Singju

Manipur, being one of the most ancient independent kingdoms of South Asia, before becoming a part of India in 1949, has many distinctive local customs and traditions, owing to various influences throughout time. The word "Singju" comes from two words - "Manaa-Masing" and "Suba". "Manaa-Masing" means green vegetables and "Suba" means combining. Therefore, in rapid pronunciation the word "Manaa-Masing" drops to "Sing" and the word "Suba" transform to "Ju" for the better pronouncement. As a result, the word, "Singju" was born. == Preparation ==

Singju is a versatile dish that may be made vegetarian or non-vegetarian. There are two distinct ways to prepare singju. Vegetarian A veggie singju is mainly served in ritual feasts of the Meitei people which are observed at home courtyards or shrine yards, or community complexes. It can be eaten at family homes too, but typically people prefer the non-vegetarian versions in a non-ritual context. In this form of the dish, the main ingredients are perilla seeds (thoiding in Meitei), chanaa powder (Besan), salt, chillies and various green leafy vegetables (compatible vegetables are listed below). A veggie Singju is also prepared by combining fresh vegetables and herbs with uncooked instant noodles, called Mimi also known as Mimi Singju. This inclusion of uncooked noodles adds a satisfying crunch and texture to the dish, elevating it to new heights of culinary delight. Non-vegetarian A non-vegetarian version of singju is mainly eaten at home, and widely sold in restaurants all over Manipur, and in some other areas of India as well. The tag "non-veg" is because of the use of the fermented fish ingredient Ngari. Because of this, it can not be served at ritual feasts of the community, which must be vegetarian. In this type, the main ingredients are Ngari (a Manipuri form of fermented fish), salt, chillies and green leafy vegetables (compatible vegetables' list are listed below). It can also be made with chicken, beef, pork or shrimp. However, Meitei Pangals do not eat pork singju. == Common singju vegetable ingredients ==

Any vegetable can be used to make singju, but some are more popular than others. Popular additions include: • Lotus stem (Thambou in Meitei) • Stink Bean (Yongchaak) • Cabbage (Kobiful) • Cauliflower (Kobi-Lei) • Hawai Debi or Tebi • Sweet Pea Shoots (Hawai Maton) • Unripe Papaya (Awaa Thabi) • Banana Flower (Laphu Tharo) • Rice Bean (Chakhawai) • Onion (Tilhou) == Morok metpa or ametpa ==

Morok metpa or ametpa is another singju-like side dish. Morok means 'chilli' and metpa/ametpa means 'crush'. It is traditionally eaten along with daily meals at home but not served at rituals. Like singju, it can be prepared in two ways, vegetarian and non-vegetarian; the former is usually eaten during the mourning period until the shraddha ceremony (for Meitei Hindus) or the janazah ceremony (for Meitei Pangals) or after the burial ceremony (for Meitei Christians) or on days when people skip any type of fish or meat due to religious beliefs. It is usually made by frying red chillies, chives and onions as opposed to the usual steamed or roasted fermented fish and chillies eaten every day. == See also ==