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Chakma bamboo shoot curry
বাঁশ কোড়ল (bash korol): a Chakma and Marma curry of tender bamboo shoots, green chilli and hill herbs
When the monsoon reaches the Chittagong Hill Tracts, young bamboo shoots push up through the forest floor around Rangamati and Bandarban, and Chakma and Marma families cut them for a quick, clean-tasting curry. Hill cooking uses very little oil and few dry spices; the flavour comes from fistfuls of green chilli, garlic and herbs such as culantro (sawtooth coriander), and a spoon of ground rice thickens the broth. At home it is very often cooked with shidol, a fermented dried fish paste, or nappi; this version is fully vegetarian. The shoots are crunchy and faintly sweet, and the curry is eaten with plenty of plain rice. Raw fresh bamboo shoots contain natural toxins, so they must always be boiled first and the water thrown away; skipping that step is the one mistake you cannot make here. Chef's tip: if you use canned or vacuum-packed shoots, rinse and boil them for 5 minutes anyway to freshen their taste.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz fresh tender bamboo shoots, or canned or vacuum-packed shootspeeled and cut into thin strips
- 1 medium potatopeeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 small onionsliced
- 6 green chilliesslit
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp raw ricesoaked 10 minutes and ground to a paste with 3 tbsp water
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp culantro (sawtooth coriander) or corianderchopped
- 10 Thai basil leaves (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 14 oz fresh tender bamboo shoots, or canned or vacuum-packed shoots in plenty of water for 20 minutes (5 minutes for canned or packed shoots), then drain and throw away the water.
20 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry 5 cloves garlic, 1 small onion and half the 3 green chillies for 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
3 minStep 3: Add the bamboo, 1 medium potato, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and stir for 2–3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Pour in 2 cups water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 12 minutes until the potato is tender.
12 minStep 5: Stir in the 1 tbsp raw rice paste and the rest of the 3 green chillies and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring, until the broth thickens slightly.
3 minStep 6: Take off the heat, stir in 4 tbsp culantro (sawtooth coriander) or coriander and 10 Thai basil leaves and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chakma bamboo shoot curry take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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