Mizoram, the state with the simplest food and rarest scenic beauty has a short and sweet array of cuisine that combines the goodness of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
18 Most Popular Foods to Eat in Mizoram
1. Bai
This dish of steamed vegetables cooked with pork, bamboo shoots and spiced local herbs is a famous dish in this northeastern state. This is even consumed by many as a soup before they jump onto the main course.
2. Vawksa Rep
Pork is eaten a lot by the locals in the state. This is a smoked pork dish with oyster sauce and vegetables relished the most when served hot. Its an amazing dish to be tried by the pork and meat lovers.
3. Momos
This South Asian delicacy is found in every state of northeastern India. It is easy to make and is very delicious. Momos are steamed dumplings stuffed either with vegetable fillings or meat fillings. The filling mixture is prepared, wrapped by a white flour sheet and steamed. This is enjoyed hot and is served with tomato and sesame chutney or soup.
4. Koat Pitha
Koat Pithas are delicious fried fritters made of just four ingredients-rice flour, banana, jaggery, and oil. They have a crispy fried covering and just melt as soon as popped in the mouth. These sweet fritters taste the best when served with Chai. These can be carried on picnics, to the office and can also be stored in air-tight containers. These can be easily found on the streets of Mizoram and on the Chai Shop counters in the glass jars.
5. Chhum Han
This is a very famous vegetarian dish in Mizoram. It is prepared in every household because it’s very easy to make. This dish is just mixed steamed vegetables with tomato and ginger added for flavouring. This dish is served hot with rice. It is very easily available and a convenient option for vegetarians in Mizoram. It is a very nutritional dish made with vegetables like cabbage, carrots, broccoli, etc.
6. Panch Phoran Tarkari
Panch Phoran consists of five spices namely fennel seeds (saunf), cumin seeds (jeera), brown mustard seeds (rai) fenugreek seeds (methi) and nigella seeds (kalonji). This Panch Phoran Tarkari has a vegetarian as well as a non-vegetarian version. the vegetarian version includes vegetables like brinjals, potatoes and pumpkins cooked in these five spices and the non-vegetarian version includes chicken or pork cooked in the spices.
7. Chhangban (Mizo Chhang)
Since the Mizos are rice eaters, they depend on rice and food items made of rice or rice flour. The chhangban is a sticky local rice bread that is made of the boiled or cooked dough of the glutinous rice. It looks like the puris or bhaturas from Punjab and Luchi from Bengal. It is eaten with vegetables or just with chai as a snack.
8. Misa Mach Poora
The seafood eaten in the state is a fresh catch from the rivers and streams. Since the people are crazy lovers of non-vegetarian food including a fish dish in their famous Mizo menu is a must. Shrimps are roasted or grilled on hot charcoals wrapped in a banana leaf. The shrimp is then cooked with plenty of local flavorful spices. The added lemon juice or orange juice gives it a tangy flavor that complements the grilled shrimp perfectly. This is one seafood dish commonly found in the state.
9. Mizo Dal and Eggs
Although most of the protein consumed by the people here is in the form of meat, dal or pulses can never find a substitute. Dal is a nutritious vegetarian option. It is cooked just like the normal dal with oil, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and spices. Sometimes boiled eggs are added to the dal which gives rise to a whole new dish, dal and eggs. It is often served with steamed rice.
10. Bamboo Shoot Fry
The state of Mizoram is known for its abundance of Bamboo resources. Bamboo is not only used for making houses, baskets, etc. but it is also eaten. The Bamboo shoot fry is a delicacy that consists of fried bamboo with vegetables and flavourings. The tough exterior of the bamboo is scaled off, then it is washed and chopped, fried and then cooked with spices, herbs, and vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, etc.
11. Sawhchiar
The Mizos prepare and enjoy simple food. The sawhchiar is made by boiling meat and rice together. The meat can be chicken, pork or mutton. This is a kind of pork stew that is prepared and is a very famous dish for special gatherings and occasions. Alternatively, veg sawhchiar is also prepared with paneer (cottage cheese) or vegetables.
12. Bekang
Bekang is another side dish that complements and goes very well with the meat dishes. It is a dish of fermented soya beans. The soya beans are washed, wrapped and put in a basket in a warm place, fermented and this is how bekang is prepared. It is also known as Akhuni. A few spices are added to include flavour. It has a pungent and strong smell.
13. Sanpiau
Another popular dish from the state is Sanpiau. It is a savoury rice porridge dish that is prepared at homes and is common at the street side shops. The boiled rice is cooked with salt and garlic until it thickens and starts gaining consistency like that of porridge. A scrambled egg is then added to it. It is served with salt and black pepper, coriander paste, powdered rice, fish sauce and is garnished with cilantro.
14. Aloo Chop
This is a very famous snack in Eastern India. It is very similar to aloo vada of Maharashtra or potato chop found in Nepal. The boiled potatoes are mashed and seasoned then rolled and shaped, dipped in gram flour and local spices paste and then deep fried in oil. This snack is very famous street food in Mizoram. People not only have it as a snack but also have it for lunch.
15. Artui Chhipchhuan Chow
Difficult to pronounce but very easy to make, this dish is just as simple as noodles with just a sunny side up fried egg on top. Noodles or chowmein is prepared by boiling and straining out the water from these noodles, adding vegetables and spices to them. Then a fried egg with its sunny side up is placed on the noodles for garnishing. This is found in every corner of Mizoram and is a staple dish.
16. Hmarcha Rawt
This is a roasted green chilli chutney made of green chillies, ginger, and onion. This is a side dish. It is often eaten with rice and has a nice, tangy and spicy flavour. Moreover, it is a specialty of Mizoram.
17. Zu (Tea)
The Zu is a popular drink consumed by the people in the state with every meal. It is a form of tea and is a must-try for everyone, especially for avid tea lovers.
18. Labrusca Grape Wine
Mizoram is a big producer of grapes and the Labrusca grape wine, prepared from fox grapes is a popular alcoholic drink in the state.
The simple and flavorful Mizo Cuisine is something people look forward to trying while planning their trip to the state.
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