Food talk
 Methi with mutton

The proof of the dish lies in the eating, says Pushpesh Pant as he makes a strong case for an unusual combination — alu, methi and gosht

WE have always had a soft corner for saag meat that seems to ‘lighten’ the repast — presumably rendering it healthier — and must confess in the same breath that we have never stopped drooling over alu gosht whenever the dish is in sight.

Now that we are on the subject, methi mutton/ methi keema also cast a powerful spell, tempting our overburdened palate during the winter months. Good old fenugreek is believed to have a hot taseer and tell us please how can one ever disregard what the doc or the quack prescribes?

These delicacies are mostly overlooked, nay looked down upon, when the blue-blooded qorma, kaliya, dum pukht, do pyaaza and delicate salans dazzle the diner but, believe you me, once you have tasted the supposedly plebeian pleasures, you will need the same dietary ‘fix’ at regular intervals.

Chef’s special

Recipe:
 Ingredients:
 Mutton (chops and chunks culled from shoulder) 1 kg
Mustard oil/refined oil 200 ml
Fresh methi leaves (cleaned and chopped) 1 kg
Medium potatoes (halved after peeling) 3-4
Onions finely sliced 200 gm
Garlic (whole, unpeeled and unbroken) One pod
Ginger (scraped and chopped) 2-inch piece
Cinnamon 2-inch piece
 Dhaniya powder 1 tsp
 Jeera powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
 Haldi powder ¼ tsp
salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and when it reaches smoking point, reduce the heat and put in the onions. When the onions are translucent, add cinnamon and the powdered spices dissolved in a tbsp of water. Continue stir-frying for about a minute then add the meat along with the ginger and stir-fry till the moisture evaporates and the meat has been browned a little. Now add the potatoes, clove of garlic along with the salt and methi leaves. Stir well, cover and cook till the meat is done to taste. You may happily pressure cook and after removing the pressure, you can fry a wee bit more.

Don’t be scared by the fat floating on the surface. It can be easily drained before serving. Alu-methi-gosht is equally enjoyable with roti and rice. A couple of spoonfuls of yellow aka arhar dal tempered with jeera and green chillies provide a perfect foil.

One more thing, unnecessary improvisation in the kitchen is the mother of delightful invention. All this was brought to mind dramatically when beloved son Indrajit, a fellow foodie, bowled us over with what at first sight appeared to be m`E9nage a trois — alu, methi and gosht. The crowning glory — a whole pod of garlic was even more deterring. But as the adage has it, the proof of the pudding and all else is in the eating.

We rest our case and strongly recommend that the recipe be tried out.

The texture of the green leafy gravy is unusual and very pleasing. Fresh methi tastes so much better than the aromatic dried variety — certainly beats palak to it. Alu, not necessarily deep fried, contributes its mite distinctly and provides a delightful contrast to the texture of meat, and not to forget the garlic — the lotus bud can be easily removed, for it would have already yielded all its flavourful juices and is just a garnish.

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