Neramesh: vegetable dishes (Mathel Lukoi)

In this post, I will talk about Neramesh (assortment of vegetarian dishes), which we normally have in death ceremony and other religious ceremonies.  Before preparing the dishes, all the raw vegetables will be offered to the Almighty and then it will be prepared, and after the preparation is done, the dishes will be laid out in this form and will be offered to the Almighty before the guests savor it.

It is believed that earlier, in meramesh, around 108 dishes are being cooked, but with the changing trend the number has been reduced.  In some feast gatherings, we do find around 30-40 dishes being served.  The names of the dishes being served are: ooti, eromba, two or three varieties of hawai thongba, pakoura thongba, singzu, kanghou, hei thongba, sangom kher, chak-hao thongba, aachar (pickles), chumphut, shuktani,maroi thongba etc.

Here, I will tell you a bit about the preparation of these dishes.

CHUMPHUT: It is the boiled vegetables, mainly cabbage, carrots, beans, gourd etc.

EROMBA: There are many types of eromba viz yongchak-eromba, lafu-eromba, yendem & soibum eromba  etc.  In all these types of eromba preparation method is similar.  You have to boil all the required ingredients.  After the ingredients are boiled, transfer the ingredients in a container, mashed it properly and mix it with required salt and pepper.  In meramesh eromba, we don't use ngari (fermented fish).


OOTI: In making ooti, dried peas will be boiled and then sodium-bicarbonate appropriate, salt and chilly powder will be added in the mixture. When the  peas are cooked, saute the chives with spices (cumin seeds, coriander powder, etc) and then put the boiled peas. Boil the mixture for a while and then garnish with coriander leaves.

AACHAR: It is the local name of pickles. It is made  up of green chillies, mustard seed and chopped tomatoes. 

HAWAI THONGBA: It is the local name of dal.  In a feast, more than one variety of dal is prepared.

MAROI THONGBA: It is made up of a Chinese Chives, groundnut, potato and bori. The local name is maroi nakuppi.

PAKOURA THONGBA: First, we will deep fry paste of pea flour (besan).  After it is prepared, we will then cooked the liquid curry in which the pakoura will be put to soak the flavor from the curry.

SINGZU: It is made up of a lovely combination of vegetables like lotus stem, cabbage and green leaves; another core ingredient is chickpeas (pounded) and finally no singju is complete without adding ngari (fermented fish), but in making meramesh singzu we will not put ngari.



KANGHOU: It is the made up by frying all the required vegetables together. It is similar to sabzi which people of mainland India have.

SANA THONGBA (Panir): Fried panir cooked with milk, herb and spices.

CHAK-HAO THONGBA: It is the cooked black rice. It is very nutritious and full of antioxidants.

SANGOM KHER: It is made up of rice cooked with milk. It is similar to kheer of mainland India.

HEI THONGBA: Hei means fruits.  It is mainly made up of tamarind, lemon, olive etc.  It is served as the last dish to help in digestion.

Mathel Lukoi (Assorted Dishes in feasts)

We all know that religious ceremonies for Hindus in Manipur are generally associated with feasts which consist of fish and vegetables or only vegetables. When there is no feast, some sweets and other eateries are offered.

Rice plate with varieties of vegetable dishes

Meramesh (curries prepared from vegetables with rice) is served on various ceremonies after being offered to God (Krishna/Vishnu). Such offering is known as Usob (utsav: observation). Elders, relatives, friends and locals are invited to have usobs.

Swasthi pujah, Churakaran, Lugun-thangba (Upanayan) , Shradha, Thagi Din (Monthly offering till one year completes) and Firoi (death anniversary) and Tarpan/ Tarpon ( a half month offering to the departed souls by descendents and relatives ) etc.
are some of the occasions where feast are being offered.

Fish and associated items

We have fish dishes on many occasions such as Mangani Chakouba ( A feast offered at bridal house on the 5th day of marriage), Dibos( feast offered at the night or the next day of shradha for those who take part in cremation and for the departed family), and many feasts on various festivals and occasions. Not only these, fish are many a times arranged for the invitees in swasthi pujah, churakaran, upanayan where Meramesh is separately prepared for some vegetarians and ritual offering.

We find  variety of dishes like dal, vegetable dishes, pickles, sweets, and other items of different tastes and values served on a plate with rice. This array of variety of dishes is called Mathel Lukoi. In a mathel lukoi, we normally find vegetarian items and fish dishes also.

There are few items which are common in both  Meramesh (veg) or Nga (non-veg, mainly fish) are: chumphut, eromba, hawai thongba, ooti, aachar, singzu (www.meitramsonia.blogspot.in), hei thongba etc.

Agyagee Chakshang

Agyagee Chakshang is one of the pioneer of catering service provider in Manipur, prepared and served fully by Brahmins. Agyagee Chakshang is started by Gurumayum Ranjit Sharma of Brahmapur Khongman Mangjil Mamang in the year 2002 at his own residence. There were many caterer of sweets and other food items for Shradhas in Imphal before 2002. Agyagee Chakshang came up with a new innovative of adding rice and curries for feasts comprising vegetables and non vegetables items.

Mayamgi Chaksang

Mathel Lukoi Chakshang

Sree Sree Gopinath Agya Ningthemsana Catering Service

 Sree Sree Gopinath Agya Ningthemsana Catering Service is another Chakshang in my locality . The service is run by Agya B.Ningthemsana who is himself a chef. It is one of the Chakshang you can trust on if you love to have a feast prepared by brahmin chef or Bamon Bujari on any occasion at your home.

A brief profile of Eikhoigee Chakshang

Agyagee Chakshang, Eikhoigee Chakshang, Shree Shree Gopinath Catering Service, Mathel Lukoi Chakshang etc are few Catering service provider from Bamon Leikai. There are also many catering houses which do not have a fixed banner but serve as chakshangs occasionally. There are still plentiful of eigyas or chefs who are known for their expertise in many cuisines. These eigyas  do not work under these chakshangs but do have little links depending on situations.

Here is an image showing a brief profile of Eikhoigee Chakshang.

Chakshangs in My Locality

Manipur is a great place where many ethnic groups dwell together. People of different communities live hand in hand.  Manipur has got its unique identity, be it in natural beauty or culture which cannot be found anywhere else on earth.

Since the inception of Vaishnavism in Manipur, there has been many social and cultural changes. The major changes, to name a few, are religion, scripts, rituals and offerings and last but not the least in food habit of this tiny landlocked state of North-East India. Majority of Meitei- the largest ethnic group of Manipur adopted Vaishnavism and thus became Hindu . 

Brahmin priests and pujaris have been performing social rituals like marriage, death, birth,etc. Also there are lots of non ritual events where people feasts together or had meal as lunch or dinner in conferences or meetings. So here come the feasts and the peoples who are responsible in cooking these items to serve all hungry belly in these events.
Apart from priests or pujaris who perform all rituals, cooking for the feasts and gathering are done by brahmin chefs who cook and serve food to all the invitees of the ceremony. Here in Manipur these chefs are literally knowingly or unknowingly been called as "Bamon Bujari" or "eigya".

The exact year and the event which marked the beginning of these ritual and utsav cannot be traced back. Elders suggest kings and nobles started such offerings like any other Hindus do in India. 

 Space for preparing feasts became a problem and also peoples get a busy schedule  on various field and works.  So they began to look out a way which is easy, economical and convenient service to serve all the requirement for catering. Chakshangs came as a reliable option to serve the purpose by the beginning of 21st century.

Chakshang literally means "kitchen " run by brahmins pujaris or bujaries responsible for preparing foods which comprise of rice and vegetables and non vegetables (fish only). The service starts from from Bamon Leikai in the Imphal East District of Manipur, a Brahmin dominated locality and famous for its brahmin cooks or chefs.

Chakshangs are like rented kitchen and only difference is the karmadhari or the family or responsible person which is performing a ritual ceremony or celebration, have to pay according to the quantity or the capacity he want to organise fully in advance or part of the total expediture as per agreement with the proprietor or the  owner of the chakshangs.

These chakshangs, will provide you everything needed for the feasts or utsavs right from utensils, drinking water, seats(paper or mats) to sevaris ( persons meant for cleaning the spot and cleaning and washing the utensils). And another thing which people can have from chakshangs is that, for those who have place for preparation but do not want to mess up with with those marketing stuffs he can pay everything and made to deliver all the stuffs and chefs or eigya bujaris at his or her  residence.

With its economic aspects , chakshangs are serving manipuri peoples with hygienic food prepared with full sanitation and care. Business of chakshang is a growing trend in Manipur and its significance and the role played  can not be ignored.

This is my first post as my blog assignment. In my next post you will be witnessing the detailed profiles of chakshangs operating from Bamon Leikai.