Food talk
 Kebab from Andhra

There is more to the Andhra repertoire than spicy food, writes Pushpesh Pant

THE mere mention of Hyderabad, a 400-year-old city, conjures up visions of aromatic and flavourful biryani, arguably the queen of all rice delicacies and bhagahar ke baigan that sweet ’n’ sour delight which has few peers and to top it off the delectable khubani ka meetha — what more can a gourmet wish for? And all this as they say is just the tip of the iceberg.

The capital city of Andhra Pradesh is an independent and celebrated "food zone" in the culinary map of the sub-continent. However, this enviable reputation has inadvertently done over the years a great injustice to the hinterland. Andhra cuisine has unfortunately and to us most undeservingly received the Cinderella or the Ugly Duckling treatment at the hands of so called food lovers. What is even worse, stereotypes are propagated that need to be urgently demolished. Take for instance the statement that Andhra repast is scorching hot and kills all taste. It lacks the refinement of Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Karnataka. We have been time and again reminded by young friend Indrajit that the political map of India, drawn along linguistic lines, should be dispensed with when discussing food (and much else) so forget chauvinistic comparisons and trust the tasting tongue.

True, the natives have a ‘stronger’ palate and rasampatti is chilli with exceptional pungency but there is more to Andhra repertoire than this. We were reminded of this recently when in an Andhra eatery in Karnataka we were served some unusual kofta. To begin with, these came sans gravy, were spiced refreshingly differently — pepper, coarsely pounded dhania and lavang, just a hint cumin and a strong welcome presence of curry patta. More a kebab than a kofta but we are not complaining. We had it with roti and enjoyed it even more crumbled on a small mound of steamed rice and a spoonful of ghee and a slice of mango pickle. The Lakhnawi epicure may well have had a stroke when we poured watery asafoetida-tinged tomato rasam before signing out. We are happy to share the recipe with our readers and strongly recommend it. We assure them that the treasure hunt in Golconda will continue.

Chef’s corner

Ingredients

Mince (not very fine) 300 gm
Channa dal 2 tbsp
Bay leaf one
Black peppercorns ½ tsp
Cumin seeds (dry roast, coarsely ground) ½ tsp
Coriander seeds (coarsely pounded) 1tsp
Cloves 2-3
Green chilli (deseeded and chopped) one
A small sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
A whole red chilli (wiped with moist cloth, then shredded)

Method

Boil the mince with the bay leaf in little water with dal, salt, and cloves. Allow it to cool. Add the spices and green chillies and grind but not too fine. Moisten palms with a little oil. Then shape the ground mince into small balls of the size of table tennis balls. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the kofta in batches on low medium heat till these are well browned and crisp. Temper with curry leaves. Eat as a snack or with rice or roti.





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