A shout-out to bamboo shoot

Its crunchy texture, woody flavour with bitter undertones notwithstanding, the bamboo shoot, once cooked or fermented well, is an elixir of good health, writes Sangeeta Sen

Stir-fried spicy chicken with bamboo shoots

Last weekend, as I sat down for lunch with my family at the back courtyard of our farmhouse located near IIM (Indian Institute of Management), Joka, in South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal, the grey rain clouds drifted once again across the afternoon sky. Just then, the soft-spoken middle-aged lady gardener stepped in and offered a freshly made gravy dish, from her tiffin dabba, saying: “Taste this pahadi style Bansher Koril Desi Chicken Jhol (curry of country chicken and bamboo shoots) along with some hot steamed rice.”

As we savoured the crunchy, earthy-flavoured bamboo shoot slices, the lady gardener, quite interestingly, went back to the time of her childhood days spent in a hilly region of Chittagong, Bangladesh and related about having watched her mother simmering the salt water-boiled bansher koril (bamboo shoot) slices with the desi chicken pieces in the curry, cooked with freshly ground turmeric-cumin spices, ginger-garlic pastes and chillies, in the kadhai placed over a low-flamed mud stove. Corroborating her mother’s technique of simmering the boiled bamboo shoot slices with the desi chicken in the spiced curry, she said, smiling, “Even today, I’ve followed my mother’s tradition of simmering gently the boiled bansher koril slices with the desi chicken pieces in the spiced curry until the desi chicken turns tender and, of course, the curry has an intense earthy flavour of the freshly picked bansher koril.”

In yet another fascinating instance, for a touch of sourness to the 17th century Newar Kingdom-inspired Alu Tama, which is basically a spicy curried soup of fermented tama (bamboo shoot in Newar, Nepal’s Bhasa), cooked lobia dal (black eyed-beans) and potatoes, traditionally, fried strips of the fermented tama are added to the simmering mix of lobia dal and potatoes in the cumin and turmeric flavoured-curried soup. Quite interestingly, my Darjeeling-based acquaintance (currently residing at Kharagpur, West Bengal) explaining the significance of using fermented tama for this spicy Alu Tama cuisine, said: “The gradual simmering of fried strips of the fermented tama along with the lobia dal and potatoes in the curried soup, not only imparts a slightly sour flavour to the curried soup; but, it also intensifies the earthy flavours of other ingredients used.” Furthermore, continuing with the traditions, a bowl of slightly sour, spicy Alu Tama is usually served with the Sel Roti (traditional Nepalese rice flour-based bread). It’s not just Bengal. The crunchy, cream-coloured bamboo shoot of distinct shapes and sizes — whether boiled, fermented or dried — has been a popular ingredient for a variety of traditional cuisines in different regions across India.

Take, for instance, the case of the traditional Lungsiej Achar, rather a type of spicy pickle made with dried bamboo shoots, which was served with Ja Dai Khichdi (rice and toor dal mixture), during my homestay with my family at a heritage cottage located near Police Bazaar area of Shillong, Meghalaya. In fact, as I savoured the soft, slightly sweet bamboo shoot slices of the Lungsiej Achar, a cordial young chef explained: “As a result of the ancient Khasi tradition of pickling a mustard oil infused-mixture of dried bamboo shoot slices, seasoned with paanch phoran masala (ground masala mix of mustard, kalonji, methi, jeera and saunf seeds), the bamboo shoot slices gradually turn soft and, moreover, develop a mild sweet flavour.”

Also, at hillside Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, the age-old Santhali tradition of sautéing the dried bamboo shoots (locally called bans karil), chopped finely, with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies in mustard oil, has been known to intensify the earthy flavour of the bamboo shoots in the traditional Bans Karil Sabzi dish. Then, for a Bhubhaneshwar-based home-maker, having a fascination for cooking traditional stir-fried bamboo shoot cuisines like Karadi Bhaja, the traditional technique of frying the karadi (bamboo shoot in local Odisha dialect) slices, coated with a spiced rice flour batter, to a crispy, golden-brown perfection, and then, serving the crispy karadi slices with the traditional Odisha-style Dalma Dal (toor dal cooked with vegetables).

Interestingly, according to fascinating records of traditional cuisines using bamboo shoots, in the coastal areas of Mangaluru, Karnataka, for the traditional Baimbale Kari (a type of bamboo shoot curry dish), the gentle simmering of the fermented baimbale (bamboo shoots) slices along with the cumin and coriander spiced-coconut paste in the tamarind curry, enhances the slightly sour, sweet and earthy flavours of the dish.

Furthermore, since time immemorial, the bamboo shoot has been looked upon as an elixir of good health — in fact, according to scientific research, fresh bamboo shoots are a valuable source of proteins, dietary fibres, carbohydrates, essential amino acids and, of course, immunity-boosting vitamins and bamboo shoots are known to be rich in minerals that enhance the metabolic functions of the body. Also, the presence of chemical compounds like phytonutrients in bamboo shoots helps reduce the risk of heart ailments. Indeed, the freshly picked bamboo shoot — whether boiled, fermented or even dried — is truly versatile.