Chicken Neiiong, Nga taoba thongba: Whip up a delectable Northeastern meal at home

Planning to spend the summer Sunday with family, friends and some mouth-watering food? Why not bring the myriad flavours of the North East to your dining table this weekend.

We got cuisine Chef Kezang from Trident Nariman Point's India Jones to share with us some of her best-kept secrets for dishes that will blow your mind away.

So go on, make it a meal to remember.


Chicken Neiiong

Ingredients
Refined oil: 40 ml
Large onion (finely sliced): 200 gm
Ginger paste: 10 gm
Garlic paste: 10 gm
Green chilli (slit): 10 gm
Turmeric powder: 5 gm
Black pepper powder: 5 gm
Chicken curry cut: 1000 gm
Black sesame seeds (roasted and ground): 50 gm
Salt: 5 gm
Fresh coriander (chopped): 100 gm

Method
- Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add onions and saute on moderate heat, till golden brown
- Add ginger, garlic, green chilli, turmeric powder and pepper powder and stir
- Add chicken and saute for a few minutes to mix. Simmer on moderate heat, till water evaporates
- Mix ground sesame seeds with little water to make a paste and add it to the chicken. Season and stir
- Pour in 2 cups of water and cover the pan to simmer on a low flame, till meat is tender
- Finish with corainder leaves
- Serve hot with steamed rice

Nga taoba thongba
Manipuri style fried fish curry with green peas

Ingredients
Fish (darne cut): 1000 gm
Mustard oil: 100 ml
Asafoetida powder: 5 gm
Bay leaf: 5 gm
Fenugreek seeds: 5 gm
Garlic chives (chopped): 100 gm
Onion (finely sliced): 200 gm
Garam masala powder: 10 gm
Ginger (coarsely crushed): 15 gm
Garlic (coarsely crushed): 15 gm
Turmeric powder: 10 gm
Tomato (diced in cubes): 200 gm
Black pepper corn (grounded): 5 gm
Cumin seeds (grounded) 5 gm
Green peas (shelled): 150 gm
Salt: 8 gm

Method
- Lightly pan-fry fish (both sides) in mustard oil. Drain and set aside
- Heat mustard oil in a pan till it smokes. Add asafoetida powder, bay leaf and fenugreek seeds
- Add chives, onion, garam masala powder, ginger, garlic and turmeric powder and fry on moderate heat
- Mix in the tomato and cook for a few seconds
- Stir in the pepper-cumin powder and cook
- Add green peas, poatoes and salt. Simmer on low-moderate heat, to cook the tomato and potatoes
- Pour in 3 cups of water and bring to boil
- Gently immerse the fish pieces into the curry and cook for 6-7 minutes
- Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice

Axonhe with vegetables

Ingredients
Axonhe (fermented soya bean paste): 5 gm
Potato (quartered): 250 gm
Tomato (quartered): 100 gm
Green beans (diced): 100 gm
Mustard leaves (torn): 200 gm
Spinach (torn): 100 gm
Aubergine (large cubes): 100 gm
Green chilli (diced): 5 gm
Salt: 5 gm

Method
- Bring 750 ml of water to boil in a pan on high heat. Add the axonhe and potatoes and boil till the potatoes are nearly cooked. Mash a few potatoes to thicken the stew
- Add the remaining vegetables and cook till still crunchy
- Add salt and chillies, stir and remove from heat
- Finish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice