the National Citizenship Register and now the horrible hooch tragedy. It’s a pity that we do not look Northeast-wards to share their moments of celebration. It is time we rid ourselves of the distorted perception that the region always seethes with discontent. The people of Assam are gentle, warm and generous in their hospitality. Truth be told, it does take a little time getting used to khar, the favourite flavour in the state.

This condiment is prepared by burning the banana stem to ash. It imparts a unique alkaline taste to local recipes. It is like the bitter-tasting shukto in Bengal that is believed to cleanse the palate and make the digestive juices flow in anticipation of what is to follow. Cuisine in the land irrigated by the Brahmputra and Barak rivers is simple yet subtle. We were reminded of this once again at a pop-up at Hotel Radisson in Gurgaon. Sneha Saikia, an exceptionally gifted home chef, had curated a thali that tickled the palate with many unusual and tempting preparations.

There was mas tenga (sour fish curry, which had been tweaked to appeal to the Capital’s palate in a boneless avatar but the rest was absolutely stunning. Mutton prepared with pumpkin and chicken paired with unhusked, split urad daal. The trick is to maintain the balance between the chicken and the lentils. We have always enjoyed gosht ka dalcha from the Hyderabadi repertoire, but, this was different, a genuinely two-in-one delight. The pumpkin peels (not used in mutton) had joined black gram to make a tasty, salad-like vegetable. Black sesame seeds, a popular ingredient in Assam, registered their presence in a chutney as well as in aloo. Dainty, fried dumplings, bora, fashioned with masoor and moong daal, gave the meal that lovely crunch. Brown sticky rice kheer tickled the sweet tooth perfectly, though one must confess that it left one with a guilty conscience. But then, our friends from Assam tell us that we shouldn’t blame their food for our own gluttony!

As a matter of fact, cooking in Assam and other states in the Northeast is done using very little oil and hardly any spices. Boiling, steaming or pan grilling are preferred cooking techniques. Jaggery is the commonly used sweetener and tomatoes and unripe fruits are employed to impart sourness. A minuscule measure of the deadly bhut jolokia (Naga/Raja chilli) gives a pungent touch. A mind-boggling variety of green leafy vegetables is relished simply stir fried or steamed.

There are celebratory delicacies more elaborate, but keep the health factor in mind. Duck minced in banana leaf or curried, foraged ingredients like wild mushrooms, yams, bamboo shoots and fruits like mangosteens, unknown in other parts of India, are commonly used in Assam’s cuisines.

The cuisine of the state has imbibed diverse influences over the past centuries. Much before the influx of immigrants during the British Raj period, ingredients and cooking techniques had seeped in from the neighbouring Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Myanmar. In modern era, strains of Bengali, Bihari and Marwari food helped the local palate evolve further.

On one side, we can seek bliss in the Vaishnava, strictly vegetarian, repast and, on the other, we can delightfully partake of dozens of delicacies prepared from fish, fowl and flesh. A large part of the state’s population is Muslim for whom pork is taboo. However, the tribal communities have no inhibition in consuming pork or buffalo meat.

In short, Sneha’s Assamese thali triggered a cascade of thoughts that simply refuses to abate. What a wonderful illustration of harmonious coexistence accepting and celebrating difference.