Bamboo Shoot Pork
Tender young bamboo shoots — sliced and fermented or used fresh — slow-cooked with pork pieces in mustard oil until the shoots absorb the rendered fat and the pork becomes deeply succulent. The bamboo provides a sharp, tangy, slightly sour counterpoint to the fatty richness of the pork. A tribal preparation shared across the entire forested belt of eastern and northeast India.
Cuisines
Jharkhand
Manipuri
Mizo
Sikkimese
Arunachali
Naga
Meghalayan
Assamese
Tripuri
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 250 grams | pork, cut into small pieces |
| 1 cup | fresh bamboo shoots, sliced |
| 1 medium | onion, finely chopped |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 inch | ginger, minced |
| 2 tablespoons | mustard oil |
| 2 pieces | green chilies, slit |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | red chili powder |
| 1 teaspoon | coriander powder |
| — | salt to taste |
| 1 cup | water |
| 2 tablespoons | fresh coriander leaves, chopped |
Instructions
- 1 Heat mustard oil in a pan until it starts to smoke slightly.
- 2 Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
- 3 Add the minced garlic and ginger, and sauté for another minute.
- 4 Add the pork pieces to the pan and cook until they are browned on all sides.
- 5 Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well.
- 6 Add the sliced bamboo shoots and green chilies to the pan, and stir to combine.
- 7 Pour in the water, cover the pan, and let it simmer on low heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until the pork is tender and the bamboo shoots are cooked.
- 8 Once cooked, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.
Tips
If using canned bamboo shoots, rinse them thoroughly to remove any brine taste.