A curry of two cities

In the suburb of Rander Surat the streets are lined with humble food carts selling khau sa a dish that interestingly resembles popular Burmese dish khao suey Those who donrsquot know about the origin of this dish may be quick to dismiss it as the new fad Itrsquos not The dish came to Surat many decades ago along with the traders who sailed to Burma for teak and passed through the port of Rander Surprisingly many Memons too arenrsquot aware of the history and itrsquos only now that the Burmese khao suey is getting famous that they are curious to find out moreHome chef Sana Gubitra assembles the khau sa at her home in Bandra PicsSameer MarkandeThe noodlebased delicacy made with meat and a coconutflavoured yoghurt curry has travelled across India and Pakistan from Myanmar thus narrating the story of the communityrsquos historic trading ties with the country Just like many Memoni dishes this one too is the result of cultural fusion Home chef Sanah Gubitra Culinary Spell says ldquoOur cuisine is a blend of several cuisines with a strong Gujarati influence Even with khau saalso called kadi khau samany Memons add gathiya or fried samosa patti to their liking and almost everyone will put the salli on ititrsquos our take on the dishrdquoChartered accountant Sarfaraz Dhanani whose hometown is Okha in Gujarat says ldquoLook at the ingredients of khau sacoconut milk and noodlesthere has to be some south Asian connect But Irsquoll admit for the longest time I had no idea that my favourite dish which I thought is so specifically Memoni comes from Burma Over time wersquove added our own twists to it Our history isnrsquot welldocumented and so whatever we know is through the stories our relatives told us They say even today the Memons living in Myanmar trace their ancestral roots back to India and Pakistan At the time many Memons would set up trade in the state and return to their homeland when done or to visit for a short duration and would bring their food influences Some also moved back home after the Myanmarese military regimeknown to be intolerant of foreignerscame into power during the 1960s Besides our recipes are closely guarded and rarely found outside home For us khau sa is a dish close to our hearts Every home has its own versionrdquo Dhanani also admits to having some unauthentic versions of the Memon khau sa at two restaurants in the city when he was craving for the dish ldquoI missed my hometown dearly on those nightsrdquo he addsGubitra says that Memons prefer the dish with red meat and the curry is made of curd gram flour coconut This dish has a lot of accompaniments including barista fried onion mint leaves coriander leaves crushed peanuts etc ldquoThere is a lot of choice for everyone hence it is a hit at family gettogethersrdquo We asked chefrestaurateur Bawmra Jap of contemporary Burmese cuisine restaurant Bomrarsquos in Anjuna Goa to shed some light on the link between the two dishes ldquoI didnrsquot know of this history but it seems quite interesting Tell me morerdquo he said to this writer He however did say ldquoIn Burma there is another version of the dish that the Chinese Muslims from the Hunan province make It is similar to whatrsquos made in Chiang Mai in Thailand with massaman curry Khao suey is one of our traditional dishes eaten almost every day and the light soupy meal is just perfect to have anytimerdquoThe Memoni khau sa is an offshoot of the Burmese khao sueyPrincipal architect and designer Husna Rahaman who wrote Hajrarsquos Recipes of Life for Life one of the first cookbooks of the Memon community has interesting insights to share ldquoIn 1945 during the Japanese invasion of Burma people had to abandon their homes and migrate to India bringing with them a taste of what they had left behind My husbandrsquos family the Jamals made India home But the stories and flavours of their memories lived on Like any foreign cuisine in a new land it is transfused with respect to the prevailing flavours of the receiving land The khau sa was birthed from exotic flavours being adopted while being anointed by the lsquoheatrsquo of Indian flavours Red and green chilli paste are part of the numerous condiments that make this dish a doityourself adventure Then there is coriander mint raw sliced onions fried onions spring onions sliced lime and fried noodles for the crunch The meat curry is hearty and wholesome and the coconut milk is creamy The khow sa is a robust and decidedly scarlet version of its source The condiment array is far more elaborate than its Burmese counterpartrdquoHusna RahmanRecalling a memory shared with her by a relative who had migrated to India Rahman narrates ldquoIn Burma every evening street vendors would call upon the large homes to offer a snack of khau suey People would choose their variation of condiments and sit down to a hot and hearty treat As a family we uphold and applaud the tradition and ensure the slurpy noodlesrice noodles or spaghetti are lapped up with the steaming coconut curry and vivid meat saucerdquoTwo years ago when this writer was visiting her brotherrsquos home in Abu Dhabi her motherrsquos Memon friend invited her for a khau sa dinner A first introduction to the sharp robust flavours Dhanani says ldquoIt requires a lot of time and effort to prepare So if you go to a Memon home and are served the dish know that it is only because you are very specialrdquoMemoni khau saIngredients12 kg boneless mutton34 medium onions3 tomatoesOil1 tbsp gingergarlic paste12 tsp jeera powder12 tsp dhaniya powder12 tsp garam masala1 tsp chilli powder14 tsp turmeric powder34 cup yoghurt1 tbsp gram flour100 ml coconut milk1 tsp garlic and green chillies2 cups cooked spaghettiAccompaniments Fried onion fried garlic ginger slivers salli mint leaves coriander crushed peanutsMethodFry onions and tomatoes with gingergarlic paste in oil Add powdered masalas to it and sauce Add meat and cook till tender Keep stirring intermittently so it doesnrsquot stick to the vessel On the side add gram flour to yoghurt and coconut milk Add crushed chilies and garlic and cook till the smell of gram flour goes awayAssemblingPut spaghetti in a serving bowl add cooked meat pour the kadhi over until everything is covered Add accompaniments of your choiceBawmra JapChef Bawmrarsquos chicken khao sueyIngredientsFor the chicken stock1 stick lemongrass1 pc star anise10 sichuan peppercorns1 pc black cardamom3 bay leaves1 tbsp vinegar1 tbsp fish sauce1 litre water1 small chicken with skinSimmer everything together for 45 minutes Strain the stock and shred the chickenFor Gravy2 onions 12 tsp turmeric4 tbsp gram flour50 gm peanuts crushed1 tsp sugarSalt to taste1 can coconut cream2 tbsp oil810 baby onions1 tsp aromatbroth cubesMethodPuree two onions and cook them with oil until golden brown Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a few minutes Pour the chicken stock and shredded chicken Add coconut cream and simmer for 15 minutesServe withFried garlic boiled noodles fried onions chopped spring onions chopped coriander sliced onions crushed peanuts green chilli lemon wedges