Maas Ka Sula, a traditional dish of marinated meat cooked slowly over hot coals, is updated with yogurt, papaya and a barbecue.
It is my passion for learning that keeps sending me back to India.
The country has so much to offer in terms of culture, history, landscape, its people and, of course, its great diversity of food. After each visit, I try to incorporate the different techniques and spice combinations I've discovered into new dishes at home or at the restaurant.
On my last trip, I took 12 foodies to the East Rajasthan area. Food and spices were our main focus, and I wanted everybody to take a cooking class almost every day.
After a few days of travel, we arrived at a place called Chhatra Sagar in Nimaj. The setting was beautiful: luxurious tents running along a dam that had been built by Late Thakur Chhatra Singh Ji, bordering a wild bird sanctuary. The cuisine reflected the family's continued status among the other maharajas of the state.
After our arrival, we were greeted with marigold garlands, refreshing drinks and the most delicious home-cooked meal. The dishes had no names, but they were beyond tasty. I realized, who cares what a dish is called as long as it tastes good and the flavours are well balanced? It's the direction I feel high-end Indian food is heading: Food should be flavourful, with spices and textures that come together - not just a big bowl of muddled sauce.
Later, the owners showed us how to make "Maas ka Sula," a traditional dish of marinated meat, cooked slowly over fire on skewers. The owners had updated it by adding flavours they had perfected over the years.
After eating, we built a huge fire in the middle of the tents. Everybody sat around drinking and exchanging stories. But all I could think about was food, and how it is important not to compartmentalize recipes, but to evolve with the cuisine and culture.
I believe that Indian food is versatile and the time has come to, while respecting tradition, start improvising in new directions. Even French and Italian cooking has been modernized by great chefs: They have kept the basis intact but have built new ways of presenting and doing things. Indian food will continue to evolve as upcoming chefs in Delhi and Bombay - and home cooks such as yourselves - grow more confident in their abilities.
The following recipe is my interpretation of Maas ka Sula. Use a barbecue on low heat to achieve the desired effect. It may be different - but that's okay.
Maas ka Sula
Ingredients
1 kilogram lean mutton or lamb from saddle and leg
60 grams ghee
60 grams onion, thinly and evenly sliced
6 grams salt
6 grams red chilies, powdered
12 grams garlic
12 grams of garam masala ground in 1/2 cup of drained yogurt. Mix the garam masala in the yogurt
30 millilitres (1 ounce) cold water
3 grams raw papaya, peeled and ground
Method
Clean, wash and wipe the meat. Remove the white membrane completely from the surface of the meat. With a sharp knife, cut 1/4-inch pieces and about 2x2 squares. Gently flatten the pieces by beating both sides with a wooden hammer or with the back of a heavy knife. Wet the hammer or knife with a little water to avoid sticking.
Heat the ghee and fry sliced onions to a golden brown. Remove and grind with water.
Mix salt, red chilies, garlic, garam masala yogurt and raw papaya into the meat. Add fried ground onions and cold water. Finally, add papaya and mix well.
Marinate the meat for an hour.
Take an 18-inch skewer and pass the skewer through the centre of each piece of meat. Pack the pieces closely, levelling the masala in between the pieces.
Preheat the barbecue for 10 minutes and then bring it down to low. Rest the skewers on a platform, at both ends of the fire, so the meat pieces remain 4 inches above the fire. Keep rotating the skewer to cook the meat evenly, and continue until it's tender and well-browned. The flames should not touch the meat. It is a slow cooking process, so it depends on the barbecue.
Remove the meat from the skewers and put them on a serving tray. Serve at once.
The masala rub should be around the meat. If it is slightly runny, then baste the meats while cooking with the left-over rub. Serves 4 to 6.