Indian cooking
Akshi (Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots)

Akshi

Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin Tribal North East IndiaPrep 15 minutesCook 35 minutes

A rustic Naga stew of tender pork simmered with dried bamboo shoots and fiery green chillies. The broth is pungent, earthy, and hot, relying on the natural richness of the meat and bamboo rather than heavy spices.

Ginger paste

5 gAdded towards the end of cooking (step 3)
Keep ready to stir into the stew.

Everything else

01
100 g
vegetable
02
Pork · Suar ka Goshtcut into 8-cm / 3-inch pieces
1000 g
meat
03
Green chilli · Hari Mirchde-seeded and finely chopped
30 g5 chillies
vegetable
04
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Pour 625 ml of water into a large, heavy-based pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, then add 100 g dried bamboo shoots and let them bubble for 5 minutes.
  2. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, tip in 1000 g pork, then cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes until the meat is completely tender.
  3. Uncover the pot and mix in 30 g green chilli along with the ginger paste masala, cooking for a further 2 to 3 minutes before seasoning with salt to taste.

Don't have something?

Bamboo shoot
  • Canned bamboo shoots

    Use the same weight; drain, rinse well and blanch for 2 minutes to lose the tinny taste. Texture is softer than fresh.

  • Water chestnut

    Use the same weight; slice and add near the end for crunch. Flavour is milder and sweeter, not earthy.

  • Fermented bamboo shoots

    Use about 50% of the weight, rinse well and add early; they are sour and salty, so adjust salt and tartness.

Pork
  • Lamb shoulder

    Use equal weight, diced similarly. Cook using the same slow braising method; lends a richer, slightly gamier flavour and retains moisture well.

  • Chicken

    Use equal weight of bone-in thighs. Cut into pieces and reduce simmering time by about half (cook for 25-30 minutes) to keep the meat succulent.

Ginger paste
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; peel and grate very finely on a microplane or pound to a fine paste in a mortar.

  • Ginger

    Use equal weight; mince finely and crush with the flat of a knife before frying.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% of the weight; add directly with the dry spice powders, though it yields an earthier, less pungent profile.

Green chilli
  • Chilli powder

    Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.

  • Dried red chilli

    Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Similar dishes

Arek
Pork Stew with Bamboo Shoots
Arek tastes lighter, tangier, and milder due to the addition of tomatoes and a lower proportion of chillies.
  • Same: Arek is also a simmered pork and bamboo shoot stew seasoned simply with green chillies, ginger, and salt.
  • Different: Arek incorporates fresh tomatoes and garlic while cutting down on the green chillies, lacking the dried bamboo shoots specific to this dish.
Thevo Chu
Pork with Bamboo Shoots
Thevo Chu is richer, more garlic-forward, and has a drier spice profile, whereas this dish offers sharper heat from fresh green chillies in a pungent broth.
  • Same: Thevo Chu also stews pork with bamboo shoots, ginger paste, and salt without added cooking fat.
  • Different: Thevo Chu adds garlic paste and swaps fresh green chillies for chilli powder, braising the pork in rendered fat rather than simmering it as a brothy stew.
Wookhan
Pork Stew
Wookhan has a sweeter, milder broth from the melted onions, lacking the sharp, pungent, and earthy tang that bamboo shoots give this dish.
  • Same: Both are simple pork stews simmered gently with fresh green chillies, ginger paste, and salt without any added cooking oil.
  • Different: Wookhan adds a large quantity of onions but completely omits the dried bamboo shoots used in this dish.
Wak Serjak
Pork Curry
Wak Serjak tastes lighter and tomato-sour, not earthy and pungent like this dish.
  • Same: Wak Serjak and this dish are both simmered pork stews seasoned with ginger paste, green chillies, and salt.
  • Different: Wak Serjak adds vegetable oil, onion, and tomato, while this dish uses dried bamboo shoots and no onion or tomato.