Meitei Cuisine

Meitei cuisine or Manipuri cuisine is the food culture of the Meitei people, also known as Manipuri people, who live mainly in Manipur State, India.

The Meitei language is distantly related to Tibetan and Burmese and more closely related to the Mizo, Kuki, or Chin language. The Meitei people probably migrated to modern Manipur Basin from what is now part of China.

Imphal is a historic cultural center and the modern capital of Manipur State.

Ingredients

rice

chickpea

galangal

singju leaf

bamboo shoot(ushoi), fermented to make soibum

mushroom, jelly ear fungus

fish(nga), fermented to make ngari

duck(nganu), chicken(yen), pork(oak), beef(sen)

Dishes

• rice
• singju: chopped vegetables and herbs such as singju leaf, often served with dipping sauce
• paaknam: chickpea flour cake
• eromba: fish and vegetable dish
• chamthong: vegetable stew
• morok metpa: pounded vegetables for dipping
• nga thongba: fish curry