Chakhwi
Tripuri bamboo shoot stew with raw papaya and a low, savoury note of dried fish
Allergens in Chakhwi: fish.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 200g, sliced thin Bamboo Shootfermented shoot is traditional; fresh boiled shoot works and is milder
- 300g, peeled, deseeded and cubed Raw Papaya
- 30g Dried Fishthe nearest catalogued stand-in for berma, Tripura's fermented dried fish; toast it hard before use and expect a saltier, cleaner flavour than the original
- 2, cubed Potato
- 4, slit Green Chilli
- 6 cloves, crushed Garlic
- 1 tbsp, chopped Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 litre Water
- to taste Salt
- 1 tbsp, slaked in 3 tbsp cold water Rice Flourgives the broth just enough body to clingoptional
- 100g, cut into 3cm lengths French Beansoptional
- 1 tbsp Neutral OilTripuri cooking uses very little oil, and the dish is often made with none at alloptional
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Toast and crumble the dried fish first, in a separate pan, before anything else goes on the stove.
- If your bamboo shoot is fresh, boil it in a change of water for 10 minutes and drain, or the stew will be harsh.
- Raw papaya must be genuinely raw and green. A half-ripe one turns to mush and sweetens the pot.
Method
- Dry-toast the dried fish over low heat for 3 minutes until brittle and strongly fragrant, then crumble it.
- Warm the oil in a deep pan and fry the garlic and ginger for 1 minute until they smell sweet.
- Add the bamboo shoot and cook 4 minutes, until the sharp raw smell softens.Do not lean over the pan at this point. Bamboo shoot is aggressive in the first two minutes.
- Stir in the crumbled fish and the turmeric and cook 1 minute.
- Add the papaya, potato and water, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the papaya turns translucent at the edges.
- Add the beans and green chillies and simmer 6 minutes more.
- Stir in the slaked rice flour and cook 2 minutes, until the broth thickens just enough to leave a film on the spoon.Slake it in cold water first. Dry flour tipped into hot broth lumps instantly.
- Season with salt (the dried fish has done much of the work) scatter the coriander and serve with rice.
Safe temperatures: Fish is done at 63°C / 145°F, or when it turns opaque and flakes easily. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated. The papaya softens further overnight, which most people prefer. Reheat to a bare simmer and loosen with a little water.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Chakhwi (461 g) is about 199 calories, or 44 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 9 g a serving, 19% of the calories
| Per serving461 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 199 kcal | 44 kcal |
| Protein | 9.4 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 33.5 g | 7 g |
| of which sugars | 9.3 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 5.5 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 4.2 g | 1 g |
| of which saturated | 0.6 g | 0 g |
| of which unsaturated | 3.3 g | 1 g |
Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Northeast Indian recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.