BENGALURU: My favourite ingredient is undoubtedly the roots of betel nut leaves, as it has a distinct taste of its own and acts as a taste enhancer in many dishes. No Hyderabad dish is complete for me without this ingredient. It is packed with aromatic flavours which help in enriching the taste of a dish. I always try and incorporate this ingredient in most of my dishes and consider it to be my signature ingredient.
Also known as Pan ki Jad (Roots of Betel Leaves), this ingredient is used in many Hyderabadi dishes such as Paaya Sorba, Dum ka Murgh and Ananas ki Boti. It is a sweet tasting, fragrant root that produces paan or betel leaves. The root when mixed with other whole spices gives an earthy aroma to the dish.
Hyderabad cuisine is all about the right amount of flavours that is well-blend with other ingredients to form a perfect dish. I was introduced to this cuisine when I came to Hyderabad and started working in wedding events as a caterer. Under the able guidance of Chef Ajit Ahmed from Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, I learnt the art of cooking Hyderabadi food. I always make sure that I carry the spices along with me from Hyderabad to all the food festivals I attend.
None of my signature dishes are complete without using Pan ki Jad, as it takes me back to the culinary journey I began, in Kolkata. It has now become my personal favourite and is one of the secret ingredients that I use to make food an enjoyable experience for my customers. The dish I enjoy the most with the flavour of Pan ki Jad is Lamb Shammi Shikampuri, which is a mixture of minced lamb and channa dal, slowly cooked for 12 hours and then shaped into tikkis. When Pan ki Jad is added in this dish, it blends in to give the dish a unique taste of its own.
- Chef Madhusudhan
The chef was here in the city recently for ‘THE LOST CUISINE OF NIZAMS’,a Hyderabadi food festival by Bengaluru Marriott Hotel, Whitefield