Mutton ChaaNp - Our Eid Special

There are some dishes that will linger in your taste buds long after you have eaten them. One such dish for me is the Mutton Chaa(n)p that they make in Shiraz and Aminia here in Kolkata. The flavours are subtle,the lush gravy that coats the lamb ribs with that taste of kewra and meetha attar that you mop up with fluffy tandoori rotis ,makes you crave for for. This Eid I had decided that I would try to recreate this dish in my kitchen.  I was not sure if the flavours would turn out right as I was following a very easy recipe. The key was to marinate the lamb for as long as possible for it to soak up the flavours from the garam masala, kewra and rose water. My local meat man was very sweet to first show me a sample of how he makes the 'chaaNps' before I could decide if I want it or not.He asked me if it was going to be Eid special and gave me that big grin when I said yes!
So there I set out to make my first ever Mutton ChaaNp (Lamb ribs in a silky nutty gravy with fat oozing out from all sides) - chaap pronounced with that little nasal twang! Kindly excuse the not so great pictures here as I was a task for me to set the night time mode right on my camera and that dish waiting to be devoured was making it worse.

BTW I was having this little chat with one of my uncles who is a great cook himself and rustles up amazing dishes in his kitchen. He told me that a Chaap recipe would have poppy seeds and cashewnut paste in it but somehow I had made up my kind that I wont use any and just let the yogurt, onion paste and the kewra essence do up its magic. And I am happy to say that it turned out exactly the way I had imagined the flavours to be. So now you note the recipe, you will be surprised how easy it can be.

Ingredients:

Mutton ribs/chaanp - 500 gms - approx. 6-8 pieces

Yoghurt - 200 gms

Onion - 1 large - made into a fine paste

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp.

Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.

Mace and nutmeg paste - 1 tbsp.

Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp. ( cardamom,cloves and cinnamon grounded into a paste)

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Kewra essence - 1 heaped tbsp

Rose water - 1 tsp

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Method:

Wash , clean and dry the mutton chaanps/ribs. Marinate with some salt and lemon juice and keep aside for half an hour.

By this time the mutton will release the excess water, drain that and keep aside.

In a big bowl, mix together the yoghurt,onion paste,ginger-garlic paste,red chilli powder, mace-nutmeg paste,garam masala powder, kewra and rose essence and some salt. Give it a good whisk.

Now add the mutton pieces into this marinade and let it marinate for atleast 6-7 hrs or even better if left over night.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the ghee. Dunk in the mutton pieces with just the marinade coating it into the pan. Cover and let it simmer for 25 to 30 mins. By now the mutton would have cooked tender and soft and slightlt coated with the yoghurt gravy.

Remove and keep aside. Now add the remaining marinade into the same pan, add a little ghee if reqd and let the gravy simmer till done. Oil oozing out from the sides of the pan.

Pour the gravy on top the mutton pieces.Garnish with some onion rings.Serve it with home made tandoori rotis and some green salad.

Recipe for Tandoori Rotis :

Ingredients:

Wheat flour/atta - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt  - 1 tsp

Yoghurt/curd/Dahi - one cup

Milk - enough to bind the dough.

Method:

Mix together all the ingredients into a soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 2 hrs.

Make small balls of the dough and roll in out into thick rotis.

Heat a heavy bottomed flat pan/tawa. Put the rolled dough in it and cover with a lid. Keep the flame on high. In 2-3 mins remove the cover you will find bubbles being formed on top of the rotis. Now dunk the roti into direct flame..same way you make your regular rotis till done. Slather with ghee and serve with the mutton chaanps. Heaven I tell u!!


Notes:

• I used only ghee but you can use half ghee half refined oil.
• Make sure the mutton is marinated for longest possible time as it brings out the best flavours then.
• You could also marinate the mutton with some raw papaya paste as that works as a meat tenderiser. I didn't and still the mutton cooked beautifully.

 

An afternoon with the Grand Master Chef @ ITC Sonar

When KFB got an invite from ITC Sonar to a part of their press lunch with the Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi there was no way I could say no. I had heard a lot about the man solely responsible for bringing the royal cuisine to the masses.Chef Imtiaz Qureshi has an impeccable lineage, his ancestors were cooks in the royal courts of Awadh where Dum Pukht originated some 200 years ago. Now when you get an opportunity to be a part of such history you do jump with joy. Chef Qureshi presents some of his best creations from a culinary journey which spans over 50 years. A burly old man with white hair and moustache, he gives out such positive vibes. You are only charmed as he shares with you anecdotes in pure Urdu. I was awed! And the fact that he has such a modernist approach to traditional cuisine only adds to his persona. I couldn't believe it when he said that he used olive oil for the Biryani - something only a man with so much experience can fathom.

Dum Pukht, ITC Sonar offers a fine dining experience serving food with a Royal lineage. Guests are guided through the menu and each dish is presented with signature service rituals.A dining experience here takes you back to the royal era and each dish has its own story. We had the privilege to sample some unique innovative dishes crafted by the Master Chef and his team.

Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi

We started with the Jhinga Qureshi ( Puff pastry covered jumbo prawns stuffed with dried apricot and cheese ) and Raan-e-Huzoor ( Baby lamb legs cooked on dum with date sauce)
It was a great start I must say - with me being totally bowled over by that Raan -meat literally falling of the bones and melting in your mouth.

The main course had a whole lot of dishes, the most innovative and totally new for me was the Samudri Ratan ( Soft marbles of fresh crabmeat in a tangy gravy ) which Chef told us was cooked with tamarind and raw mango extract.The Desi Murgh ishtew ( country chicken braised over slow fire  cooked with onion and other spices ) was a deviation from the normal stews that one could think of. Now if we are taking of Awadhi cuisine we have to talk meat. Koh e Awadh ( Chef's recipe of lamb shanks cooked in its juices and marrow) was delicate and flavourful. The meat again melting in your mouth. By now I was stuffed and in food heaven. The star dish here  for me was however the Dal Badami ( White urad dal cooked with almonds and spinach). A total exit from the signature Dal Dumpukht. This was light and creamy and totally balanced out the other dishes.

Finished our meal with the Dudhiya Biryani ( Tender lamb shanks cooked in milk) For dessert we had the famous Shahi Tukda and Lab-e- mashook ( Frozen dessert of reduced milk scented with orange)

The entire menu was graced beautifully with a fine spirit. Mr. Sandeep Arora  - the whiskey expert - curated the whole event and enlightened us  on whiskey pairing ( Royal Salute 21YO)

So there! If you love your Shorbas, kebabs,Qormas and Qaliyas you know what you need to so. Yes, head straight to ITC Sonar and be a part of this iconic food journey presented by the legend himself.

The Signature Collection is available at the Eden Pavillion from 22nd june to 30th june,2014 for Dinner.
It is a part of the Dinner Buffet - priced at INR 1850 plus applicable taxes per guest.
 
There is also the Royal Repast at Dum Pukht ( Dinner Only ) from 22nd June onwards priced at INR 6500 + taxes.