Pakoda politics may be rife now a day across the country but pots full of salivating fragrances from neighbouring Bihar are boiling in the State capital. Ranchi, quite known as a place for mutton lovers famously offering meat-bhaat at roadside eateries has gone deep into handi or earthen pots for sake of uniqueness.
The dish unfamiliar for the residents of this part of the world is said to be an original cuisine from Champaran-Betia belt of Bihar. Mutton Handi not only brings in the unique method to cook the spicy food with it but also bring some of the vital ingredients from the cow belt.“Here as well we adopt the unique way of cooking the famous Champaran ka meat, which is quite different from the locally used way and recipe. This makes the dish special in taste and different from Jharkhandi meat-bhaat,” says Gopal Rai, who along with his brother in law Nagendra has went on opening the first such eatery at Kokar Chowk in Ranchi.
Not only the relatives but couple of their staffs also hail from Bihar in order to recreate the magic into platter here as well. “The idea is to maintain the ethnic flavour through our service and we are getting good response. Though the shop has been opened about 15 days ago, we have got some customers who recalling their previous Champaran or Betiah visit wanted the same taste from us,” adds Nagendra.
What makes the Champaran Handi Mutton so specialIJ “The way it is cooked makes it unique. We do not first fry onion, grinded spices and other items along with mutton, like it is done here in hotels or even at homes. We place the entire mixture with mustered oil into the earthen pot at one go and place the handi on mild heated charcoal. Also, the pot is sealed with wet flour after putting the mixture inside,” says Nagendra sharing the ‘secrets’ that has ruled over red meat lover of the region since time immemorial.
Uniquely, the item cooked for over one hour on low heat, is not stirred by opening the seal and instead shaken with entire pot from time to time. “This makes the dish special as not water is added from outside. The steam generated tenders the mutton without much loss of the flavour of the species put in like gram masala,” said he.
Moreover this is not the last thing from Bihar until Nagendra adds desi ghee, extracted from “my own fleet buffalos reared in good number back home. Yahan se kahe khariden jab suddh ghee hai to. Koi jata hai to manga lete hain.”
Priced at Rs 800 per Handi, the dish carries one kilogram of best quality mutton along with ingredients, and is sufficient for five-six persons. “It is beginning, but I have started getting good responses. The sell is picking up gradually. We also have some plans to expand the business further,” said Nagendra who had worked in hotels at Champaran and on one his trip to Ranchi sometime ago, he picked up the idea to replicate the mouthwatering delight here.
Although, roadside eateries serving mutton cooked into the earthen pots— believed this leaves a unique smoky flavour into the dish—are growing in number in the capital which makes Gopal little worried. What he also needs is finance, preferably from banks, so that he can start ‘home delivery on call’ service.
“We are unaware of Mudra loan, you are talking about, and the processes involved. If it is given to us we can do better and expand,” says Nagendra, yet another able taker of the Government’s self-employment initiatives along with many others like him in and around Ranchi offering ‘mutton handis’ of different kind.
