Eromba

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 cup French beans or yongchak (stink beans), cut
• ½ cup fermented bamboo shoot (soibum), optional
• 1 small brinjal
• 2 tbsp ngari (fermented fish)
• 4–6 dried red chillies or 1 Manipuri chilli (umorok)
• Salt to taste
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• A handful of coriander or maroi (Manipuri chives), chopped

Method

1. Boil the potatoes, beans, brinjal and bamboo shoot in a little salted water until soft. Drain, keeping a few spoons of the water.
2. Wrap the ngari in a piece of banana leaf or foil and roast it on a dry pan or over a flame for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Roast the dried chillies lightly.
4. Pound the chillies, ngari and salt together in a mortar (or mash in a bowl).
5. Add the boiled vegetables and mash everything together roughly, adding a little cooking water if too dry.
6. Mix in the spring onions and herbs and serve with steamed rice.