As the countdown begins for 2020, let’s start this new year with new beginnings and what better way to give a gastronomic delight that celebrates varied flavours and traditions.

And this time we urge to add the Assamese cuisine in your bucket list for some vivid reasons which include the confluence of cooking habits from fermentation in the hills to the plains that provide fresh veggies. Assamese cuisine is all about love and scrumptiousness.

Here are a few delicious Assamese cuisines you should not miss this holiday season:

Khaar

As they say ‘Khaar Khua Axomiya’ and Assamese love their cup of khaar curry. It is prepared with raw papaya, pulses and other ingredients. They are then filtered in water through dried banana peel’s extract. It is similar to sodium bicarbonate. Its aroma adds taste to the dish. It is generally consumed as a side dish with rice.

Masor Tenga(Fish Curry)

When in Assam do it like the Assamese. Well, the state is predominantly fish-eating with 90 per cent of its population being fish eaters. ‘Masor Tenga’ in Assam is not just a dish it is also an emotion. Great for summer, this dish is made of fish with slices of tomato/lemon/elephant apple.

Pitika

Be it aloo, begena or egg, Assamese folks love to have this dish with rice. You will always find pitika in an Assamese thali as a side dish. It is prepared with mashed potatoes or with mashed eggplant, mixed with raw mustard oil, finely chopped green chillies and onions. So yummy!

Patot dia maas

Fish steamed in banana leaves is a delicacy you should not miss. This dish is quite popular during Assamese festivities and weddings. Fishes are wrapped and steamed in banana leaf, and later garnished with chopped onion, coriander and fresh green chillies.

Hahor Mankho(Duck meat curry)

There might be several ways of cooking this meat but the Assamese love to consume it with ‘kumura’ or dry fry. It is a delicacy among the Assamese households and has a high demand in the market.

Dhekia Xaak

Assam loves xaak, green veggies and fiddlehead fern or dhekia xaak top the list. This vegetable commonly grows in the hilly regions of the Northeast. Assamese love to have this vegetable cooked with tomatoes, lentils or just simple stir fry.

Cover Photo Credit: Taste (Representative Image)