Courtesy: The Park. Picture by Rasbehari Das

Fish stew

Kheer

Yuck!” is the first thought that comes to mind whenever anyone says “boiled food”. Yet this utterly simple cooking method actually throws open a universe of delicious items, and this must be true of every cuisine in the world.

But by boiled food I don’t mean food for the sick. Dishes for which the only cooking process involved is boiling can be fiery hot or simply rich as well, depending on the other ingredients and seasonings used, and on these there will be no restrictions as we share the thoughts on some of the tastiest fare, remembering that even boiled food for the ill or convalescing can be delicious.

Let us just start with the humble chicken eggs. Genuine desi or country eggs — two at least — half or soft boiled (on my gas range at home this is exactly 90 seconds from the moment the water starts boiling), to the point where you can crack the shell open, the egg white is firm but the yolk is not. It’s cooked, but still a bit runny, and an inviting bright orange. Empty these into a small bowl, add salt and pepper and enjoy with buttered toast. Mmmm….

And how versatile are hard-boiled eggs? Used in every cuisine from sandwiches to hors d’oeuvres, and one way I particularly like them is the Bengali dim bhaate, where we throw a couple of eggs into the rice when it’s cooking and then shell them, mash them up with salt, chopped green chillies and mustard oil (some might want chopped onions as well). And squash them in with the same rice and indulge. The key is mustard oil, which must be of the best grade.

We do the same thing with potatoes and a whole range of other vegetables as well, and it’s all called bhaate, pumpkin, bitter gourd, wax gourd (potol/parwal) raw green bananas, colacassia tubers (kochu), cabbage, aubergines…. The vegetables can be boiled separately as well, but when done with the rice, they impart their subtle flavours to the rice, and this is a bonus. It is also probably one of the world’s quickest possible balanced nutrition meals. Boiled okra or green papaya, with the same seasonings, are also great.

In Northeast India, boiling is extensively used for vegetables as well as fish dishes. I don’t know whether it is the climate or the soil or just that vegetables are grown mostly organically there, but they taste so much better. Just boiling a few greens with salt till they are cooked but still crunchy yields such palatable food — and the water can be used as stock or just mixed with the rice.

Galho is a Naga vegetable stew. Water is brought to the boil and rice is added and cooked till nearly done. Cabbage leaves, French beans, mustard leaves, tomatoes (chopped), green chillies, garlic, onion (all chopped) and salt are added and the heat is reduced till everything is slow cooked to a nicety. Eaten with any of the fiery chutneys they have in those parts, Galho is divine.

As a fish stew from Tripura, Rohu (carp) or hilsa is used. The fish has to be cut into approximately two-inch cubes and washed thoroughly. I would actually use some vinegar as well for this process. The fish is then boiled and when the boiling starts, green chillies, garlic, onions and salt are added. The dish is kept cooking for another 15-20 minutes till the gravy has thickened and is ready to be served with steamed rice.
And what is alu-kabli, that delectable street food item made with potatoes, chick peas, various seasonings and a twist of lime or a squeeze of tamarind juice, but boiled food? Available from every neighbourhood phuchkawalla, it has given joy to generations. The sublime phuchka itself cannot qualify as boiled food because the small puri in which the mixture is put is not boiled. But otherwise everything is boiled.

And what is rabri, the king of sweet dishes, but a milk and sugar mix that has been boiled and boiled till reduced to a semi-solid residue? Whether made north-Indian style or Bengali style, rabri is made with by the same principle, while kheer or khoya are made by boiling milk even further, to the point of almost complete dehydration. Blissful stuff.

There are umpteen other possibilities in cuisines we don’t even know of, and if we accept poaching as a close relative of boiling, there are even more.
Boiled food rules, ok?

What is your favourite boiled item? Tell t2@abpmail.com