HYDERABAD: Have you ever tucked into Naga cuisine? Well, if you haven’t, then you need to go to the ongoing food festival ‘Tribal Exotica, Secrets of Nagaland’ at The Sicca Bar, The Park Hyderabad. With exotic herbs and a burst of flavours, the food was effortlessly unique. Chef Alistair Lethorn, who curated the menu, decoded Naga food for us.
“The Nagas are from a warrior tribe, so they learned how to preserve their food years ago. And the best preservation method they found for meat was to smoke it. They learned how to preserve leaves and vegetables too by fermenting it. We have used a lot of fermented leaves and roots here too,” the chef explained.
An Anglo-Indian whose grandparents settled in Nagaland, Alistair grew up in a tiny town there called Dimapur. “When I started cooking, it was a time when people didn’t know where Nagaland was on the map, so I wanted to promote Naga food. Initially, it was difficult and is that way now as well, especially because you don’t get the ingredients everywhere.
Most of the ingredients are from the Northeast and I also get some from my cousins. Now I live in Goa and have my own smokers, so I smoke my own meat. Over the years, things have become easier and I am glad that I could bring Nagaland to your plate.”
The chef has been at The Park since October and says he is happy to be in Hyderabad. “I actually found some Northeastern stores here, but I carry most of my ingredients,” he shared.
Speaking a little about the ingredients used in the spread, he revealed, “We use dried fish and the Bombay duck, which was a huge success in Bombay and other places too. The chilli we have used is small and different from the usual ones. Each ingredient has its own unique flavour.”
Sitting down with some wine, we had the Smoked Pork in Dry Bamboo shoots, Chilli Lemon Chicken Wings and Grilled Prawns. The Steamed Fish with Naga Coriander had the perfect balance of flavours. The Stir-fried Portobello Mushrooms in Michinga had a unique taste.
Moving on to the main course, we had Chicken in Dry Bamboo shoots with King Chilli, Naga Pork Curry with Manipur Black Sticky Rice, and Naga Veg Curry with Yam, and Steamed Rice.
We finally ended the meal with some delicious Black Rice Pudding.
The Naga food festival is on till October 20 for dinners and on the last day, the Naga dishes will also be included in the brunch menu. If you are tempted to indulge in these flavours, then you know where to go!