food talk
A good starter

The recipe for honey-glazed shredded lamb is not only exotic sounding but also tastes refreshingly different, says Pushpesh Pant

Chef’s special

Method Wash the shredded lamb/kid and pat dry. Heat oil in a shallow pan/ wok or large frying pan. When the oil reaches smoking point, add the meat and stir-fry on high heat till the meat is well browned. Now put in the red chillies and remove these when they begin to shine. Mix the limejuice and honey with salt and pour over the meat; reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for about two minutes, add soy sauce along with spring onions and continue to stir-fry for another two minutes. Now put the sesame seeds and mix well.  If the meat is not done to taste, add ½ cup boiling water and cook covered for about five minutes, uncover and boil the excess moisture away. Replace the chillies. Sprinkle the pepper and serve.

Chinese cuisine is a great favourite with everyone in the family. Delicacies like ‘sweet-and-sour vegetables,’ manchurian and noodles in their myriad avatar are no longer novelties, far less exotica, even in small towns.

Chowmein is an integral part of an average Indian family’s menu—value for money filler, flavourful and hopefully nourishing—along with chhole kulche or stuffed parantha, pav bhaji et al. Let the snobbish keep their nostrils high in the air complaining about desification of the noble and subtle Sinic food along the adulterated Punjabi Chinese, Gujarati Chinese and Madrasi Chinese dividing lines; we are quite content most of the time with the faux Shezuan or Cantonese fare served in specialty restaurants or even with the specimen encountered in the Chinese section in the small town eateries.

The only problem is that when one desires to enjoy this cuisine at home, take aways don’t always prove reliable and reheated morsels taste simply aweful.

We were absolutely delighted when we were handed down a well-thumbed Chinese recipe book that demystified many of the less tried but immensely satisfying Chinese dishes.

The Chinese love pork more than any other meat but many Indians abhor it—some can’t touch it due to religious prohibition. Seafood has its own problems: those dwelling in the heartland can’t be sure of its freshness, others worry about toxicity, allergies etc.

The long and short of all this is that one must stay with chicken, lamb/kid and fish. It is here that the present recipe scores superbly. It is not only exotic sounding but also tastes refreshingly different while staying well within the acceptable time-tested sweet and sour formula. There are many things to commend this dish: it uses very little fat, hardly requires any long drawn preparation and cooks in a jiffy. It can be deployed as a starter or accompany rice or rotis. A cooperative butcher may be relied upon to shred the fillets and save any bother. (Otherwise a sharp knife or cleaver will do just fine). The rest follows as a dream.

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