DESSERTS OF NORTH- EASTERN STATES
October 28, 2020
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The desserts of north-eastern states of India have a blend of sweet tastes of the eight states. Each state’s desserts are distinct and each has its own distinctive identity. With this season of celebrations, let me take you to this region’s traditional sweets.
Let ‘s start with Assam. The first thing one thinks about, when the word Assam flashes in your mind, is Tea. But I’m going to take you on a dessert trip today.
- Bora Chaulor Payas : is a very authentic Assamese payas made of sticky rice and milk with bayleaves.
- Komolar Kheer : This Orange Kheer is a classic Assamese dessert. Its taste is a little bit different from other dishes but in an exciting sort of a way. The ingredients that are used to prepare this dish are almonds, sugar, milk, and orange pulp.
- Xutuli Pitha : Pitha is a fried dumpling with stuffed sesame seeds with some hint of sugar in it. The name Xutuli comes from a musical instrument and it is also one of the well-known Pitha in the state.
- Narikol Pitha: is a very popular coconut based dessert
- Tekeli Pitha : Tekeli is a different kind of Pitha, consisting of both Xaali and Bora Saul with the mixture of coconut, sugar, and milk powder. In some cases, there will be ground cardamom and dried orange with the whole combination put on a hearth furnace for steaming.
- Tel Pitha : is a snack in which rice powder is the main ingredient. It is available in many varieties varying from sweet to mint taste. The ingredients present in this authentic dish are rice, jaggery, oil, and aniseed. The whole batter is kept overnight for the process of fermentation and then deep fried until there is an appearance of brown colour on it.
- Koat Pitha : is a delicacy made by adding mashed ripe bananas , jaggery and rice flour for the dough. It is then made into medium sized balls and fried in ghee till golden brown.
- Goroor Payash : is a rice pudding made of jaggery , milk and rice.
- Khamen Athoomba Ashinba : Though a complicated name, this simple dessert is combination of fried tomatoes with the addition of sugar syrup. I am sure this dish looks mouth-watering.
- Jolpan : It is a snack as well as a breakfast dish which contains either roasted or ground rice. The preferred combination is curd, jaggery and cream. You can find this item during Bihu festival, weddings and other important occasions. Jolpan includes the preparation of Pitha, Ladoo, and tea.
Lets move on to the other North Eastern states and know a little about their desserts too.
- Chhangban Leh Kurtai : is a dessert of Mizoram which is a healthy and tasty treat. The main ingredients are rice flour and jaggery which are then steamed.
- Madhurjan and Cha Khao Kheer : these are desserts of Manipur . Madhurjan is a sweet besan dumpling. Cha Khao kheer is a dessert is a black rice pudding. It has medicinal properties for those who are health conscious. Assam and Manipur revived this sweet dish which consists of boiled rice with milk and some cardamoms.
- Awan Bangwi : which is made only in Tripura. It is made by mixing sticky rice, cashews sauteed in ghee, raisins, and this mixture is put in cones made of banana leaves and is steamed.
- Pukhlen : is a traditional Meghalaya dessert. It is made of rice powder and jaggery . Another famous sweet here is the shir sewaiyan.
- Sel roti : this is a very popular desset in Sikkim. It is a fried dessert and is similar to the sweet bread.
- Khapse: is a famous sweet biscuit dessert in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Naap naang: this is the black rice pudding which is the traditional dessert of Nagaland.
This was a glimpse of the varied desserts of the North Eastern states of India. Hope you enjoyed this unique blend of the lesser known desserts .
Tags: arunachal pradesh, assam, dessets, festivals, manipur, meghalaya, mizoram, nagaland, north eastern states, sikkim, tripura
Most of the dishes were new for me – this region is not very well covered in mainstream media