Tripura Gudok Boiled Vegetable Fermented Fish Mash

Method

1. 1

   Boil the vegetables: Boil potatoes and any other chosen vegetable in salted water until completely soft. Drain and keep warm.

2. 2

   Roast the berma: Roast dried berma pieces over a flame or in a dry pan for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Roast the dried red chilli: Roast dried red chilli in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes until darkened.

4. 4

   Roast the garlic: Roast whole garlic cloves over a flame or in a dry pan until the skin darkens and inside softens. Peel.

5. 5

   Pound berma and chilli: In a stone mortar, pound the roasted berma and roasted dried red chilli together into a coarse paste.

6. 6

   Add garlic: Add the roasted peeled garlic. Pound together.

7. 7

   Add the boiled vegetables: Add the warm boiled potatoes and other vegetables to the mortar. Pound and mash together with the berma-chilli paste.

8. 8

   Combine thoroughly: The gudok should be a rough, unified mash where the berma flavour permeates every part of the vegetable. Do not over-pound — keep some texture.

9. 9

   Taste and season: Taste the gudok. The berma provides salt and savouriness. Add a tiny pinch of additional salt only if needed.

10. 10

    Serve: Serve in a bowl alongside steamed rice. A small amount of gudok eaten with rice is a complete simple meal.

11. 11

    Note: Gudok is the Tripuri term for this style of boiled-and-mashed vegetable preparation with fermented fish — directly parallel to Manipur's eromba. This reflects the broader cultural connection between Tripura and Manipur as states where the Tibeto-Burman tribal food tradition of using fermented fish as the primary seasoning for vegetables is practised. Gudok is eaten daily in Tripuri tribal households.