Chingri Chakhwi

Prawn and vegetable stew — fresh river prawns cooked in a thin, lightly spiced broth with seasonal vegetables (raw banana, pumpkin tips, water spinach, or wild leafy greens from the forest), shallots, green chilli, ginger, turmeric, and berma. The prawns are added to the simmering vegetable broth in the final five minutes of cooking so they remain plump and just cooked. The broth, which carries the prawn's natural sweetness, the berma's depth, and the vegetable's freshness, is the primary element — the solids are accompaniments to the broth served over rice. The chingri chakhwi is the lighter, more delicate counterpart to the pork-based chakhwi; made when prawns are available from the rivers and tanks that are central to Tripura's landscape.