Food talk
Drums of heaven

This refreshing dish can be altered to suit one’s taste, writes Pushpesh Pant

IF you are fond of Chinese chow, you don’t need what is in store for you this time. It is chicken legs we are talking about. Good old tangri does look like the sticks one beats the drums with and the heavenly bit obviously refers to taste not rhythmic noise. The beauty is that there is more than one path that leads to paradise. The drums of heaven we bring you this week have no Chinese connection. The recipe is unabashedly desi. The inspiration is mughalia but it is essentially a refreshingly light modern dish with a glow reminiscent of burnished gold. When we tasted this at a friend’s house recently, the words that illuminated the recesses of our mind were sunhari aanch ka qorma.

More about that rare delicacy some other time, what is amazing is that this is a recipe that is impossible to botch up. And, like all our favourites has great scope for improvisation. If you are so inclined you may gild it with sone ka warq or enrich with slivers of pista or almonds for us unadorned beauty beats all. We have sprinkled a few drops of kewrajal but didn’t quite like it. You may love it. Here it goes.

Chef’s corner

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks 6-8

Thick yoghurt 200 ml

Garlic ginger paste 1 tbsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri lal mirch powder 1/2 tsp

Dried ginger powder 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Oil 100 ml

Salt to taste

Method

Blend all powdered spices and the salt with the yoghurt. Clean wash and pat dry the chicken drumsticks. Score lightly with a sharp knife. Pierce with a fork. Place these with the yoghurt-spiced marinade and keep aside for half an hour. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add the garlic ginger paste. Stir briskly for about 30 seconds. Put the drumsticks in along with the marinade and cook covered on low medium heat for about 20 minutes or done to taste. If gravy is required add half a cup of boiling water after 15 minutes and simmer for next five minutes. You may add a couple of lightly crushed green cardamoms with the water. Happy eating.





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