Berma Bwtwi

Fermented dried fish curry — berma (sun-dried, fermented small fish) broken apart and fried in a small amount of oil with shallots, green chilli, ginger, and turmeric until the berma crisps slightly at the edges, then water added and the whole simmered into a thin, deeply savoury curry whose dominant flavour is the complex, umami-rich fermented fish. Seasonal vegetables — raw banana, pumpkin, colocasia leaves — are sometimes added. The berma bwtwi is the vehicle through which most Tripuri families consume their daily protein: berma is inexpensive, long-lasting, and available year-round, making it more accessible than fresh fish or meat. The pungency of the fermented fish is considered desirable — a house that smells of berma bwtwi cooking is a house where the proper meal is being prepared. Eaten over plain boiled rice.