Thirteen year old chef Ayim Imchem from Nagaland comes to the limelight after her video of cooking a Naga dish was shared by Union Minister Smriti Irani. The entire month of September is being celebrated as the POSHAN Abhiyan or National Nutritional month, which aims to encourage discussions concerning healthy food.
Among the many activities organized by the government, a contest of sharing traditional recipes containing nutritional values was also conducted. Chef Imchem in the video shared a yam stew recipe using yam, mustard leaves, tomatoes, chillies and ginger, which she learnt from her grandmother. She also shares how her grandmother remembers her great-grandmother while cooking this recipe.
She recommends her dish, which is wholesome as well as nutritional, to be served with steamed rice or sticky rice. The video showcases the traditional cooking of Nagaland with mustard leaves and ginger. Naga cuisine is known for its range and simplicity.
A typical Naga meal consists of rice, a meat dish, one or two boiled vegetable dishes, and a chutney or pickle known as tathu. It is due to the ingredients and the art of combination that makes it one of the most preferred cuisines in India, as it depends heavily on the quality of the ingredients used.
Smriti tweeted about Imchem saying “13-year-old budding Chef Ayim Imchen from Dimapur has learnt a traditional dish from her Grandmother. This simple nutritious recipe from Nagaland is just the tip of the huge iceberg called Indian cuisine. Share your traditional family dish.”
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