Fermented bamboo shoot chutney

Name: Fermented bamboo shoot chutney
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 80 g fermented bamboo shoot, squeezed of excess brine and finely chopped or shredded; 150 g tomato, whole; about 2 small; 3 g dried whole chillies, stems removed; 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled for roasting; 5 g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced; 3 g salt; 5 g coriander leaves, leaves, chopped (optional); 10 g spring onion, finely sliced (optional)

Vegetarian

Fermented bamboo shoot pounded with flame-roasted tomatoes, chillies, garlic and ginger. Sour, funky, smoky and very hot, this is a staple table chutney across Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Fermented bamboo shoot chutney is an Indian condiment, ready in about 25 minutes and made with fermented bamboo shoot and tomato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 8 min
Cook: 12 min
Rest: 5 min
Total: 25 min
Serves: 6
Level: Easy
Calories: 13

Ingredients

6 servings (about 40 g)

80 g Fermented bamboo shoot (opens in a new tab), squeezed of excess brine and finely chopped or shredded
150 g Tomato (opens in a new tab), whole; about 2 small
3 g Dried whole chillies (opens in a new tab), stems removedAbout 3 chillies.Swap: Bhut jolokia (king chilli) (1 king chilli, roasted, for the authentic heat.)
3 cloves (12 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), unpeeled for roasting
5 g Fresh ginger (opens in a new tab), peeled and sliced
3 g Salt (opens in a new tab)About ½ tsp; the bamboo shoot can be salty, so taste first.
5 g Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), leaves, chopped (optional)
10 g Spring onion (opens in a new tab), finely sliced (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Squeeze the bamboo shoot of excess liquid and chop it finely. Peel and slice the ginger.
2
Step 2
Roast the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), dried chillies and unpeeled garlic (opens in a new tab) over a medium flame or in a dry pan, turning: the chillies need 1 minute until crisp and spotted black, the garlic 3–4 minutes until soft and charred, the tomatoes 6–8 minutes until blackened and soft. Cool briefly, then peel the tomatoes and garlic.
- 8 min
- medium heat
- Tongs (opens in a new tab)
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Charring chillies, especially king chilli, releases eye-stinging smoke; ventilate well and wash your hands afterwards.
3
Step 3
Dry-roast the chopped bamboo shoot in the pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it dries a little and its smell mellows.
- 4 min
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
4
Step 4
In a mortar, pound the chillies, garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and salt to a coarse paste. Add the bamboo shoot and pound until broken down, then add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and pound lightly to a rough, juicy chutney.
- 5 min
- Mortar and pestle (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels
5
Step 5
Stir in the coriander and spring onion (opens in a new tab), taste for salt and serve.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Nagaland, India · Commonly attributedFermented bamboo shoot is used throughout the North-East (bastenga in Nagaland, soibum in Manipur, khorisa in Assam, ekung/hiyup in Arunachal). Roasted chilli-tomato chutneys with it are common home preparations; this is a generalised version.More food from India
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method: Grilled, Toasted
Taste: sour, spicy (chilli heat), smoky, umami
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday
Cook more with: Tomato · Dried whole chillies · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques: Grilling · Toasting · Charcoal grilling · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

13 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 38 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 21%
Carbohydrate 72%
Fat 6%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	13 kcal	34 kcal
Protein	0.8 g	2 g
Carbohydrate	2.7 g	7.1 g
Net carbohydrate	2 g	5.1 g
Sugars	1.1 g	2.8 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.8 g	2 g
Fat	0.1 g	0.4 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0.1 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	196 mg	512 mg
Salt equivalent	0.5 g	1.3 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 154 mg
Calcium: 8 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 16 µg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 5 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves, spring onion.
Fermented bamboo shoot: Raw bamboo shoots (FDC 169210) used as a stand-in; fermentation lowers sugars and adds acidity, and brined shoots carry extra sodium.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Start with less chilli than you think; bamboo shoot chutneys are traditionally very hot.
Dried fermented bamboo shoot can be used: soak it in warm water for 20 minutes and squeeze dry.

Common mistakes

Using unfermented canned bamboo shoots — they lack the sourness that defines the dish.
Blending it smooth.

Serve with

Serve with rice and smoked pork, boiled vegetables or dal.
A spoonful alongside momos or thukpa.

Food safety

Raw fresh bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic compounds; only use shoots that have been properly fermented or boiled, never raw fresh shoots.
Fermented shoots should smell sour and pungent, not putrid; discard any with mould.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Variations

With fermented soybean: Naga homes add a spoon of axone (akhuni) for extra umami.
With dried fish: Roasted dried fish pounded in, as in Manipuri and Naga homes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Fermented bamboo shoot, squeezed of excess brine and finely chopped or shredded80 g
Tomato, whole; about 2 small150 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

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