Sour Sauce for Roast Meat
दध्ना विमिश्रयेच्चिञ्चां किंवा दाडिमसारकम् । अथवामलकं पिष्टं मेलयेद्वाम्लवेतसम् ॥ ४२ ॥ रसं वा मातुलिङ्गस्य रसं दन्तशठस्य च । मिश्रयेद्वा रसानेतान्द्वित्रान्वापि यथारुचि ॥ ४३ ॥ गन्धार्थं धान्यकं हिङ्गु जीरकं तत्र निक्षिपेत् । हरिद्रां चैव वर्णार्थं सुसूक्ष्मं च तथार्द्रकम् ॥ ४४ ॥ रुच्यर्थं विश्वमरिचं सैन्धवं च विनिक्षिपेत् । गालयेत्सितवस्त्रेण किंचित्तैलं विमिश्रयेत् ॥ ४५ ॥ मृदः स्थाल्यां विनिक्षिप्य दर्वीघट्टनपूर्वकम् । प्रलेहकं मृदावग्नौ पचेत्पाकविशारदः ॥ ४६ ॥ प्रक्षिप्य शुण्ठकांस्तत्र मृदु कुर्याच्च पाकतः । भावितांश्च रसैः सर्वैः सिद्धानुत्तारयेद्बुधः ॥ ४७ ॥ धूपयेद्धिङ्गुना वापि नखधूपेन वा पुनः । धूपेन जीरकस्यापि शशिधूपेन कोविदः ॥ ४८ ॥
He should mix tamarind into curd, or else pomegranate essence; or he should combine ground emblic myrobalan, or amlavetasa; or the juice of citron, and the juice of dantaśaṭha. Or he may mix these juices, two or three of them, as he pleases. For aroma he should put in there coriander, asafoetida, and cumin; and turmeric for colour; and likewise very finely cut fresh ginger. For relish he should put in dried ginger, black pepper, and rock salt. He should strain it through a white cloth, and mix in a little oil. Having put it into an earthenware pot, stirring it first with a ladle, the one skilled in cooking should cook it over a gentle fire into a pralehaka. And having thrown the śuṇṭhakas in there, he should make them tender by the cooking. When they are steeped in all the juices and done, the wise one should take them off the fire. The expert should perfume it with asafoetida, or again with nakhadhūpa, or with the smoke of cumin, or with śaśidhūpa.
Ingredients
- 500 g cooked roast pork, lamb, or goat
- 300 g plain yoghurt
- 30 g tamarind concentrate
- 40 ml pomegranate molasses, or 100 ml pomegranate juice reduced to 40 ml
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- the juice of 15 g fresh ginger
- ½ tsp ground dried ginger
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1½ tsp rock salt
- 20 ml Indian sesame oil, or another neutral oil
- To finish: ¼ tsp asafoetida, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp ghee
Method
- Whisk the yoghurt smooth on its own, then whisk in the tamarind, pomegranate, lemon juice, spices, both gingers, salt, and oil.
- Cook in a wide, heavy, non-reactive pan over low heat, stirring often, until it thickens and reduces by about half — about 20 minutes in a wide pan, longer in a narrow one. Do not let it boil.
- Add the meat and keep cooking until the sauce is very thick and coats the pieces.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir through the asafoetida and cumin seeds, bloomed in the hot ghee.