Wild and cultivated seasonal greens simply boiled with fermented fish paste and ginger — the foundational daily vegetable preparation of Tripuri cuisine at its most elemental.
Ingredients
400g mixed seasonal greens — any combination of: water spinach (kangkong), amaranth, flat beans, banana flower, moringa leaves, taro leaves
1 tsp berma (fermented fish paste) — roasted before use
1 tsp ginger — thinly sliced
2 green chillies — whole
1.5 cups water
Salt to taste only if needed
Method
Wash all greens thoroughly. Roughly chop larger leaves.
Leave smaller leaves whole. Sort by cooking time — tougher greens like flat beans and taro leaves take longer than tender water spinach and amaranth.
Roast the berma piece in a dry pan or over a flame for 2 minutes. Pound or crush roughly.
Bring 1.5 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add sliced ginger, whole green chillies and crushed berma. Boil 2 minutes.
Add the tougher greens first. Cook 3 minutes.
Add the tender greens. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until all greens are completely wilted and soft.
The cooking liquid will have reduced significantly and be flavoured by the berma.
Taste before adding salt — berma provides substantial saltiness.
Serve the greens with their cooking liquid poured over steamed rice.