Into the Kitchen

Thought what to write on my blog.. then this came to my mind.


bamboo Shoot pickles;

We meiteis( Manipuri ) love Soibum ( fermented bamboo shoots ) but yes we just stick to just few preparation style,at present I stay away from home so new ideas always keep clicking when it comes to meitei (Manipuri ) cuisine. I have never tasted Soibum pickles before ..back home, but keep hearing from my colleagues who hail from other part of northeast and that it is a mouth watering item. Here, I will show in few easy steps how we can prepare bamboo shoot pickles with easily available spices. I tried and the result was just great!!!

Here I go..

Ingredients;

Fermented Bamboo Shoot ( Soibum ) - a handful or say a bowl.
Mustard oil- a cup
fenugreek seeds -1 Spoon
Cumin seeds- half a Spoon
Coriander seeds- coarsely grounded- 1 Spoon
Mustard seeds- few grains
Garlic - 7 to 10 cloves (whole)
Dried red chiilies )- as per preference
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Soak the bamboo shoots for few hours in salted water for 2 to 3 hours , drain excess water and thinly slice it maintaining its length and keep it aside, heat mustard oil, add mustard seeds, methi seeds, zeera and the grounded coriander seeds and stir for a minute, add the chillies ( coarsely crushed ). Now add the bamboo shoots and sprinkle salt as per requirement and sauté for just a minute or two so as to let the aroma of all the spice blend well with the bamboo shoots. Let it cool for half an hour , use a clean glass jar to store this. Once the jar is filled with the mixture add the fresh garlic cloves( these garlic cloves when pickled for few days tastes unique and tangy with the flavor of the bamboos shoot).

You can eat it instant or keep the jar out in the sunlight for a day or two and pickle it and store it for weeks.

Note:
1)After the preparation is over, one can actually add in raw mustard oil in it for better taste.
2)The more chillies you add the tastier the pickles, you can vary it to your taste though.
.
This pickle goes very well with plain rice meal as a side dish, with fried rice , khichdi / pulao.. the taste is just awesome :)

Enjoy!