I am kind of a traditionalist when it comes to food. I dislike
compromising on the authenticity of a dish simply just to make it more
acceptable to the crowd. Be it any cuisine, it is more important for me that it
is true to its origins rather than modified in any modern way possible.
These ideas of mine are usually reflected in the food I cook and the
processes I use to cook them as well. Pasta cooked will usually be with
authentic homemade pesto sauce rather than the store bought variant or the
traditional Biryani will be cooked in “Dum” in a clay pot with the authentic
spice mix as opposed to dunking in any spice I find handy.
This wasn’t always the case however. Just like everyone in their
normal state of mind, I used to purchase bottled pesto, ready spice mix for
something like Chole or Biryani, use short cuts to grind chutneys etc.
But in recent times, I suddenly started giving things a thought.
Thinking logically about flavours and the effect on foods, I realised that all
the traditional processes used by people in the earlier times for cooking –
such as grinding, slow cooking, roasting, marinating etc. had a strong reason
to it. These weren’t just random processes developed but used with careful
thought for maximum flavour release of the ingredients.
With this thought, I set out to reset my cooking style with a “Back
to basics” approach. Now, I know this may sound a bit extreme to many but come
on, give it a thought. Scientifically, it all makes sense. Slow cooking or
grinding spices fresh, or roasting – all of these contribute vastly to flavour
release and maintaining them. The core spice combinations developed worked in
pure synergy with each other and this worked to uplift the flavours of dishes.
On a scientific level, it like molecular gastronomy. The individual
constituents in all the spices or ingredients worked in a mutually beneficial
association each other thus greatly uplifting the flavour of the dish.
With this newfound inspiration, I set out and my first experiment
was the evergreen Indian “Chutney”. Now many would ask what is the big deal
about chutney. It is usually a combination of coriander, green chillies, lemon,
ginger and garlic. Some add other ingredients such as peanuts or coconut to add
a new dimension to the flavour but that being said, it is a traditional Indian
origin creation. The trick, my friends, lies in how it is made. The age-old
tradition of making chutney was using a grinding stone or a “sil-batta” that
has now been replaced with the electric blender or mixer.
The Sil-batta is a grinding stone that is used for
grinding chutneys, dal (lentils) or anything to get a coarse paste. The stone
was widely used in olden times for make chutneys, fresh spice mixes, batter for
vadas (fried or steamed dumplings and more. Surprisingly, when I set out to
hunt for this stone, it was one of the most difficult tasks. It seems the
concept of grinding using a sil-batta is so outdated in current times as no
store stocked it. When I did find it however, I paid almost thrice the amount for
what one would have usually bought. The things one does for the love of
food.
Highly enthusiastic, I set out the following Sunday to make
my first batch of Chutney using this wonderful creation. The exercise of
grinding fresh green chutney on the sil-batta is a treat for the visual and
olfactory senses and taste buds I would say.
The aromas released during the grinding process are
heavenly. The earthiness of the coriander, the heat released by the garlic, the
fresh citrusy notes of lemon, the herbal characters contributed by fresh mint
and the punch given by garlic are something that cannot be experienced using
the electric grinder. The olfactory senses seem to all get alive when you try
and focus on each and every ingredient gradually releasing the aromas during
the grinding process.
Taste-wise, while it is true that the ingredients used
will determine the flavours released – the different concentrations and their
freshness, the flavours obtained by the traditional stone grinding process are
incomparable to those using an electric blender.
Scientifically, Grinding helps release the volatile oils
in the herbs and ingredients due to which the smell and taste factors are much
more enhanced and pronounced. It is these oils that create the aromatic aura
that liven by the senses.
While I admit it is a wonderful experience for the
visual and olfactory senses, the exercise did test my arm muscles. However, the
pain is worth having a bowl of beautiful freshly ground chutney that is robust
in its flavour, colour and smell.
While everyone would have different takes on their chutney
compositions, I have outlined a simple but abundant with flavour version of my
chutney. Some people may like adding sugar to this blend but believe me, its
best to have the ingredients shine in their natural flavour.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh coriander - leaves with stalks as the stalks are the
main parts having the beautiful earthy flavour (it wouldn’t hut to grow some
coriander on the window sill to be able to harvest it fresh whenever the need
arises..Its pretty simple)
1 cup Fresh Mint leaves (Again, best when harvested from the window
sill)
4-5 green chillies (the hot variety- believe me, it delivers the
best flavour punch)
Juice of 1 large lemon
5-6 cloves freshly peeled garlic
Salt – just enough to enhance the taste (not drown the individual
flavours)
Using the grinding stone, crush all the ingredients well except the
lemon and salt. Add them at the end of the grinding process. A little
sprinkling of water may be needed just to bring everything together as a paste
but do not add more water (as one would normally do in a electric blender to
make a smooth paste) to make a smooth paste. The whole idea is to have a
rustic, a bit coarse blend to be able to experience the all the ingredients. Adding
too much water will dilute the flavours and also, the chutney will blacken
after a couple of days.
Some versions also add freshly grated coconut to this mixture while
others may add some roasted peanuts to add a nutty character but frankly, its
best to have the fresh herbs speak for themselves in such a simple creation.
The above should give you one bowl of spicy Green chutney.
While I do agree that the process may sound time consuming and
tedious to some, its worth every bit of effort put into it. Many more variants
of pastes, chutneys, dry spice mixes can be created using this humble tool.
Look forward to sharing more such traditional, high on flavour
recipes in my further posts.
