Tabathyu

Naga-style Pork Stew

Non-vegetarian●●●Origin Tribal North East IndiaPrep 20 minutesCook 40 minutes

A rustic Naga pork stew gently simmered in broth infused with ginger, garlic, and fiery dried chillies. It is light, savoury, and packed with clean, warming heat.

Stew aromatics

26 gStirred into the bubbling broth (step 2)

Dried red chilli · Sukhi Lal Mirchbroken into small pieces

5 g5 chillies

spice

Ginger paste · Adrak Paste Make it: Pisi Adrak →

10 g2 teaspoons

aromatic

Garlic paste · Lahsun Paste Make it: Pisi Lehsun →

10 g2 teaspoons

aromatic

Keep together to add directly to the simmering stew.

Everything else

Pork · Suar ka Gosht

1000 g

meat

Salt · Namak

to taste

salt

Method

Chop 1000 g pork into medium-sized pieces. Pour 500 ml water into a heavy saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, then slide in the meat and cook at a steady boil for 30 minutes.
Stir the stew aromatics and salt to taste into the pan. Simmer everything together for an additional 5 minutes to blend the flavours, then take the pan off the heat.

Don't have something?

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.

Dried red chilli

Dried kashmiri chilli
Use equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.
Red chilli powder
Use 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

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.

Garlic paste

Garlic
Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.
Garlic powder
Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Similar dishes

Oma Eoni

Fried Pork

Oma Eoni is richer, savoury, and mild from the cooked onion, lacking the sharp, fiery chilli heat of this dish.

Same: Oma Eoni also features pork seasoned simply with ginger paste, garlic paste, and salt.
Different: Unlike this broth-simmered stew, Oma Eoni is fried in vegetable oil with boiled onion paste and omits the dried red chillies entirely.

Wookhan

Pork Stew

Wookhan tastes noticeably sweeter and milder from the stewed onions and fresh chillies, lacking the sharp garlic punch and dry heat of this dish.

Same: Wookhan is also a light, oil-free stew of pork simmered in water with ginger and chillies.
Different: Wookhan incorporates a large amount of sliced onions and fresh green chillies instead of dried red chillies, while omitting the garlic used in this dish.

Wak Serjak

Pork Curry

Wak Serjak has a tangier, slightly sweeter profile from the stewed tomatoes and onions, whereas this dish delivers a sharper, cleaner heat from garlic and dried chillies.

Same: Both dishes simmer pork in a light, savoury broth flavoured with ginger, chillies, and salt.
Different: Wak Serjak adds vegetable oil, onions, fresh green chillies, and tomatoes, but omits the garlic and dried red chillies used in this dish.

Doi Nei

Pork in Dark Sauce

Doi Nei produces a thicker, sweeter, and more unctuous onion-rich gravy, whereas this dish is a lighter, garlic-forward broth with dry chilli heat.

Same: Both dishes slow-simmer one kilogram of pork seasoned with ginger, chillies, and salt.
Different: Doi Nei adds onions, green chillies, and vegetable oil while omitting the garlic paste and dried red chillies found in this dish.