Gudok

Fermented fish and vegetable stew — the most foundational preparation in Tripuri daily cooking: berma (sun-dried, fermented small fish; intensely pungent, with a concentrated saltiness resembling shrimp paste) broken into pieces and simmered in water with seasonal vegetables — raw banana, yam, pumpkin shoots, or jackfruit — shallots, green chilli, and turmeric until the berma dissolves into the broth and the vegetables are completely soft. No spice paste, no frying — everything goes into cold water together and simmers uncovered. The result is a thin, cloudy, intensely savoury broth with the vegetables absorbing the umami of the berma. The fermented fish provides all the seasoning; no additional salt is needed. The everyday meal of the Borok people: eaten daily at lunch and dinner with plain boiled rice, the broth poured over the rice and the vegetables eaten alongside.