Manipur Singju Bora (Snacks) Food Trail l Paknam + Pakoda Thongba + Aalu Saak + Cha Ngang + Mimi

In the first episode of our Manipur Food Series, we are taking you on a snacks trail in Imphal as it is the best way to get introduced to the local flavours and ingredients. Accompanying us in this journey is our knowledgeable host from the city, Ammo Angom who is the founder of Living Manipur, an offbeat tour organization from the state. It was a delightful journey that led us deep into the heart of Manipur's culinary culture.

Snacks is primarily a post lunch or evening affair over here. The first destination that ammo led us to was a quaint little place with no signage and was bounded by tin sheets. Such small nondescript eateries are referred to as hotels. And as Ammo said these are the places where one gets the best of snacks all freshly made. Our order included some popular dishes like singju bora, paknam, pakida thongba and aalu shak. The highlight of the spread was the singju which is the most ubiquitous dish in the valley. It is a salad-like snack made with varying fresh veggies, herbs and consuments. But the two key ingredients that go into it are fermented fish ngari and perilla seeds. This one was made of shredded banana stem, local chive called nakkupi and the condiments. Singju is mostly spicy and piquant. We loved the interplay of fresh flavoyrs and textures. This hearty pocket friendly meal showcased the region's love for fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Next we went another popular singju bora stall to try the new age variant of this traditional dish. It was the Mimi Singju that was made with cabage, Mimi, ngari, perilla seeds and salt. they served it with an array of raw vegetables.


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