Traditional Smoked Meat of Arunachal Pradesh | Smoked Meat With Bamboo Shoots Preparation of Arunachal

Smoked meat of Arunachal Pradesh is traditionally prepared by smoking meat in a wrapper of banana leaf. But before going to the preparation of this dish, lets know some facts about Arunachal Pradesh. India's one of the beautiful state of North-East region  is Arunachal Pradesh. This is the state where first ray of Sun falls in India. It is a state of serene beauty and one of the most coveted place of tourists. Its tradition and culture are the main attraction  of Indian tourism. Different dishes of food  forms an essential part of the culture of North East India. And that is  true for   Arunachal Pradesh also. Arunachal Pradesh is a state of different tribes like Apatani, Nyishi, Khampti, Mishmi etc. This state has a varieties of foods and one thing you should know about Arunachal Pradesh food is that it differs from tribe to tribe. 

Smoked meat is one typical dish from Arunachal Pradesh which  the native tribes of the area like very much and is made using traditional smoking methods. Here is a recipe of Traditional smoked meat  of Arunachal Pradesh:

If you like food of North-Eastern states  of  India, here is some recipe for you:

1. Assamese Aloo Pitika Recipe
2. Duck Meat curry of Assam
3. Ouu Khatta Recipe | Elephant Apple Chutney in Assamese Style
4. Baanhgajor Lagot Kukura Recipe | Chicken with Bamboo Shoot Curry in Assamese Style
5. Pani hamuk Recipe | Water Snails Recipe In Assamese Style

Ingredients of Smoked Meat :

• 1 kg of meat (you may take pork, beef, or venison according to your choice)
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Ginger-garlic paste (2 tablespoons)
• Bamboo shoots (Though optional, but frequently  used in Arunachal Pradesh)
• Banana leaves (for wrapping)
• Salt to taste
• Firewood or charcoal for smoking

Instructions of Making Smoked Meat:

Marination of Meat:

1. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces after cleaning it well. and chop it into medium-sized pieces for preparation. You may use any type of meat, although traditionally, pig is the most prevalent choice.

2. Place the meat pieces in a mixing dish for  marination and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and ginger-garlic paste. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly so that  meat is uniformly covered. You can also  use bamboo shoots in the marinade if you’re using them. Now keep the meat in the refrigerator to be marinated for at least two hours though it is better if you can keep it over night night.

Preparation of  the smoking setup: 

1. According to traditional Arunachal Pradeshi cookery, firewood is used to smoke food in a contained space.  You may recreate this arrangement if you have access to a grill or a conventional smoking device. Light the firewood or charcoal within your smoking device and let it burn until a consistent amount of smoke is produced.

Final Preparation of Smoked Meat Of Arunachal Pradesh:

1. Cut banana leaves into sizable squares (4- 5 pcs ) to wrap the marinated meat in. Now place some meat on each banana leaf square and  fold the leaves to make a package. Take care that  the meat is entirely encased. 

2. By the time, hope the wood or charcoal has started to emit a continuous quantity of smoke. Now place the wrapped meat packages onto the grill or smoking appliance. Cover the device carefully to keep the smoke within it. Smoke the meat for two to three hours but the smoking duration may change depending on the thickness and type of meat you used.  Keep your eyes on it and take care that the meat doesn’t burn. 

3. After 2-3 hours, take one packet from the smoking device to see if it is finished.  open the packet and  check  if the meat is cooked and tender. If it isn’t completely done, rewrap it  and smoke again  for a short while. 

4. Take it out of the smoking pot when the smoked meat is ready to be served. Open the banana leaves package and remove the meat from it and place it  on a serving plate. Smoked meat can be served as a main course or as a side dish with steamed rice. 

Enjoy the traditional Arunachal Pradesh-style smoked meat!

Note:  Barbeque grill or a smoking device, may be needed for the smoking procedure. But if you don't have any such device, you can try using a stovetop smoker or some other  smoking techniques, but the flavor  may differ.

 Recipe Card

Cuisine: Arunachal Pradesh, Country: India, Course: Main Course/ Side Dish, Marination Time: 2 Hours, Prep Time: 2 Hours, Total Time: 4 Hours