Bamboo Shoot(Soibum)

Bamboo shoots are considered as one of the useful health foods because of their rich contents of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibres, and minerals and very low fat. Though bamboo shoots provide lots of health benefits, their consumption is confined mostly to Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. The acceptability of bamboo shoots as popular vegetable crop is very less due to their high pungent smell and bitter acidic taste. The use of bamboo as food in India is mainly restricted to Northeastern part of the country where they form an indispensable part of several traditional speciality dishes. The different ethnic communities take fresh or fermented bamboo shoot as one of most preferred traditional food items.

In Northeast India it is commonly known as soibum in Manipur, rep in Mizoram, taba in Sikkim, bastanga in Nagaland and Kharisar in Assam

Soibum Eromba - Manipuri Cuisine

Eromba, a generic name of the dish in Manipur prepared with crushed boiled vegetables, fermented fish with chilly. This taste is different depending on the type of vegetable used, for example with Bamboo shoot it is called “Soibum eromba” or with Giant bean “Yongchaak eromba” with young banana stem “Laphu eromba” and so on. Eromba by its nature is usually on the higher side of hotness when it comes to the amount of chilly used.

Ingredients:

• 150 gms Soibum
• 2 medium size potato
• 10-12 dried red chillies.
• Ngari (Fermented fish)
• Salt to taste

• Method: Wash the soibum for 4-5 times.

• -In a pressure cooker put soibum,potato's and chilles.

• -Keep till three whistle. -Make a paste of the boiled chillies, ngari and salt. -Mix the chille-ngari paste with aloo and soibum. Add water if u wish to make the gravy light but do not add the same water in which you've boiled soibum. -Garnish with onion

Kharisar tenga (Fermented bamboo shoot curry) - Assamese Cuisine

Ingredients

• Fish: 6 pieces • Fermented bamboo shoot: 2 tbsps • Boiled potato: 2 medium size • Green chillies: 2 • Hot water: 600 ml • Mustard oil: to shallow fry the fish • Mustard oil: 1 tbsp (to prepare the curry) • Fenugreek seeds: a pinch • Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp • Salt: to taste • Sugar: 1/2 level tsp

Preparation

• Wash the fish and drain. • Rub salt and turmeric powder to the fish. • Fry the fish till half done. • Peel the potatoes and mash well. • Add turmeric powder and hot water and mix well. • Heat mustard oil and temper the fenugreek seeds. • Add the bamboo shoot and stir upon medium heat for about 1/2 a minute. • Add the hot potato mixture and bring to boil. • Sprinkle salt to taste and sugar. • Cook for about 5-6 minutes and add the fish pieces. • Cook till the fish pieces are tender. • Add a couple of green chillies. • Garnish and serve with a piece of lemon and a fresh chilli.