Food talk
 Off-white wonder

The nutty taste and grainy texture of safed maans lend it a distinct identity, writes Pushpesh Pant

HAVE you ever thought about this — why are our curries red, brown, yellow, golden (even green) but seldom white? Well, there is the rare bird — silver-draped chicken in Chandni qorma in Awadhi repertoire — encountered but by chance, and you may insist that shahi paneer heads in that general direction losing its way somewhere along but the question continues to bug us why not more? We have a feeling that it is our partiality to the turmeric and red chillies that propels the nation towards a techni-colour cuisine.

Turmeric, scholars tell us, is great for many therapeutic reasons and may have been considered indispensable by our ancestors but the case of the chilli is more intriguing. It came to the sub-continent with the Portuguese and won our hearts singing the palate. What can’t be denied is that the duo has changed the complexion of all our delicacies — vegetables, lentils and meats. We will return to this sometime else but let us share with you a recently relished ‘white’ recipe — safed maans.

One has, in past, taken delight in the fiery laal maans that can deter the bravest of the brave by its lethal looking hue and pungency to match — really red hot stuff that can light up tail lights the morning after but don’t know how hadn’t come across this beauty — fair ’n’ lovely. Well, not quite snow white but not hiding behind a sterling silver leaf veil. Do try this mild mannered one out at the earliest. To tell you the truth, the safed maans that has won our heart is not like the famed Makrana marble but is off, off white but beats the hell out of its coloured cousins. The nutty taste and grainy texture lend it a distinct personality.

Chef’s corner

Chef’s delight
Meat (shoulder and breast pieces)  1 kg

Poppy seeds paste  1 tbsp

Almond paste  1 tbsp

Ginger paste  1 tbsp

Garlic paste  ½ tbsp

Bay leaf  one

Laung cloves  six

Dalchini  1 inch piece

White peppercorn powder  1 tsp

Sugar  ½ tsp

Garam masala  ½ tbsp

Milk 100 ml

Thick curds 3 tbsp

Ghee/clarified butter or vegetable oil 200 ml

Rosewater 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method
Cut the meat into two-inch pieces. Boil water in a pan and cook the meat in it for five minutes to drain colour. Remove and cool. Prepare a marinade by blending the pastes, and the curds along with the salt. Coat the meat pieces evenly with the marinade and keep aside for two hours.

Heat the ghee/clarified butter in a pan and put in the bay leaf, along with other whole spices. When these begin to change colour and splutter, add meat with the marinate. Stir-fry on medium heat for about five minutes. Take care that the meat is not browned. Add sugar and sufficient water. Simmer for half an hour on a medium fire. When the meat is tender, add garam masala. Remove from heat, and slowly pour in the milk. Cook on a slow fire for another few minutes. Sprinkle rose water just before serving.





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