food talk
Sweet and sour symphony
Pushpesh Pant 

Butter Chicken in Ludhiana' or from Moti Mahal has cast a magic spell on our minds. It is the perennial favourite in Indian restaurants and at home. Dhabas thrive on it. The only trouble is that the creamy delight is much too heavy to enjoy on days (and nights) when the mercury is rising and appetite is slackening. A touch of sour with a hint of sweet is what never fails to tickles the palate and this is the secret of the success of khatta meetha murgh. It's the freshly-made tomato sauce that lightens the fare without compromising on taste. You can garnish it generously with fresh pudina leaves, spike it up for extra zing with green chillies and not miss the makhani friend for many days.

Khatmitha murgh

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks 6-8
Tomatoes 300 g (ripe, medium sized, blanched and peeled)
Garlic paste 1tsp
Ginger paste 1tsp
Onions 100 g (medium-sized sliced fine)
Bay leaf 1
Stick of cinnamon 1inch
Black pepper corn 1/2tsp
Brown cardamom 2
Sugar (or to taste) 1tsp
Lemon juice 1tbsp
Dhaniya powder 1tsp
Jeera powder ½tsp
Red chilly powder 1tsp (Kashmiri)
Salt To taste
Oil 100 ml

Method

Trim, wash and pat dry the chicken. Marinate in lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes and keep aside. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and when it reaches smoking point put in the bay leaf along with other whole spices. When these begin to crackle, add the onions and stir-fry till lightly browned. Put in the chicken and cook on medium heat till the drumsticks are well browned. Remove the drumsticks and keep on a kitchen towel to remove excess fat. Add the ginger and garlic pastes to the oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds before putting in the tomatoes along with powdered spices, salt and sugar. Mash with the back of a ladle till tomatoes are reduced to pulp. Reduce heat and cook till fat leaves the spice mixture. Put the drumsticks back in the pan along with ¼ cup boiling water. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Uncover, adjust seasoning and serve hot.

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