Chicken slow-cooked in a thin broth with wild herbs and ginger in the Zeliangrong tribal tradition of eastern Manipur — a preparation using foraged ingredients from the surrounding forest.
Ingredients
1 kg chicken — bone-in pieces
3 cups water
1.5 inch ginger — sliced
4 garlic cloves — crushed
2 stalks lemongrass — bruised
3 to 4 dried or fresh red chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
Wild herbs available locally — perilla (shiso) leaves, fresh basil or coriander
Fresh spring onion to garnish
Method
Place chicken pieces in a heavy pot with 3 cups cold water.
Bring to a boil. Skim all foam thoroughly from the surface.
Add sliced ginger, crushed garlic, bruised lemongrass stalks, red chillies, turmeric and salt.
Reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until chicken is completely tender.
The broth should be clear and deeply aromatic from the lemongrass and ginger.
In the last 5 minutes add wild herbs — if using perilla leaves add them now for 2 minutes; if using basil add at the very end off heat.
Taste and adjust salt.
Garnish with spring onion. Serve in deep bowls with steamed rice, the broth poured over everything.