Slow food catching on fast

When I mention ‘slow food’ to my clients, most of them mistake it to be some kind of cooking method that involves a long period of time. Perhaps this misunderstanding is because it is a concept that is still new to our country. Globally, however, it is a movement that can only be described as ‘fast growing’.

The easiest way to understand is to know that it began as a reaction to the fast food culture. It is all about finding and enjoying fresh and pure local food. Therefore, if it slows things down a bit, it is because of the time taken to procure such food.

The accent is on regional cuisine and locally available food that is organic but not the way organic food is mass produced these days. It is not everyday food and menu is often not fixed but agreed upon between the chef and the guest.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about the cooking style except it is better to cook in a closed vessel and to avoid overcooking by doing it in slow heat.

While preparing the dishes mentioned alongside, the goat for the curry was procured from the home of a friend in Munnar while the herbs and shallots were picked up from the same person’s garden. As for the quail, yam and eggs, they came from a tribal area in Wayanad. The price doesn’t go up because they are not from people who market it commercially but the effort slows things a bit.

 (Chef Ramu Butler, who is the corporate chef as well as F&B manager of Ramada Cochin Resort, is the winner of the Smart Chef award)

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Fresh Coriander crusted quail on yam medallion and egg

Ingredients

• Quail 2
• 1 sprig of fresh
• coriander leaves finely chopped
• Boiled quail egg 2
• Yam 100 gms
• Lemon 1
• Whole pepper ground 1 tsp
• Whole coriander 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds 2 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste
• Cinnamon 1 small stick
• Cardamom 4
• Clove 4
• Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
• Salt as required
• Honey flower for garnish

Method: Cut the yam and soak it in water with lime juice for 20 minutes. Remove and grill with salt, pepper and lime juice. Boil the quail eggs. Pound the coriander seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds and salt together in a stone pounder to a fine powder. Add in garlic-ginger paste, and lime juice. Clean the quail and marinate with the above pound powder paste for 2 hours Heat oil and shallow fry the quails on a low flame till it is tender. Transfer it to a plate and garnish.

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Goat Curry with Samba sticky rice

Ingredients

• Goat meat with nalli    250 gms
• (bone marrow)
• Shallots chopped    100 gms
• Garlic cloves crushed    3
• Fresh curd    ½ cup
• Bay leaves    2
• Cloves (whole)    6
• Cardamom pods    8
• Cinnamon stick    1
• Coriander powder    2 tablespoon
• Cumin powder    2 teaspoon
• Ginger finely chopped    1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder    1 teaspoon
• Red chilli paste     1 teaspoon
• or powder
• Desi tomatoes    1 cup chopped
• Garam masala powder    1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil    3 tablespoon
• Water as required
• Salt as required
• Coriander leaves
• 100 gms Samba rice    
• Soak the rice for ½ hour, strain the water and cook the rice
• 1 small drumstick     (cut into 5 cm         length)

Method: In a kadai (a mud pot is preferred) heat oil. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Once they crackle, add chopped shallots and fry till brown. Now add all the above ingredients except tomatoes, water, garam masala powder and coriander leaves. Set to slow heat and cook for 2 hours occasionally stirring in between. Once the meat is cooked, remove the drumsticks and add tomatoes, garam masala and water. Cook on slow heat for another 30 minutes and check the seasoning.