Meghalaya Food Recipes



Meghalaya recipes share the exotic taste of Meghalayan food. The people of Meghalaya, like the other indigenous communities, have their typical cooking pattern, according to the availability of food stuffs in Meghalaya.Moreover, the Meghalaya cuisine can be divided into three distinctive styles: Garo, Khasi and Jaintia.

Garo recipe

To begin with, the Garo recipes are simple to cook, with only a little bit of variations here and there. Nakham Bitchi, an important Garo dish which consists of a hot and spicy soup, is prepared by using a special kind of dry fish known as Nakham. Moreover, this recipe of Meghalaya is quite typical in its preparations. Besides, meat and fish are widely used in the recipes at Meghalaya. In Meghalaya, meat is prepared by boiling it with yam, gourd or pumpkin and a lot of chillies.

Khasi recipe

Khasi recipes largely differ from the Garo recipes. The Khasi recipes include a variety of rice preparations, such as 'Jadoh' (red hill rice prepared with pork), 'Jastem' (rice prepared with gravy of pork, ginger, onions and turmeric), etc. Among other recipes of the Khasis are:
  • Mylliem chicken - It is prepared with the help of different condiments, especially the small round Khasi peppers and chicken.
  • Dohkhlieh - Dohkhlieh is a special kind of pork salad, made from boiled pork, onions and chillies.
  • Dohneiiong - This dish has gravy. In this preparation, pork is cooked with black sesame seeds.
  • Tungrymbai - It is prepared with fermented soyabeans.
  • Pumaloi - Pumaloi is a typical Khasi recipe prepared with powdered rice.
  • Pukhlein - This dish is prepared with the help of powdered rice and jaggery.
  • Pudoh - This item is prepared from powdered rice, with stuffed pork and then it is steamed.
  • Putharao - Putharao is made with steamed powdered rice.
Jaintia recipes

Jaintia recipes include many food items made from mushrooms. Many exquisite dishes are prepared with the help of locally available mushrooms, known as Tit Tung. Mushrooms are cooked with black sesame seeds and pork and this dish forms the most favorite dish in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Food

Jadoh



For the food lovers who love to taste different recipes from different places of India and the world as well they will surely love to try the exotic Meghalayan cuisine. When it is to name a different type of rice cooked by the Meghalayans, then it is Jadoh which is mainly taken by the Khasi community of Meghalaya.

Meghalaya is a state which shows a variation in its food habits. There are different tribal communities who are having different food habits. But more or less all the Meghalayan people are fond of hot and spicy foods. Most of the recipes of Meghalaya are made with lots of chilly and other ingredients. The Khasi community is fond of this special dish called Jadoh of Meghalaya.

The Meghalayan cuisine are veritable not only in their taste but also in their preparations. Another noticeable thing about the Meghalayan food is that they have a variety of colors. The Meghalayan food Jadoh is a delicious rice meal which attracts the attention mainly due to its color.

Jadoh is a special kind of rice made by the Kashi community of Meghalaya. It is a production of the hilly surface of Meghalaya. Jadoh is a red rice which is cooked with pieces of pork that gives a lucrative look to the dish. Lots of green chilly and other ingredients are used to make this dish delicious. Added to this, the presence of pork in the rice gives it a taste nearer to Biryani. To be more precise, Meghalayan cuisine Jadoh is a substitute of Biryani for the Khasi community.

Those who would like to taste a different rice made in a different style they should try Jadoh at least for once.

Meghalaya Kyat



Drinks have become a part and parcel of any occasion. A perfect drink adds flavor to any occasion. Drink provides zing for any celebration. As such, it is a necessary item for any occasion. The Meghalayan drink Kyat is such an item without which this community cannot think of any party or celebration. It is a must thing of the Meghalaya parties.

One need not have to search for Kyat of Meghalaya because this is such a popular drink that every local bar keeps Kyat to serve the visitors of Meghalaya. This Meghalayan brew Kyat is a very tasty drink and very popular among the natives of Meghalaya.

The Meghalayan inhabitants are fond of spicy and delicious foods. Most of the Meghalayan people are non-vegetarians and meat is a regularly consumed item for all the non-vegetarians of the place. For any occasion it is the pork which has to be served to the guests. Even special rices are there to add delicacy to the Meghalayan cuisine. If on one hand the Meghalayan people are careful about different recipes then on the other they are quite conscious about serving drinks to their guests also.

Kyat of Meghalaya is different from other local products. This drink is specially made from fermented rice which has a different taste and flavor. The people of Meghalaya cannot think of any occasion or celebration without this drink.

People from outside who come to Meghalaya also loves to taste this special drink known as Kyat.

Nakham Bitchi

Meghalayan cuisine Nakham Bitchi is a delicious soup which is taken mainly after a heavy spicy meal. Variety in food habits is not a new thing for India. Indian cuisine consists of different recipes made by different people of different regions. Among the foods of India, the Meghalayan cuisine is a completely different one.

Being one of the oldest tribes of India as well as of north east, the people of Meghalaya have a different taste and recipe which is a special feature of the region. The Meghalayan people are very fond of cooking and mostly prefer flavored meals and dishes. The recipe known as the Nakham Bitchi of Meghalaya is a delectable soup which is very popular among them. The Meghalayan people always serve their guests with this special soup. The weather of Meghalaya is a big reason behind their taking hot any spicy foods.

The preparation of Nakham Bitchi is very easy and takes less time than any other Meghalayan food. The Meghalaya Nakham Bitchi is prepared with dry fish. The Nakham is basically a special dry fish which is used to make the soup. The fresh fish is dried under the sun or over the fire first. Once the fish gets completely dried, it is used to make the soup. Lots of chilly and other spices are used to enhance the taste of the soup. This hot Nakham Bitchi soup is very popular among the tribal population of Meghalaya.The Nakham Bitchi is mainly taken after a relishing garo meal.

Dohkhlieh

The use of salad has become so popular among people, that of late, not only during occasions and in restaurants, salads have become a part of our everyday diet. Salads are of many kinds: fruit salad, vegetable salad; some are to be taken with meal and some are meant for lunch. Dohkhlieh of Meghalaya is a delicious salad which is made of pork, onion and chilly.

We all know the nutritious value of salad. Salad has lots of ingredients that are very good for health. Salad is very good for skin and helps to enhance the external as well as internal glow of the skin and in some cases it is helpful in reducing fat also.

Dohkhlieh is a special kind of a non vegetable salad which is made with pork. The pork is firstly chopped in desired shapes; preferably in small pieces. Then it is boiled in water for a couple of minutes until the flesh becomes completely boiled.

Once the pork gets boiled then it is removed from the heat and kept for a while to make it dry. After that the water is drained off from the pork and then chopped onion and green chilly is sprinkled over the salad. Salt should be added to Dohkhlieh according to one's taste.

Now take a spoon and mix the things together. You can also decorate the salad according to your choice. Take the whole mixture in dish and then you can use beans, tomatoes and carrots to give this salad an impressive look. The Meghalayan salad Dohkhlieh is a very tasty item to relish with lunch or dinner.

Pork salad Dohkhlieh is very tasty and a famous food item of Meghalaya.

Dohneiiong

The Meghalayan people by and large are fond of spicy, delicious and flavored food items.Meghalayan cuisine Dohneiiong is one of the most decorative, palatable and colorful dishes prepared in that state. Dohneiiong is a very famous dish served on different occasions. People over there are very fond of taking this extremely mouth watering dish.

It is a fact that every cuisine talks about the culture of that region. This is because different region has different taste buds and different cooking styles. Some people are fond of desert foods while some are more keen to take foods with lots of gravy.

Those who love to peep into the recipes of various cultures, for them, Meghalaya cuisine has loads to offer ranging from desert foods to hot gravy ones. Usage of lots of spices and colorful ingredients are some notable features of Meghalayan cuisine.

The Meghalayan dish Dohneiiong is a gravy item made of pork. Sesame black seeds are used to give this dish a dark look which gives a more lucrative surface to this item. Meghalayan recipe Dohneiiong is prepared with lots of green chilly, oil and other spicy ingredients.

The Meghalayan people are not restricted into any rule book. They love to experiment with different foods and love to mix and match two or three different items in a single recipe. Try this extremely delicious item if you are a visitor of Meghalaya.

Tungrymbai



Tungrymbai is a special dish of Meghalaya that is largely taken with everyday meals by the peasants of Meghalaya. This food contains a high nutritious value as it is made of beans, porks and black sesame.

Things needed to cook this Meghalayan cuisine Tungrymbai are:
  • Beans which after fermentation becomes more soft and delicious.
  • Porks chopped in small pieces as to get boiled soon.
  • Black Sesame to give a dark green color to this food.
  • Ginger to add the final taste in the dish.
  • Onion (it is necessary only if someone is fond of onions)
The Preparation of Tungrymbai is given below:

Firstly take maximum two cups full of beans and soak them into cold water for a couple of hours. Once the beans get hydrated then pour it into a pressure cooker and leave it on heat at least for six whistles.

Now take a bowl and pour water in it. After that leave the bowl over the oven to boil the water. The estimation of water should be taken care of as it will either enhance or reduce the taste of Tungrymbai. Pour the chopped porks and fermented beans into the boiled water and leave it over the heat at least for an hour to get boiled properly.

By the mean time, fry the sesame on heat without using oil. After frying the sesame, dump them into a grinder for grinding. Once the beans and the porks are boiled, then add the grinded sesame into the mixture and cook it for a few minutes. Once the dish is prepared, then add the chopped ginger into the mixture to give it a delicious taste and flavor. This recipe of Tungrymbai will surely help you to cook this delicious food at home.

Pumaloi

Have you ever tasted a steamed rice? If not then you can try a special kind of a rice called Pumaloi which is available in Meghalaya. Peep into the cuisine of Meghalaya for you will come to learn a completely different style of rice cooking there.

The Khasi people are habituated in the consumption of beat rice items which are often colorful like red or yellow and even dust or powered rice is also very famous among them. A typical Khasi meal would consider one of these special rice items as an integral item.

Meghalayan rice Pumaloi is a special powdered rice and is a very favorite dish of the Khasi people. The Pumaloi rice when teamed with other spicy food items makes a delicious lunch or dinner.

The Pumaloi rice is basically a steamed rice. This rice comes in a powdered from. Thus it is necessary to take special care of the rice while cooking the food. Khiew ranei is a specially made pot that is used to cook this special rice. Neither extremely low nor extremely high heat is suitable for cooking this rice. So the heat should be in control. Even the use of water should be taken care of as excessive water will reduce the taste of the rice. Pumaloi rice of Meghalaya is used during public celebrations and other occasions. The powered rice Pumaloi is undoubtedly a very special kind of rice of Meghalaya.


Jadoh, Putharo, Pudoh, Pukhlein are some varieties of rice that are available in the Meghalayan market. People of that state consume these rice on different occasions and seasons of the year. Among them the Meghalayan rice Pukhlein is very popular among the natives of Meghalaya and has become an essential part of many occasions.

The recipe of Pukhlein is given below:

The Pukhlein is a powered rice which is easily available in the markets of Meghalaya. Mix jaggery with this rice according to your likings. Once the mixture is prepared, then keep that aside for a while. Put a pan on the oven and let it get hot first. After a couple of minutes pour oil into the pan and minimize the heat. Once the oil starts getting hot, pour the jaggery mixed dust rice into the hot oil. Fry the rice in a low heat until the whole mixture appears brown.

Remove the rice from heat and then keep it in a bowl. Khasi rice Pukhlein is desired to be served hot as only hot Pukhlein can give the crispy taste to it. Pork and fish items are best items that can be taken along with this rice. One can serve this rice along with meat, fish or other spicy foods. Taste this north eastern rice Pukhlein; you will surely love to have it once again.

Last Updated on : 14/06/2013