Aamatआमत
⏱ Prep 20m🍳 Cook 35m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegan
Video: akshu🥰 (YouTube)
Aamat is the signature stew of Bastar, the forested tribal heartland of Chhattisgarh, where bamboo shoots grow wild in the monsoon and end up in the pot the same afternoon. The dish is earthy, tangy, and deeply savory — bamboo's natural bitterness balanced by tamarind and the heat of dried red chili. It is eaten everywhere in the tribal belt: at harvest celebrations, family meals, and village festivals.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
Finding Desi spots near Plano…
Ingredients
- ▪bamboo shoots (fresh, or well-rinsed canned)300g
- ▪onion, finely sliced1 medium
- ▪garlic cloves, minced5
- ▪fresh ginger, grated1 inch
- ▪green chili, slit3
- ▪mustard seeds1 tsp
- ▪cumin seeds½ tsp
- ▪dried red chili2
- ▪bay leaf1
- ▪turmeric powder½ tsp
- ▪red chili powder1 tsp
- ▪tamarind (walnut-sized piece), soaked in ½ cup warm water20g
- ▪mustard oil3 tbsp
- ▪saltto taste
- ▪fresh coriander, for garnishhandful
🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions
- Fresh bamboo shoots are seasonal and available at many Asian supermarkets in summer. Canned bamboo shoots (whole or sliced) from Chinese or Thai grocery stores work perfectly year-round — the key is thorough rinsing to wash off the metallic brine taste.
- Tamarind concentrate (a thick paste in jars, widely sold at Indian and Asian grocery stores) is the easiest substitute outside South Asia. Use 1 tablespoon concentrate thinned with ½ cup water in place of the soaked block. As a last resort, use 1½ tablespoons lime juice for tartness, though the flavour profile shifts.
- Mustard oil is worth tracking down at Indian grocery stores for this recipe — its pungency is part of Aamat's character. Rapeseed or canola oil is the closest neutral stand-in; pure sesame oil (untoasted) also works and adds a pleasant nuttiness.
Method
- 1If using fresh bamboo shoots, peel, slice thin, and boil in salted water with a pinch of turmeric for 15-20 minutes until tender; drain and rinse. If using canned, drain and rinse very well under running water to remove brine.
- 2Squeeze the soaked tamarind firmly to extract the pulp into the soaking water; strain out the fibres and seeds. Set the tamarind water aside.
- 3Heat mustard oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke; reduce to medium.
- 4Add mustard seeds, cumin, bay leaf, and dried red chili; let them splutter for 30 seconds.
- 5Add the sliced onion and fry, stirring, until golden brown — about 7 minutes.
- 6Add garlic, ginger, and green chili; fry for 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- 7Add turmeric and red chili powder; stir for 30 seconds, then add the drained bamboo shoots and coat them in the masala.
- 8Pour in the tamarind water and 1 cup of fresh water; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes until the gravy thickens and bamboo is completely tender.
- 9Taste for salt and tang; add more tamarind water if you want more sourness. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.