Finely Diced Meat with Green Chickpeas
चणकस्य समान् खण्डान् कल्पयित्वा विचक्षणः । निशाजीरकतीक्ष्णाद्यैः शुण्ठीधान्यकहिङ्गुभिः ॥ ४९ ॥ चूर्णितैर्मेलयित्वा तांस्तप्ततैले विनिक्षिपेत् । समानार्द्रकखण्डांश्च चणकान् हरितानपि ॥ १४५० ॥ श्लक्ष्णमांसैः क्षिपेत्कोलं निष्पावान् कोमलानपि । पलाण्डुशकलान् वापि लशुनं वापि निक्षिपेत् ॥ ५१ ॥ एवं पूर्वोदितं सूदः प्रयुञ्जीत यथारुचि । शोषितेऽम्लरसे पश्चात्सिद्धमुत्तार्य धूपयेत् ॥ ५२ ॥
Having made pieces of meat the size of a chickpea, the discerning cook should mix them with turmeric, cumin, tīkṣṇa and the rest, and with dried ginger, coriander, and asafoetida, all reduced to powder, and throw them into heated oil — and pieces of fresh ginger cut to the same size, and green chickpeas too. Along with the finely cut meats he should put in kola and tender lablab pods; or else he may put in slices of onion, or garlic. In this way the cook should apply, as he likes, the sauce described earlier. Afterwards, when the sour juice has dried away, he should take the finished dish off the fire and perfume it with aromatic smoke.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless lamb or goat shoulder, cut into 1 cm dice
- 25 g fresh ginger, cut into 1 cm dice
- 150 g fresh or frozen green chickpeas (hard to find; shelled edamame beans are a good substitute)
- 150 g tender lablab (sem) pods, topped and tailed, cut into 3 cm lengths (optional)
- 1 small onion, cut into slices
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 30 g dried jujube, pitted and torn (optional)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground dried ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 45 ml oil
- 250 ml of the Sour Sauce for Roast Meat, made without the meat
- To finish: ¼ tsp asafoetida, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp ghee
Method
- Toss the diced meat with the turmeric, cumin, pepper, dried ginger, coriander, and asafoetida until evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan until it shimmers. Fry the meat over high heat, stirring, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the diced ginger and the green chickpeas and fry for 2 minutes more.
- Add the lablab pods if using, the onion and garlic, and the jujube if using. Fry for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, until the meat is tender and the liquid has dried away entirely and clings to the pieces, 12–18 minutes. Add a splash of water if it dries before the meat is soft.
- Bloom the finishing asafoetida and cumin seeds in the hot ghee and stir them through off the heat.