Jadoh (Khasi Red Rice with Pork)
Red rice and slow-cooked pork, the soul of Khasi cuisine
Jadoh is the signature dish of the Khasi people, a fragrant preparation of red rice cooked with pork, turmeric, black sesame, and local spices that embodies the simplicity and depth of Meghalaya’s culinary traditions. In Khasi households, jadoh is comfort food, ceremonial offering, and cultural identifier rolled into one dish. To eat jadoh in a Khasi home, served on a banana leaf with a bowl of tungrymbai (fermented soybean chutney) alongside, is to participate in one of the most intimate acts of Khasi hospitality.
The dish exists in several variations. Jadoh with pork is the most common, but preparations with chicken or dried fish are also traditional. The rice itself is central: Khasi red rice, grown in the terraced paddies of the hills, has a nutty flavor and distinctive color that sets jadoh apart from any other rice dish in India. The cooking method, which involves simmering the rice and meat together with aromatics until the grains absorb the flavors of the stock, produces a dish of layered, understated complexity.
Markets in Shillong, particularly Bara Bazaar and Police Bazaar, are the best places to experience jadoh in its many forms. The small, often family-run stalls that serve jadoh alongside tungrymbai and dal provide an authentic taste of everyday Khasi cuisine, far removed from the tourist-oriented restaurants of the main streets.
Historical Context
Jadoh reflects the agricultural history of the Khasi Hills, where red rice has been cultivated on rain-fed terraces for centuries. The dish represents the marriage of two pillars of Khasi sustenance: hill rice and pork, which together provide the carbohydrate and protein foundation of the traditional diet. The cooking method, which minimizes the use of oil and relies instead on the natural fat of the pork and the absorption of flavored stock by the rice, is an elegant adaptation to the availability of ingredients in the highland environment.
In Khasi ceremonial life, jadoh holds a position similar to that of biryani in Mughal culture or paella in Spanish tradition: it is the dish that marks occasions of significance. Weddings, funerals, community gatherings, and festivals all feature jadoh as a centerpiece. The scale of preparation, from a household pot to the enormous communal cookings that serve hundreds at festivals, varies, but the essential technique and ingredients remain consistent.
