Want to taste some authentic manipuri cuisine?

Imphal : Luxmi Kitchen, located at Wahengbam Leikai in Imphal, serves the best Manipuri platter. Tourists from across the country throng this restaurant to taste the most popular Manipuri cuisine.

The Manipuri cuisine has so far attracted food lovers from across the country, giving them a taste of local food.

Manipuri or Meitiei food thali includes: Nga atoiba Thongba (fish stew) Nga Matum Thongba (fried fish with light gravy) Ngarengkha Angouba (fish intestine fried with potatoes, peas etc.) as main non-vegetable dishes.

Apart from serving non-veg thali, Luxmi kitchen has also been serving 13 different Manipuri delicacies, including Sana thongba (spicy cottage cheese preparation), Otti thongba, a popular Manipuri green lentil (peas) preparation that's cooked over low flame with various herbs, Pakora Thongba (a delicate Manipuri curry that's prepared in gram flour and much more.

"Per thali costs around Rs. 140 for fish and it also costs Rs. 140 for vegetarian. So, the cost is same. We get a very good feedback. The people say the food is very good and the place is very hygienic," said Robert Wahengbam, Manager, Luxmi Kitchen.

Shilpa, a customer from Bengaluru, said the food at Luxmi Kitchen provides a glimpse of the real culture of Manipur.

"I wanted to understand what Manipuri culture and food is all about. So, I came here. Someone told me that if you want to have perfect Manipuri food and if you want to understand their thali, you must visit this place," Shilpa said.

"Since then whenever I visit this place, at least I make it a point to come once and I try to eat this because this is the real culture and very different food which you don't get in any part of India," she added.

The Manipuris primarily cook vegetables with fish being their complimentary food besides the vegetables. Usage of less oil has been in vogue since the olden times and one visiting the Manipur rural areas is sure to experience this taste of oil-less food.

Ngri is a type of fermented fish, which carries a very strong smell and is loved immensely by the locals. This item is used in a lot of dishes prepared here.

Pooja, another customer from Bengaluru, said the thali at this restaurant is very good.

"We don't find such cuisine in Bengaluru and this is first time I am having Manipuri thali and we had fish curry. Fish is very tasty we finished all the fish," she said.

Another customer Sudhir said the food here is really very good.

"This is the second time I am visiting Luxmi hotel because the food here is really good and this is the unique style Manipuri food. We cannot find such authentic Manipuri thali outside somewhere else," he said.

Herbs and spices form a very important part of Manipuri cuisine. Since they primary have their food boiled, thus it is only these herbs and aroma giving spices that do the wonder of giving the food it required essence.

The ingredients of Manipuri cuisines is mainly chilli and pepper thus making it devoid of any other form of masalas, thus rendering food organic and very healthy. They also do not use oil which is indeed a very positive effect on the body.