As college students we are often looking for cheap and quick meals that we can make on a busy schedule. We chose this recipe because it seemed simple. We already had all the ingredients in our kitchen but learned a different way to use them. We served the stew over noodles, which was a great addition. The soup was so warm, and the spice level was just right for one of the rare cool nights in Arizona. At first, we were a little nervous that the soup might be bland, but the ginger perfectly seasons the soup broth and complements the soy sauce and the chili. I think this recipe will absolutely be entering our go-to recipe rotations: it’s an easy way to use up leftover vegetables in the fridge, and to get a lot of vegetables into one meal.

North East India and the countries around that region are not only influenced by North Indian culture, religion, and customs, but also by East and sometimes Southeast Asian cultures. My (Serene's) own family is partially influenced by this unique blend of cultures. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, my mother’s family had to flee what is now Pakistan and walk all the way to Burma (now Myanmar). Eventually they all came to the US, but growing up I was very aware of the contrast between the culture of my dad’s purely Punjabi family and my mom’s Punjabi-Burmese family. My mom’s family identifies as Hindu; however, in practice they lean more towards Buddhist ideas. Burmese cuisine blends flavors and spices from India as well as from China, Thailand, and Bangladesh. This is not exactly synonymous with Mizoram culture, as this was also heavily influenced by British colonialism, however I think it is fascinating to see how these “blended” cultures operate and how those differences are reflected in food.

This recipe’s flavors remind me of my (Blossom's) mom’s Manchurian soup, which she is known for by our family and her friends. She enjoys creating the Indian-Chinese fusion blend. Indian-Chinese food varies from Chinese food because it includes South Asian spices. Amal Sankal has explored the Indianizations in Chinese food served in India and how Chineseness is created through objects in and out of restaurants. It allows others to experience an unfamiliar food with a familiar taste, making eaters more likely to try things outside of their normal realm (Sankar 2017).