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27/04/2026
The traditional food of Meghalaya is largely non-vegetarian, which comes from the practices of its tribal cultures. Rice is central to their cuisine, so it is steamed and eaten, turned into desserts, and locally fermented wine is shared among local communities or with guests. The most famous food of Meghalaya includes jadoh, dohneiiong, tungrymbai, to name a few. More of the dishes from the abode of clouds below.
The food of Meghalaya is unlike any other place in India, because it is a blend of its indigenous tribal cultures, namely the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes. The state's cuisine reflects its landscape of wet, forested lands and is abundant with local ingredients like bamboo shoots, black sesame, Lakadong turmeric, and sun-dried fish.
The cooking style ranges from steaming, roasting, or slow cooking, with a reliance on local herbs like ginger, black sesame, and bamboo shoots. Unlike the spice-heavy cuisines of most Indian regions, Khasi food draws its complexity from fermentation, the use of minimal spices, smoking, and careful layering of simple ingredients.
Rice accounts for about 80% of Meghalaya's total food grain production, which explains why it appears in virtually every meal – as fluffy red rice in Jadoh, powdered in Pumaloi, sweetened in Pukhlei, and even fermented into rice beer. The famous food of Meghalaya is, at its core, a rice-and-pork civilization.
Considered the king of Khasi food, jadoh is widely available as street food across Shillong's markets and is the most recognisable traditional food of Meghalaya for visitors. It is made primarily with rice and pork, and a slow-cooked delicacy is often served alongside fish and eggs. In the Khasi language, ‘Ja’ means rice, and ‘Doh’ means meat.
Ingredients:
Local red rice
Pork (or chicken as an alternative)
Pork fat or blood (add depth of flavour)
Green chillies, onion, ginger
Turmeric, bay leaves, black pepper
Boiled egg or fried fish (for garnish)
Method:
A generous serving of succulent meat and rice is cooked with aromatic vegetables and spices like green chillies, onions, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaves. Pork blood can be added to make this Khasi dish a distinctive richness. It is slow-cooked until the rice absorbs all the juices and flavours.
A fermented dish made with soybeans, tungrymbai is a beloved part of daily Khasi meals. It is an everyday meal of the peasant community of Meghalaya, made with fermented soya beans, boiled and chopped pork, black sesame seeds, ginger, and onion, all fried and sautéed, then simmered until done.
Ingredients:
Fermented soybeans
Boiled, minced pork (optional)
Black sesame seeds
Onion, ginger, garlic
Mustard oil
Method:
The soybeans are fermented until they develop a strong, tangy aroma, very similar in character to the Japanese natto. They are then sautéed in mustard oil with ginger and onion, mixed with black sesame and minced pork, and simmered into a thick dish. It is best eaten with steamed rice.
Made with tender pork pieces, which are simmered in a black sesame gravy, dohneiiong is one of the best slow-cooked pork dishes of Meghlaya. The pork is fried, and the gravy is also flavoured with green chillies, pepper, red onions, and local spices.
Ingredients:
Pork (bone-in pieces preferred)
Black sesame seeds (ground into paste)
Mustard oil
Green chillies, onion, ginger
Local spices and black pepper
Method:
The pork is sautéed in mustard oil first, then cooked at low heat and slowly with the ground black sesame paste and spices. The result is a dark, intensely savoury curry that pairs beautifully with plain rice or Jadoh. This dish is a festival favourite, particularly among the Khasi community.
This dish, from the Garo tribal community, is a hot and spicy soup prepared using a special kind of dry fish known as Nakham. This soup is a good palate cleanser served at the beginning of a big meal and perfect on a chilly day. The sun-dried fish is simmered into a rich broth using ginger, green chillies and spices.
Ingredients:
Sun-dried or fire-dried fish (Nakham)
Green chillies and pepper
Ginger
Seasonal vegetables (yams, gourds, or pumpkins)
Water
Method:
The fresh fish is first dried under the sun or over fire until completely dehydrated. It is then used to make the soup, with lots of chillies and other spices added. The soup simmers until the fish breaks down into the broth. Nakham Bitchi can also be eaten after a heavy spicy meal, as a palate cleanser and digestive dish.
The term ‘pumaloi’ means powdered rice, and that is the base of this Khasi food that is cooked in a special pot called ‘Khiew Ranei’ with the right amount of water, along with raw grated coconut. This steamed rice cake can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients:
Finely powdered rice
Raw grated coconut
Water
Method:
The powdered rice is packed into the Khiew Ranei pot and steamed slowly on medium heat. The process demands careful control of water and heat. Pumaloi can be stuffed with pork meat or vegetables, or served as a sweet dish with jaggery. Plain, it acts as a mild, absorptive base to enjoy alongside rich gravies like Dohneiiong or Tungrymbai.
Another rice-based dessert, pukhlei, is made with a mixture of rice flour and liquid jaggery to make a thick batter that is shaped into discs and deep-fried. It looks a lot like the Indian malpua, but it couldn't taste more different. It is particularly made during the Wangala festival of the Garo community.
Ingredients:
Powdered rice (rice flour)
Jaggery
Oil (for frying)
Method:
The jaggery and rice are mixed and turned into a batter, which is fried in batches in a pan until golden brown and crispy. The result is a bite-sized fritter that is sweet, slightly chewy inside, and crackling on the outside. Pukhlei is served to cap off a sumptuous meal. It is commonly found at local markets across Shillong and the Garo hills.
No exploration of Khasi food is complete without the traditional rice beers that are inseparable from the social and spiritual fabric of Meghalayan life for centuries. Rice beer (Ka Kiad Um) is a necessity for practically all Khasi and Synteng (Jaintia) religious ceremonies. It is the custom of the officiating priest to pour liberal quantities from a hollow gourd and offer it to the gods.
Each tribe brews its own variant, and the differences are meaningful:
Kyat: Fermented rice beer made by the Khasi people, boiled in water and garnished with local ingredients. There is no single bar or restaurant in Meghalaya that does not serve Kyat; it’s a true symbol of Meghalayan hospitality.
Chubitchi: Brewed by the Garo tribe of Meghalaya, using special clay pots and a bamboo basket. The Garos are known to be secretive about their yeast strains, which is why the same Chubitchi can taste different from village to village.
Kiad or Sadhiar: Introduced to the Pnar tribe in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills as a medicinal remedy, Kiad quickly turned into an all-purpose rice beer, associated with religious festivals.
Bitchi: Brewed only in the Garo Hills, Bitchi is a brown and golden-coloured beer with sweet and smoky flavours derived from local fruits.
The food in Meghalaya is quite healthy and uses local produce, with plenty of pork and rice in it. It focuses on simple cooking techniques like boiling, steaming, and smoking, which help the Khasi dishes or any other tribal ones retain nutrients and their natural flavours. Fermented ingredients add a unique flavour while also supporting gut health, making the cuisine both flavourful and functional.
Vegetarians can try pumaloi (steamed powdered rice cake), tungrymbai (fermented soybean preparation), pukhlei (sweet rice and jaggery fritter), and a vegetable version of jadoh.
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