Frontier enters the Indian gastronomy

War, wherever it reached in past course of time, has influenced the lives of countless people. Infact, in the post-war eras, food, culture and traditions have evolved hat tip to the practices during the dark times.  Our adjoint frontier region, touching the international borders of no less than three countries, has stood the test of many wartimes and has its own offering when it comes to the gastronomy scene. And in present times, the region’s simple yet appealing dishes are donning amongst Indians. Invaded by various races in disparate eras, the   food culture of the harsh mountaineous region on the Northwest of our country’s has developed to be raw yet uniquely
scrumptious.

Chef Vikram Shokeen, Junior Sous Chef, The Ashok gives an insight about the region’s delectable cuisine and it’s origin. “In my initial days, I was enthusiastic about various lesser known cuisines and frontier is no doubtedly one such,” he recalls. The chef says that any region’s food has essentially to do with a lot of factors among which availability is a prime element. “When it comes to a cuisine hailing from mountains of any nook and cranny of the world, there is one common trait to it. Minimal usage of spices.” He also adds that soldiers have a survival instinct of having no extravaganza in terms of food giving birth to such a cuisine.” Salivating already? Here are some dishes to calm your rightful hunger.

Kabab-e-Bannu

Ingredients

• Chicken Tikka (Boneless)        2 kg

Marinade one:

• Salt        15 gms
• Kasoori methi    3 gms
• Green chillies    12 gms
• Green coriander    15 gms
• Ginger carlic paste     50 gms
• Vinegar    25 ml

Marinade two:

• Oil         370 ml
• Besan        62 gms
• Dry bread crumbs 64 gms
• Egg yolks    05 nos

Method

Pre Preparation:

• Chop the green chillies and green coriander.
• Roughly grind the bread crumbs.

Preparation

• Marinate the chicken tikka with marinade one and leave aside to rest.
• Heat oil; add besan and sauté for 2-3 mins.
• Add marinated chicken tikka.
• Sauté for 3-4 mins on low flame and add the bread crumbs. Remove from flame.
• Spread the chicken tikka on the table top and let it cool.
• Put the chicken on a steel tray.
• Put 8 pieces of chicken tikka onto a skewer and roast for 5-6 mins. Coat with egg yolk and roast further till done.
• Serve garnished with chat masala.

Raan Aleeshaan

Ingredients

• Mutton legs (1300 gm. each)

Marinade

• Ginger garlic paste    332 gms
• Red Chili Powder    58 gms
• Rum            100 ml
• Vinegar        115 ml
• Salt            290 gms
• Oil            350 gms

Pre Preparation

• Prepare the marinade using all the ingredients.
• Clean the mutton legs and poke with a fork.

Preparation

• Apply on lamb legs and put them in a steel container.
• Pour enough water to cover the mutton legs.
• Cook for 3 hrs in a pre-heated oven at 250°C.
• Take out the legs and keep them in another container.
• Cut the leg into 6-8 pcs. Smear oil on a hot tawa and grill the lamb pc for 6-8 min.
• Place the central bone on a hot sizzler and arrange the pieces on its sides.
• Serve garnished with chat masala and few drops of rum on top.

Khatte Baingan

Ingredients    

• Baingan (Eggplant)    150 gms
• Oil             to fry
• Chat masala        10 gms
• Red chilli powder    2 gms
• Kasoori methi        1 gms
• Garam masala        2 gms
• Lemon juice        1 no.
• Peshwari gravy        150 gms
• Makhni gravy        75 gms

Pre Preparation:

• Wash and make two slits at the bottom of the brinjals keeping the stem intact.
• Deep fry the brinjals, in medium hot oil.

Preparation:

• Heat the gravies in a pan; add fried brinjals and the other ingredients.
• Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves and ginger juliennes.