Food talk
From China, it’s love at first bite
Pushpesh Pant 

Mention Chinese food and images are immediately conjured up of stuff "sweet and sour", oodles of noodles, fried rice, myriad dumplings and steaming bowls of soup. Such is the popularity of 'Chinese' cuisine that over the years several mutants of Chindian have emerged: Gujju-Chinese, Madrasi-Chinese, Punjabi-Chinese etc. The Kolkatans, of course, claim their Tengra Cantonese as the real McCoy. Matters can be confused further by mentioning the Hong Kong, Singapore or San Francisco (Chinatown) contributions. Chances are that very few Indians are likely to recognise authentic Chinese recipes. Schezuan, Beijing, Shanghai variants in their original form.

Recently, a friend invited us to sample Uyghur food at his recently opened "Multi-Asian" cuisine restaurant Ahoy China in GK-II and to be honest, we were surprised by the superb fare on offer. What is more, the delicacies appeared more tandoori Indian than even remotely Chinese! We are absolutely delighted to share the recipe of Chicken wing kebab.

Uyghur murgh kebab

Ingredients

Chicken wings (with skin and plenty of meat attached) 8

Uyghur spice mix 1 tbsp

(Make Uyghur spice mix by grinding and blending together:

Roasted cumin 2tsp

Roasted fennel 2tsp

Black pepper 2tsp

Sichuan peppers 2

Garlic powder 2tsp

Ginger powder 2tsp

Dry red chilly flakes 2tsp

Sea salt 1tsp

Marinade

Sesame oil 1 tbsp

Ginger (finely shopped) 1/2tsp

Garlic (finely shopped) 1/2tsp

Fresh coriander (finely shopped) 1tsp

Lime juice 1 tsp

Dip

Prepare the dip by whisking together in a small bowl:

Hung yogurt 2 tbsp

Uyghur spice mix 1tsp

Burnt garlic ½ tsp

Fresh coriander (chopped) ½ tsp

Mustard oil ½ cup

Method

Clean, wash, pat dry and trim the chicken wings. Prepare the marinade by mixing ingredients listed and 1/2tsp of Uyghur spice mix and apply it evenly to the chicken wings. Keep aside for 2-3 hours. Char or pan grill till done to taste basting with a few drops of oil ensuring that the wings are evenly cooked. Sprinkle the Uyghur spice mix powder and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with garlic-yogurt dip.

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