Think about bamboo shoots and most people are immediately going to shrink their noses. Though packed with protein, vitamin A, B6 and E, and antioxidants like niacin and thiamine, bamboo shoot is more well known for its smell—which only those who love it refer to as an aroma. But once you do get over the aroma and dig into the dish, you will realize just how delicious bamboo shoot is. One way to do this is with this Assamese Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo.
While people across the Northeast of India relish bamboo shoot curries and dals just as much as East and Southeast Asians do, not everyone in the rest of India can handle the ingredient with the care and love it deserves. For this author, it was the introduction to Assamese and Manipuri dishes that helped acclimatize to the brilliance that is bamboo shoot—and Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo was one of the dishes that prompted this conversion into a bamboo shoot lover.
Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo is a very simple chicken curry. In fact, a closer look at the onion and spice base will make you believe that the dish is just like any other chicken curry cooked across the nation—except for the bamboo shoot element. Being a very savoury and pungent ingredient, bamboo shoot adds more depth to any dish. So, when added to Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo, the simple Indian chicken curry is transformed into an umami delight from the heartland of Assam.
Video credit: YouTube/The Slurrp Diaries
If you already love cooking and eating bamboo shoot, then you will definitely enjoy making this recipe. If you are a bamboo shoot novice, then this Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo is a great place to start. Here’s the recipe you can try for your next meal.
Ingredients:
500g chicken, curry cut
1 cup bamboo shoot, sliced
3 large onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 green chillies, slit
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp garam masala
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp mustard oil
1 cup hot water
Method:
1. Heat a heavy-bottomed iron wok and add mustard oil.
2. Once the mustard oil starts smoking, reduce the heat a bit and add the onions.
3. Slow cook the onions until they turn brown.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste, chillies and cook until the raw smell of ginger and garlic are gone.
5. Now add in the chicken and stir fry for five minutes.
6. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper, garam masala and salt.
7. Stir fry the spices with the chicken for another 10-15 minutes.
8. Add the sliced bamboo shoot now and mix well.
9. Now add the water, mix well and cover to cook until the chicken and the bamboo shoot are both cooked.
10. If you want the dish to be dry then let all the water evaporate.
11. Once ready, serve the Khorisa Diya Murgir Mangxo with rice or roti.