Black gram cooked with fermented bamboo shoot (bas tenga) and dried chilli in mustard oil — the vegetarian protein preparation of Nagaland. Fermented bamboo shoot adds a distinctive sour, tangy note that makes this unlike any other dal in India.
Ingredients
1 cup whole black gram (sabut urad with skin) — soaked overnight
1/2 cup fermented bamboo shoot (sourly fermented, available at Northeast stores — or use fresh bamboo boiled in water until slightly sour)
3 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 garlic cloves — coarsely crushed
3 dried red chilli
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 onion — finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
spring onions for garnish
Method
Pressure cook the black gram: Drain soaked black gram. Pressure cook with 4 cups water and turmeric for 12 to 15 whistles until completely soft.
Prepare fermented bamboo shoot: If using fermented bamboo, drain and rinse. Cut into thin strips. The sourness of fermented bamboo is the key — it adds a tang that distinguishes this dal from plains preparations.
Heat mustard oil until smoking: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil until smoking. Reduce to medium.
Fry garlic: Add crushed garlic. Fry 30 seconds until golden.
Add cumin, dried chilli and asafoetida: Add cumin seeds — crackle. Add dried red chilli and asafoetida. Stir 15 seconds.
Add fermented bamboo shoot: Add the fermented bamboo shoot strips. Stir and cook 3 minutes — the sour fermented bamboo will release its characteristic tangy aroma.
Combine with dal: Pour the cooked black gram dal into the pan. Add salt. Stir well. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the bamboo shoot flavour infuses through the dal.
Serve: Scatter spring onions. Serve with steamed rice.
Note: Fermented bamboo shoot (called bas tenga in Assam and similarly fermented in Nagaland) is a key souring and flavouring ingredient of the northeast region. In Nagaland, bamboo shoots are fermented in sealed bamboo tubes for several weeks, producing a sour, pungent ingredient used in dals, meat preparations and soups. The sourness of fermented bamboo is distinct from tamarind or kokum — more complex and earthy.