Quintessential Food Of Meghalaya That Cannot Be Missed

The world of travellers knows about the beauty and food of Meghalaya. Sweet weather. Beautiful streets and wonderful hills blow your minds away. But is that all about it? Certainly not! The “abode of clouds” houses more than just some beautiful scenery. Along with all the hills, clouds and beautiful landscapes, Meghalaya is popular for its local dishes. And as the word food teases your taste buds, here’s a list of 10 traditional dishes of Meghalaya that every traveller must try to experience the authentic cuisine of Meghalaya.

Must Try food In Meghalaya

1. Nakham Bitchi Food Of Meghalaya

Getting the top spot in this list of famous food of Meghalaya is  a delicious soup to satisfy your foodie soul. Best suited for consuming after a spicy meal, Nakham Bitchi is made of dry fish with vegetables. This dish is flavoured with lots of spicy chilies and pepper to enhance its taste and add tanginess to it. Post boiling, the vegetables are added to the soup with fish. 100% nutritious and healthy making it a staple food of Meghalaya.

2. Dohkhlieh Dish Of Meghalaya

If you’re a pork fan, then this famous food of Meghalaya is for you. Sharply sliced pieces of pork, onion, mint, and some spices to taste, Dohkhlieh is one dish that’s super rich in protein and is filled with all the nutrition one can get. The taste is tangy and you can buy yourself a good Dohkhlieh salad from almost all food places in mesmerising Meghalaya. This traditional food of Meghalaya is as traditional as it can get! 

3. Jadoh Meghalaya Dish

Regarded as the most famous food of Meghalaya, Jadoh is appetising, nutritionally rich and unique in its colour. Another pork dish on the list, Jadoh, consists of rice. The recipe involves cooking rice with chicken, fish or pork and for some extra taste, green chilies, onions, ginger, turmeric, bay leaves and black pepper. All of this is fried and cooked. Sounds tasty, right? Well then you must try this dish on your next Christmas and New Year trip to Meghalaya. Cuisine of Meghalaya just keeps getting interesting, doesn’t it?

4.Pumaloi Food

Rice is one of the most popular food ingredients of Meghalaya. No wonder, the people of Meghalaya consume rice in a number of ways and Pumaloi is one of the most favourite ones. Moving further, Pumaloi means rice in the form of powder. This powder is put to steam and cooked inside a unique pot called Khiew Ranei. While cooking this dish, the heat is on a medium level with the right amount of water. All of this goes into bringing up the bright taste powdery taste of Pumaloi. And makes it worth each buck when you’re tasting the traditional food of Meghalaya!

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5. Minil Songa Food Of Meghalaya

One of the most popular Garo dishes of Meghalaya, Minil Songa is a sticky form of rice. Basically, the dish comprises sticky rice with a rich nutty flavour along with a delicate texture. Speaking of how it becomes so sticky, the starch does the job. To prepare a serving of Minil Songa, you’ll have to boil the rice in fresh bamboo and eat it as a snack. Apart from the brilliant taste, it also helps in constipation and improving digestion, making this food of Meghalaya an interesting cure too.

6. Sakin Gata Meghalaya Dish

Vegetarian food ? Yes! Rice cakes? Yes! Sakin Gata is another rice dish on this list. Made by soaking sticky rice in water overnight and then adding sugar to the amalgamate, this dish has alternate layers of rice. Apart from this, Sakin Gata consists of roasted sesame seeds arranged in banana leaves, which are placed in a unique cooking pot and then steamed. The best way to serve is hot out of the pot as a wholesome homemade delish. 

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7. Kyat- Authentic Meghalayan Drink

A unique addition in this Meghalaya food list and a true symbol of Meghalayan hospitality, Kyat is one heaven of a party drink. Made naturally using rice, Kyat is a fermented rice beer with an ultra-unique flavour. For preparation, the ingredients are put to boil in water. After that, the drink gets ready and can be garnished with local ingredients and served. Shillong is one of the best places for enjoying Kyat. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get it anywhere else on your next Meghalaya road trip. Each and every bar that you see in Meghalaya can serve you this beauty of a drink. Clearly, the drink’s fame and goodness is unmatched. No wonder, no household in Meghalaya will let you leave without having a glass of Kyat. Sweet, right?

8. Pukhlein Dish Of Meghalaya

The list of famous Meghalaya dishes is incomplete without Pukhlein. More powdered rice for the seekers of heavenly food in Meghalaya. Pukhlein as mentioned above is made with rice powder. But different from the others here, this dish is sweet for a change. And guess the sweetner? Natural jaggery!  Brilliant, right? The dish is prepared by frying the jaggery and rice mixture in a pan forming a deep and thick paste. The ingredients in the pan turn golden brown and crispy. That’s the rice speaking of its sweet taste. To make the most out of this dish, you can serve it with a wide variety of meat items. It’s so simple and so delicious, missing out on it whilein Meghalaya will be a really bad idea. 

9. Pudoh Food Of  Meghalaya

This is a dish which is pretty much like the Pumaloi. Another one made of powdered rice (Yes! They love rice), Pudoh has pork pieces in it. A mix of rice dust and pork pieces goes up for a steam. This infuses the pork’s flavour to the rice. Apart from this, a rich curry sauce is prepared for adding up to the flavor. The final end result is a meal which you can serve on special occasions like weddings and carnivals.

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10. Doh-Neiiong Dish Of Meghalaya

Another one on the list is this lilting, yummy mix of pork and curry. The dish is such heaven on earth, that it’ll definitely leave you licking your fingers. With pork and a rich thick gravy adding generous flavours along with the green chillies, pepper, red onions, black sesame and local spices, Doh-neiiong is something you can’t find anywhere else. And then, if you love pork, what else can you ask for? A thick juicy gravy with pork pieces cut fine, literally mouth watering. Totally something that you can’t miss out when exploring the cuisine of Meghalaya.

While for some food is a means of survival, there’s a bunch of people who travel states and even nations for food. Not that, you particularly have to be in that creed to try, love and appreciate new food items though. Keeping the same in mind, we came up with this ‘finger licking good’ list of 10 local food dishes of Meghalaya food every traveler must try.

Written By : Aryaman Punj