Wahan Muya Chakhwi

Pork and bamboo shoot stew — pork pieces simmered with fresh or fermented bamboo shoots (muya), shallots, green chilli, ginger, turmeric, and berma in a light, clear broth. The pork fat renders slowly into the broth and gives it a silky, unctuous quality; the bamboo shoots absorb the fat and become the richest, most flavourful element in the pot. The berma seasons the broth without dominating it. Cooked slowly over a wood fire in Tripura's traditional kitchen; the slow heat allows the bamboo shoot's astringency to completely disappear while its natural sweetness emerges. The stew is poured generously over rice so the broth soaks into the grain. One of the most celebrated preparations for Tripuri festivals, particularly the Garia puja (the worship of the forest deity) when pork and bamboo shoot are the prescribed offerings.