Forgotten Foods: Part 1

When Hemant Oberoi relaunched Southern Spice restaurant at Taj Coromandel earlier this year, he included a dish on the menu that channelled 19th century Thanjavur.

Oberoi discovered the dish -- called shunti or kebab in Marathi, and kola urundai or meatball in Tamil -- in a book that was written in the languages of both the states (The region's flavours are known to be influenced both by the Mughals and the Marathas.)

Kayar Katti Kola Urundai courtesy Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai

“In that [region], the dumplings became a part of the nuptials,” says the chef. “On the wedding night, the bride and the groom would each hold one end of the thread and pull it apart to unravel it. The meatball was said to fall on the side of the dominant spouse.” Kayar Katti Kola Urundai by Hemant Oberoi, Corporate Chef, Taj Mahal Palace
Ingredients: 1kg lamb mince, 150g onion (chopped), 40g garlic (chopped), 20g ginger-garlic paste, 30g green chilli (chopped), 20g turmeric powder, 50g red chilli powder, 20g fennel seed powder, 50g fresh coriander, 150g ghee, Salt to taste, 75g Bengal gram (chana dal), 50g cashew nuts (crushed), 15g fennel seeds, 15g cardamom (whole), 10g cinnamon, banana fiber (soaked in water for tying the meat dumplings), Oil for frying

Method: Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel. Add chopped onion and sauté till translucent. Add chopped garlic and sauté well, then add chopped chillies to the mixture and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook well.
To the mix, add the lamb mince and sauté for 5 minutes; add the spice powders and cook till the excessive water from the pan dries up and the spices are thoroughly cooked. Add the chopped fresh coriander, check seasoning and set aside.
Separately dry roast the Bengal gram, fennel seeds, cinnamon, broken cashew nuts, cardamom and grind to make a fine powder. Add this powder to the lamb mixture and cook again for 5-7 minutes
Allow the mixture to reach room temperature and then form round dumplings of approximately 30g each
For tying the dumplings: Soak the banana fiber in water to make it soft and drain the water completely. Hold the dumpling in one hand delicately and keeping at least 1 cm of the thread loose, tie around the dumpling with the rest of the banana fiber in criss-cross manner such that the lines converge at the two ends. Now tie the loose end left at the beginning with the end in your hand and twist it tightly. Fry these lamb dumplings to a crisp in hot oil. Serves 4.