Smoked pork cooked with fresh or fermented bamboo shoots and ghost pepper — the most prepared everyday meat preparation of Nagaland. The smoking adds a layer of flavour that makes this distinct from all other bamboo-pork preparations across India.
Ingredients
400 g smoked pork (available at Northeast specialty stores — or smoke pork yourself by grilling over charcoal for 20 minutes; alternatively use pork belly with 1 tsp liquid smoke)
1.5 cups bamboo shoots — fresh (boil 15 minutes in salted water first) or canned (drain and rinse)
1 tbsp oil
1 onion — finely chopped
4 garlic cloves — finely chopped
1 to 2 Raja Mirchi or Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper — or substitute with 3 dried red chilli)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
spring onions for garnish
Method
Prepare the smoked pork: Cut smoked pork into 3 cm pieces. Smoked pork is already cooked — it needs less simmering time than raw pork.
Prepare bamboo shoots: If fresh, boil bamboo shoots for 15 minutes in salted water to remove bitterness. Drain and cut into thin strips. If canned, drain and rinse thoroughly.
Heat oil: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pan on medium.
Add ghost pepper or chilli: Add slit ghost pepper or dried red chilli. Stir 30 seconds. The Naga ghost pepper (Raja Mirchi) is one of the world's hottest — use extreme caution and adjust to heat tolerance. Use gloves when handling fresh ghost pepper.
Add bamboo shoots: Add the prepared bamboo shoot strips. Stir to coat with the spiced onion. Cook 3 minutes.
Add smoked pork: Add the smoked pork pieces. Stir to combine. Add turmeric.
Add water and simmer: Add 1/2 cup water. Add salt carefully — smoked pork is already salty. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the bamboo shoots are tender and the flavours have melded.
Serve: Garnish with spring onions. Serve with steamed rice.
Note: Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot is the most eaten everyday preparation across Nagaland — the combination of smoked pork and fresh or fermented bamboo shoot is found in every Naga household regardless of tribe. Nagaland has 16 major tribes each with distinct food traditions, but smoked pork and bamboo shoot appears in all of them. The smoked pork is prepared by smoking over wood fires — a preservation and flavouring technique used for centuries in the northeastern hills.