Food talk
Pasande perfect

  Pushpesh Pant brings us simple yet sublime homemade tariwale pasande

THERE is something about boneless meats that makes us drool. We know it well that a majority of non-vegetarians prefer ‘flesh on the bone’ and love to chew the bones extracting the last tasty morsel of the marrow but this reminds us of our stone age past. In our view, nothing matches the satisfaction of lean meat rid of bones and trimmed of flab dangerous fat, ugly membranes and bothersome tendons et al. This is the reason pasande or parche in Awadh have always been dearest to our heart. A friend told us this is what explains the name — pasand is liking and pasande is everyone’s favourite. You can enjoy the Indian steak in many forms — an aromatic patthar kebab in Hyderabad, layered tash kebab in Lucknow, rich badam pasande in Delhi to list just a few. This cut of meat provides the basis of dozens of mouth-watering delicacies — stuffed, skewered and stringed. However, nothing beats the delight of a simple yet sublime homemade tariwale pasande.

There is no need to fret for a slab of volcanic rock, or risk of sweet ittra overpowering the aromatic spices or the nutty paste giving the diners a guilty conscience. In past, butchers were reluctant to expend the extra labour but these days it is quite easy to buy what you need when you need it by paying just a little extra. All that remains is to be done is to be patient during the period of marination.

Chef’s corner

Ingredients

Mutton (Filleted, flattened and scored) 750 gm

Yoghurt 50 ml

Ghee 200 ml

Bay leaf one

Cinnamon stick 1 inch piece

Brown cardamoms two

Black peppercorns 6-8

Cloves 5-6

Green cardamom 3-4

Onions (sliced very fine) 200 gm

Ginger paste 1 tbsp

Garlic paste 1tbsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Cumin seeds powder 1 tsp

Coriander seeds powder 2 tsp

Garam masala 2 tsp

Green cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Nutmeg powder 1/4 tsp

Mace powder 1/4 tsp

Almonds 50 gm

A sprig of fresh coriander

Salt to taste

Method
Clean, wash and pat dry the meat. Prepare a marinade by blending curds, garlic and ginger pastes, chilli, coriander and cumin seeds powders, along with the salt. Put the meat fillets in it and ensure that these are well-coated.

Keep aside in a cold place for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Heat ghee in a pan to smoking point. Reduce heat to medium, add bay leaf and the whole spices and lightly stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add onions and fry until these are rich brown but look ‘burnt or curled’. Add the marinated pasande, and simmer over medium low until tender to taste. Sprinkle garam masala and cardamom, nutmeg and mace powders, and stir. Adjust the seasoning.





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