Tandoori Thai

In India, the chicken that rules the roost is undeniably tandoori murg. Historians have traced its origins to the Indus Valley Civilisation, where excavations have thrown up evidence of underground clay ovens (tandoor) and remnants of poultry dressed for the table. However, the pan-Indian proliferation of tandoori murg is a post-Partition phenomenon. It is the Punjabi refugees who carried the tandoor with them wherever they went and soon tandoori murg became the national favourite. But, that is a different story.

Our fondness for tandoori murg has often made us underestimate other roasted, baked and grilled versions of chicken. Some of them have made inroads into India in the recent years. Colonel’s Kentucky Fried Chicken has many loyal Indian patrons. The original version, prepared according to a ‘secret’ recipe, has its skin intact and is coated with popped corn that gives it a delightful crunch. Then, there is the Mexican steam-rolled chicken that entices with its robust flavours, enhanced by barbecue sauce.

During a recent visit to Thailand, we encountered not one, but at least half a dozen versions of roasted, fried and baked chicken, some of them proudly flaunting their regional or sub-regional identities.

Thailand is a country where many flavours converge. The Thai people belong to different stocks — Chinese, Malay, Burmese and tribes dwelling in the region called the Golden Dragon. During the Cold War, the Kingdom of Siam (the original name of Thailand) acquired a taste for American fast food. And, let us not forget, there always has been a strong undercurrent of Indian influence on Thai curries. It is not surprising that the roast, fried, baked and barbecued chicken in Thailand has absorbed subtly, though invisibly, all these influences.

A remarkable thing about the consumption of chicken in Thailand is that more often than not, it is put on top of sticky rice for convenience. But chicken can be relished separately too — as succulent pieces dipped in sauce. The rice can then be eaten with an accompaniment of salad or with sliced sweet mango.

What impressed us the most was a jumbo-sized roast chicken that can, with some justification, be called tandoori murg ka baap. The spicing was simple black and white peppercorns, all spice, dark soya sauce, fish sauce, salt and chillies. We skipped the sticky rice and made a very satisfactory meal of it with salad. Let us not worry about the portion size and remember that chicken is considered far healthier than red meats. Only fish gives it a good run for its money but then to mix metaphors, fish is not everyone’s cup of tea!

If you do not like umami of the fish, you may skip the fish sauce. But for heaven’s sake, do not sprinkle tandoori masala to domesticate this delightful recipe. Believe you us. The taste will slowly grow on you. Try it out as soon as you can.

Thai roast chicken

Ingredients

Chicken (two large drumsticks and thighs) 500 gm

Dark soya sauce 1/2 cup

Fish sauce 2 tbsp

Black & white peppercorns (coarsely pounded) 1 tbsp

All spice (coarsely pounded) 1 tbsp

Green chillies (chopped fine) 2-3

Vegetable oil 1/3 cup

Chilli flakes 1 tsp

Rice flour 1/4 cup

Salt To taste

Method

Wash and trim the chicken. Pat dry and make deep cuts on both sides — two on the thighs and two on the drumsticks.

Prepare a marinade with black and white peppercorns, all spice, soya sauce, fish sauce, chillies and some salt in a bowl. Place the chicken in it.

Mix well for the marinade to seep into the deep cuts.

Place in a refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Take it out and let it come to room temperature before it is roasted or fried.

Coat the marinated chicken with rice flour evenly on both sides.

Heat oil in a wok till it reaches the smoking point, then reduce to low flame and gently lower the marinated chicken into it, along with the

rest of the marinade.

Cover and cook on low flame for 15 minutes, turning once over to cook evenly. Uncover and let the remaining moisture evaporate.

— The writer is a food critic

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