The communities in North-East and South India have put Bamboo to use for a wide range of purposes. One of them is as a utensil to cook rice and meat. Due to its high moisture content and its resistance to heat, bamboo is ideal for cooking and gives food a distinguished smokey flavour.
The practice of cooking inside a bamboo tube goes a long way in history. A number of South-East Asian countries like China, Bangladesh, Malaysia and more have been a part of this. In India, the South and North-Eastern regions have traditionally used this grass to make food in, and as food too.
The how and the why
Bamboo tubes are excellent for holding in food due to their nodes. For this, Bamboos are cut into 15-20 inches long pieces. One end is kept open and the other is left with its node. It is then filled with raw food to be cooked in a big fire. Before starting the cooking process, the tubes are washed in water and kept overnight to increase their moisture content. The water contained in them and the smoke that is infused in the food from the fire gives it a unique flavour and aroma. After the food is stuffed into the bamboo tubes, they are sealed with balls of banana leaves.
Where can I start?
The process might sound like a lot of hard-work to do, but you can certainly start with recipes that require less ingredients and are easier. In Assam, Sunga Pitha, especially made during Magh Bihu, is made with just one ingredient, that is Sticky rice or Bora Saul. The Chunga Fita made by the Bangladeshis also have desiccated coconuts and sugar added to it. When you have learnt that, you can try out meats made in Bamboo tubes.
The tribes of India have always regarded Bamboo as a slow cooker, so a large number of them also cook meats like pork and chicken in it. Small fish with onions are also roasted in these tubes or stems. Usually flavoured by locally available spices like chilli, turmeric and ginger-garlic, chicken or pork made in bamboo is a favourite in the north-eastern and southern part of India. Modern additions to this include tomatoes. In this method, the meat is marinated first and then cooked. For convenience, the meat is usually cut into small pieces and put inside banana leaves and made a parcel by tying a thread around it.
Down the South
In South India, bamboo tubes are used to make Pittu/Puttu (similar to the Sunga Pitha of the north-east), Biryani, Curries, and vegetables. Traditionally, the tribes of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have used this slow cooker in their cooking since ancient days. Vettakuramar and Cholonaykar tribes of Kerala use the Bamboo tubes for boiling water and cooking rice. The Malayarayar tribe cooks root vegetables in a thick bamboo stem. The stems are sealed from both sides and put in ash. Afterwards, hot coal pieces are spread on top them and cooked. 
In Araku Valley, a relatively unknown Bamboo Biryani is made by the Adivasis living in the valley’s forests. The process starts with cutting up chicken and adding onions, tomatoes, chillies, and spices needed for a Biryani. As a mark of its belongingness to Andhra, it is seasoned with red pulverised mace powder and rock salt. It is put in between layers of rice, like any other biryani made in a handi or a pressure cooker. the flavour of the Bamboo Biryani is different from the Hyderabadi or Awadhi Biryani for sure, but its distinct taste does not make it unappetising at all.
How to use the bamboo?
Most of the people prepare a raised platform made of bamboos itself to rest the tubes on them and give room for turning the tubes without burning your for even cooking. Before cooking inside a bamboo tube or stem, it is crucial to choose properly.
- The bamboo must be of an edible variety to avoid allergies
- It must not be too dry, or else it might burn away before the food inside is cooked.
- The piece should be thick and raw.
The fuels for the fire
When cooking plain rice or rice pithas/puttus in bamboo, hay is used to start a fire. At first, a small amount is burnt and gradually more is added to keep the heat controlled.
However, when cooking meat or fish, a wood or charcoal fire is used. Even then, it is made sure that the fire does not blaze too strongly, otherwise the risk of bamboos getting burnt increases.
Do try using this indigenous cooker for preparing local delicacies and enjoy!
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