According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) released in 2022, 57 per cent of Indian women and 25 per cent of men between the age group of 15-49 years suffer from anaemia. Anaemia is a condition in which a person lacks enough healthy red blood cells, which impairs blood oxygenation. Also known as low haemoglobin, anaemia can make you feel tired, weak and constantly fatigued. Now this might look like just general knowledge to you, but the fact is, the statistics prove that if you haven’t suffered from anaemia yourself, you know someone who has. I know I have.
Born anaemic like many Indian children, I have constantly battled the condition all my life. From weakness to bodyaches, I have suffered a whole spectrum of anaemia symptoms from time to time. The worst hit when I was 20, living alone in a Delhi hostel, away from family for the first time. My haemoglobin levels were so low that I felt too fatigued to attend classes or study. Doctors recommended I consume protein, vitamin B12 and iron-rich foods. That’s how I discovered Alungsa Fry at a local Northeastern dhaba.
Alungsa Fry is a Manipuri-origin dish made of the liver and lungs of chicken (mutton, pork and beef too, based on availability). Simply prepared with onions, ginger-garlic paste, and sliced liver and lungs, the dish is often made spicy with red chilli powder or green chillies. Eating the dish when I had anaemia made perfect sense. Liver is packed with iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, copper and choline, all of which help improve red blood cell production in the body.
A source of healthy proteins, having a small bowl of Alungsa Fry almost every day for a month dealt with my anaemia like nothing else could! Since then, I have continued making Alungsa Fry at home regularly just so that I can prevent the recurrence of anaemia—and it has worked. What’s more, the dish goes really well with rice, roti and can be eaten as it is. It’d delicious and the perfect addition to any non-vegetarian’s diet. Here’s the recipe for you to try out at home.
Ingredients:
200 g chicken liver, sliced
2 large onions, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
1 cup water
Coriander leaves, for garnishing
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add the onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste, and saute.
2. Once the onions turn translucent, add the liver and powdered spices.
3. Mix well and saute the ingredients for 5 minutes.
4. Now add salt and mix again. Add water and cover the pan.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the liver mix dries out and is completely cooked.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves, then serve hot with a side of rice.