Mosdeng Serma
Tripuri roasted chilli condiment — dried red chillies roasted directly over fire or in a dry pan until blistered and charred in spots, then pounded in a mortar with raw shallots, garlic, green chilli, salt, and sometimes a small piece of berma into a coarse, rough paste. The roasting of the dry chilli is the defining step: it produces a smoky, bitter-edged heat unlike either fresh or un-roasted dried chilli. The mosdeng is not a cooked chutney but a raw preparation eaten immediately; it has a thick, textured paste consistency and is used in small quantities as an intense condiment alongside rice, pork, or fish. Mosdeng serma (serma = chilli/pepper in Kokborok) is the base flavour backbone of Tripuri cooking — it appears in various forms at every meal. Considered the Tripuri equivalent of Northeast India's raja mircha (king chilli) preparations.
Cuisines
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 200 grams | freshly grated coconut |
| 2 tablespoons | mustard oil |
| 2 | green chilies |
| 1 medium | onion |
| 1 teaspoon | red chili powder |
| 1 teaspoon | sugar |
| 1 | lemon |
| — | salt to taste |
Instructions
- 1 Finely chop the onion and green chilies.
- 2 In a mixing bowl, combine the grated coconut, chopped onion, and green chilies.
- 3 Add the mustard oil, red chili powder, and sugar to the bowl.
- 4 Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
- 5 Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the mixture and add salt to taste.
- 6 Mix again and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- 7 Serve immediately as a side dish or accompaniment.
Tips
For a more authentic taste, use fresh coconut and adjust the number of chilies based on your spice preference.