The flavour and essence of cooking in bamboo hollows

Delicious recipes to try your hand at.

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

Cooking in a bamboo hollows has been their tradition for a long time, and even with time and advancement, food aficionados enjoy experimenting with the flavour of food cooked in various pots and pants and definetly cooking in a bamboo hollows.

Shahi Murg Bamboo Biryani By Chef Jerson, Director of Culinary, Novotel Mumbai

“One of the simplest yet most interesting and delectable recipes learned during my forest camping days when Bamboo was the only source of steam cooking a perfect dum style biryani. This is a very unique biryani for the style in which its cooked, the earthy flavors from the marinated meat and delicate textures of the long grain basmati rice marinated with roasted spices and yogurt marry each other really well promising to give a punch to your taste buds connecting you with the scent of nature. I have given my own little twist of taste, texture, and flavor to this biryani by cooking it over a live charcoal fire using dried coconut shells as fuel,” says Chef Jerson.

Ingredients

For marinating Chicken

• 3 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp biryani masala
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 lemon
• 250 grams with bone chicken
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ cup fried onions
• ½ cup yogurt
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 4 to 5 tbsp oil
• 4 cardamoms
• 1- inch cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1/8 piece nutmeg
• 2-star anise
• 1 flower mace
• Salt as required

For Rice cooking

• 1 cup basmati rice (1 cup=250ml)
• 4 tbsp oil
• 4 cardamoms
• 1 kapok bud
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• ½ mace
• 1-star anise
• 1/8 piece nutmeg
• Salt as required
• 1/3 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp biryani masala
• ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 onion
• 2 green chilies
• 1/2 cup mint leaves

For assembling

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup of water
• Aluminum foil to cover
• 2 to 3 bamboos green

Method

Marinate the Chicken

• Take chicken into a mixing bowl.
• Add whole garam masala spices, salt as required, turmeric powder, red chili powder, biryani masala, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, fried onions, half a lemon, yogurt, mint leaves, coriander leaves, oil, and mix well.
• Leave the marinade for an hour.

Marinate the Rice

• Take raw basmati rice into a mixing bowl.
• Add oil, salt, whole garam masala spices, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, biryani masala, onions, green chilies, and mint leaves, and mix well.
• Keep it aside for an hour.

Assemble

• Clean the bamboo until you find no dust inside.
• Grease the inner part with oil.
• Put 2 spoonsful of chicken marinade first and then 4 to 5 spoons of rice. repeat the process again.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of water.
• Water runs down to the bottom through the gaps.
• Cover the bamboo with aluminum foil.

Making Bamboo Biryani

• Set fire using dry coconut shells over charcoal and put the bamboo on it.
• Leave for 30 to 35 minutes turning in between.
• Later remove it from the fire and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Serve hot on a banana leaf.

Chef’s Tip- Clean the bamboo by boiling it in hot water for 15 mins and then apply oil inside and leave it aside to rest before filling it.

Murgh Bamboo Biryani

Bamboo Chicken Biryani, By Chef Makhan Singh, Novotel Visakhapatnam

• Course: Main Course
• Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

For Bamboo Rice Biryani

• 100 g Bamboo Rice
• 100g Chicken curry cut
• 1 no Onion small, finely chopped
• 1 no Tomato small, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp Oil
• as per taste Salt

For Grinding

• 1 no Garlic Clove
• 1 no Green Chilli
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
• 2 tbsp Mint Leaves
• 1/2-inch Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

For Tempering

• a small price Cinnamon
• 2 nos Cardamoms
• 2 no Cloves
• 1 no Bay Leaf

Method

• Soak the rice for 3 to 4 hours.
• Heat ghee and oil in a pressure pan over medium flame.
• Saute the tempering ingredients for 30 seconds.
• Grind the ingredients given for grinding to a smooth paste and add to the pan.
• Stir well for a minute.
• Add the onions, and tomatoes and saute for a minute.
• Add the Chicken curry cut and pour 1 cup of water.
• Add salt and simmer for a minute or two.
• Now add the rice and bamboo cooked in a clay oven.
• Cover it
• Switch off the flame.
• When the pressure has reduced, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice using a fork.
• Serve with raita.

Bamboo Shoot Sundal & Bamboo shoot Varamilagai (red chili) Fry, By Chef Saravanan Ranganathan, Executive Chef: Novotel ibis Chennai OMR

In Asian countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma, bamboo shoot is a common ingredient. It is also used in many Indian dishes; the recipe below focuses on Tamil dishes. In Tamil, the shoot is known as Moongil Kuruthu. After harvest, the shoot is sliced and steeped in water for two to three days to eliminate toxins before being pickled.

Ingredients

• Bamboo shoot cubes- 100gms
• Sunflower oil- 15ml
• Mustard seed- 5gms
• Urad dhal split-3gms
• Dry Red chili- 3gms
• Asafetida- 2gms
• Curry leaves- 5gms
• Grated coconut- 10gms

Method

• Dice & blanch the Bamboo shoot.
• Heat Sunflower oil in a Pan, Add Mustard seeds, Urad dhal, Dry red chili, Asafoetida, and Curry leaves, and toss the Bamboo shoot in the pan.
• Add Grated Coconut to it immediately.

Bamboo shoot Varamilagai fry Ingredients

• Bamboo shoot slices- 100gms
• Sunflower oil- 300ml to fry
• Red chili Powder- 5gms
• Coriander powder- 10gms
• Turmeric Powder- 2gms
• Ginger& Garlic Powder- 10gms
• Rice flour- 20gms
• Lemon juice- 5ml
• Table salt- 7gms
• Curry leaves- 5gms

Method

• Take Bamboo shoot slices in a Mixing bowl.
• Add Chilli Powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric Powder, Ginger garlic paste, Lemon juice, Salt, and Curry leaves.
• Mix Rice flour with the marinated Bamboo shoot.
• Heat Sunflower oil in Kadai, fry the Bamboo shoot to crisp, and serve hot

Stir-fried Bamboo shoot with Pokchoy by Novotel Imagica

Ingredients

• Bamboo shoot 150 gm.
• Oil 50 ml
• Garlic 15 gm
• Onion 20 gm
• Pokchoy 50 gm
• Thai chili 2 gm
• Aromat Seasoning 2 gm
• Red Bell pepper 10 gm
• Yellow Bell pepper 1 0gm
• Sugar 2 gm
• Oyster sauce 5 gm
• Light soya sauce 2 ml
• Red wine Vinegar 2 ml
• Potato Starch 5 gm
• Spring onion 10 gm
• salt to taste

Method 

• First of all dust, the bamboo shoots with potato starch, and deep fry it.
• Now heat oil in a wok, add garlic, onion, thai chilli and saute it. Pour 100 ml of water once sauted.
• Add bamboo shoots, bell pepper, pokchoy and other seasoning. Toss it on high flame and finish it with potato starch and red wine vinegar.
• Garnish with burnt garlic and scallions.