Food from the East and North-East of India

A taste of freshwater and fertile plains!

Indian cuisine is a rich mixture of a large number of influences. Being the home to one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, India is the melting pot of a number of traditions and lifestyles. A large number of conquests, each quickly following in the heels of the previous one, has left an indelible stamp on the culture, traditions, habits, cuisine and food habits of India. Unsurprisingly, Indian cuisine shows traces of Arab, Chinese, Persian, Mongol, Turk, Afghan, British and Portuguese recipes. An impressive list, by any standards! 

For the Indians, eating is a serious activity. Color, texture, taste, and ingredients matter. Every region in India has its unique repertoire of food. In the dominant flavor of every region, you will find a clever adaptation to the geographical restraints of that region.  

Fish, meat, rice, vegetables and local beer – that about sums up food in the Northeast. Don’t let the simple list fool you. Local chefs manage to whip up an amazing array of delicious combinations from what you just read.  

The East and Northeastern regions of India consist of West Bengal and The Seven Sisters (a band of seven states in this region). Geographically, these are pristine, fertile lands with long coastlines. Expect a variety of exotic fish preparations. Rice is the staple – not the boring boiled variety. You get puffed rice, specially processed rice that doesn’t need cooking and various combinations of rice. Mustard oil with its earthy aroma is the favorite cooking medium. The fare in these areas can bring back nostalgic memories of East Asia and China, not surprisingly because many of these people have close ancestral ties with these regions.   

Imagine this – a silver platter with white steaming rice enjoying the pride of place in the center, surrounded by small bowls of dal (cooked legumes), fish, meat, vegetables, chutney and dessert. Oh, and let’s not forget the ever-present lime wedges, pickles, green chillies and creamy curd. This is simple Bengali food for you! 

Bengalis are nothing short of connoisseurs of good food. The food here is a crisp combination of textures, colors and tastes. Scrumptious vegetables, tangy mustard sauces, fish cooked to perfection and succulent flavored prawns send jets of pleasure coursing through your mouth.  

Bengalis are passionate about fish. In fact, the Bengali cuisine is a vast range of rice dishes cooked to flaky perfection coupled with diverse preparations of freshwater fish like Hilsa, carp, rui, prawns and salmon. Fish is fried, cooked with gravy, friend and then cooked with gravy, sautéed with curd, cooked in fragrant leaves, cooked with vegetables and fruits or plain steamed. You name it, they have it!  

Bengalis are famous for their sweet tooth and sweets from Bengal are famous all over the world. Milk, cream, milk solids, saffron, cinnamon, sugar, nut shavings and clarified butter are cooked elaborately to form various kinds of sweetmeats. Rest assured - if the ‘Mithai’ or sweets are from Bengal, then you’re not going to stop with one, or two!  

The treat you are likely to dig into in one of The Seven Sisters might come as a complete shock after the sharp and zesty fare you have in Bengal. Lifestyle in this belt is pretty simple, so is the food. Of course, you’ll find rice and fish – lots of it, in fact. But in the Northeastern parts of India, recipes use spices so sparingly that they are almost bland when compared to the rest of the country. Chilies are popular though. Hot food speeds digestion is what the locals say!  

In the Northeast, exotic spices are foregone. Instead, a common ingredient in all kinds of recipe is the omnipresent bamboo shoot. This gives the food in this area its aromatic woody flavor. So, you’ll catch yourself tucking into lots of healthy food cooked to mouthwatering perfection. 

If lip smacking, finger-licking non-vegetarian food is what you want, come to the Northeast. The people here love meat – fish, chicken, duck, pork and fowls are all cooked in interesting ways and transformed into juicy, delicate fare.  

While the rest of India loves its share of deep-fried food, the people in the Eastern regions use oil in moderation. It’s a weight watcher’s paradise. Processes like drying and fermentation form an integral part of the cooking methodology and these processes leave a distinct flavor on the food.  

The Northeast is the home to a wide variety of gastronomic delights. From authentic Indian to bona fide Chinese, you will get a little of everything here. Burp. Excuse me!!