While food may be a basic necessity, in recent times, it has become an art. Today, people across the world embrace ‘culinary art’ and relate it to their culture and tradition. It has become a mode of expression to represent the identity of any culture and the highlight of most celebrations. For instance, Eid without sevai, Pongal without payasam and Christmas without cake.
Food plays a vital role in connecting people to the culture of different regions, the ingredients used and the method of cooking. Therefore, the importance of food is beyond nourishing the body as it also strengthens the bond between individuals, communities and even countries. Also, many events are being organized in different parts of the world like food festivals where some of the finest delicacies from different cuisines are showcased in front of people by various chefs.
One such event was organized at Ritz Carlton Bengaluru where Chef Ankur Chakraborty showcased regional delicacies that have been borrowed from generations, such as thupka, mutton pulao and butter chicken. He is a renowned hotelier and has more than sixteen years of experience in the food & beverages industry, both as a chef and as a businessman.
Here are two delicious recipes shared by Chef Ankur Chakraborty that you can try at home:
Mutton Pulao
This delicious delicacy is very popular in street side eateries where rice and lamb preparation done in large batches along with fragrant spices along with little heat of chillies. It is a resemblance of mutton biryani as is also popular as Sunday lunch in North Indian households. The pulav is best served with some yoghurt and toasted cumin.
Sanpiau
Sanpiau is another form of comfort food that finds itself in all cultures across borders. This is essentially rice congee from the northeastern state of Mizoram. An ethnic form of rice that is so delicate that it is almost edible once it is soaked is used to make this preparation. This rice is slow cooked with country chicken traditionally along with flavorful herbs like lemongrass.
1. Mutton Pulav
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For Mutton
- 600 gm baby mutton shoulder (bone-less meat)
- 100 gm garlic
- 250 gm onion (sliced)
- 120 ml ghee
- 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 8 pods green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 80 gm ginger and garlic paste (1:2 ratio)
- 4 green chillies
- 200 ml mutton/chicken stock
- 20 gm coriander powder
- 10 gm red chilli powder
- 5 gm garam masala powder
- 300 gm yoghurt
- 50 gm cashew (soaked and made in paste)
- 5-6 strands saffron
- Salt to taste
For Pulav Spice Mix
- 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 5 gm black pepper corn
- 6 pods green cardamom
- 15 pods black cardamom
- 6 cloves
- 7 gm black cumin
- 1 star anise
- 25 gm fennel seeds
- 1 blade mace
- 2 gm nutmeg
- 15 gm coriander seeds
For Rice And Pulav Assembly
- 400 gm golden sella par boiled rice
- Salt to taste
- 2 green chillies
- 400 gm water
- 5 gm pulav masala
- 600 gm cooked mutton
Method:
For Mutton
- Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan. And start with frying the garlic till it is golden brown. Remove and cool. Make a fine paste.
- Marinate the mutton with yoghurt and ginger garlic paste. Add all the dry spice powder to this mixture and rest the mutton for up to 2 hours at least.
- In the previous pan, add the whole spices and crackle. The ghee will take the flavor of the spices. Now add the sliced onions and cook till they start caramelizing or turning brown.
- Add the marinated meat with the yoghurt and stir. Add salt. Add the stock.
- Cook at a slow / medium heat under cover, while stirring occasionally. After about 90 minutes the meat should have started to reach 80% doneness.
- Add the cashew paste, saffron and green chilis.
- Cook further till the meat is tender (another 45 minutes).
For Pulav Spice Mix
- Dry toast the spices in an oven at 140 degrees Celsius or over a medium flame on a pan.
- Let the spices cool down before grinding them to a fine powder and sieve it.
- Store is a cool dry place in air tight container for future use.
For Rice And Pulav Assembly
- Soak and wash the rice.
- Heat the pressure cooker
- Add the cooked mutton, and the soaked rice and chili.
- Add salt and the measured water.
- Add the pulav masala powder
- Seal the cooker and cook for 7-8 minutes- two whistles.
2. Sanpiau
Ingredients:
For Sanpiau
- 100 gm rice jasmine
- 1.25 L water
- 2 lime leaves
- 5 gm lemon grass
- 8 gm galangal
- Salt to taste
- 100 gm chicken thigh boneless
For Sambal Sauce
- 50 gm spring onion (chopped)
- 5 gm fresh onion (chopped)
- 10 gm finely minced ginger
- 10 gm dry chilli (soaked and pasted)
- 15 gm coriander leaves (chopped)
- 20 ml sunflower oil / garlic oil
- 5 gm chilli flakes
- 150 ml soya sauce
- 30 gm palm vinegar
- 2 gm sugar
Method:
For Sambal Sauce:
- Mix all the ingredients and bring to a slow simmer.
- Adjust the seasoning and cool for future use.
For Sanpiau:
- Soak the jasmine rice and leave overnight.
- Wash the rice under cold running water for 15 minutes and put it in a stock pot for boiling.
- Add all the herbs and chicken thighs to it.
- Slow cook for about 3 hours adding water as and when needed.
- Adjust the salt.
- Serve hot with the addition of sambal sauce and a soft poached egg.
