Musician and composer Abhay Sopori is rhythmic in the kitchen.
Abhay Sopori’s humble kitchen is bursting with flavours when we meet him. It’s amazing how deftly his fingers coat mutton pieces in thick curd marinade. We’re used to seeing these fingers play the santoor, I joke, while Sopori manages to suppress a laugh — preferring instead to concentrate on the kabargah, a dish that we’ll be served a little later.
Son of santoor maestro Bhajan Sopori, he is already making a mark in the world of Indian classical music. What’s more, besides concentrating on his own work (live shows and music albums), Sopori is organising cultural festivals in Delhi and Kashmir.
In fact, he’s very happy exploring his culture in the heart of Kashmir where he also started the Sa Ma Pa Festival, a music extravaganza — held in Delhi and Kashmir — to promote the classical arts in Kashmir.
“It’s difficult for culture to thrive in a place that’s riddled with so many political concerns,” says Sopori, who talks about discovering authentic Kashmiri cuisine in villages of Kashmir, where he continues to backpack whenever he gets the time.
In fact, he specially composed a track for Kashmir, “Aao kadam badayein”, to raise relief funds for the victims of the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. In addition, he also composed a track for the United Nations to mark its International Non-violence Day.
“As a youngster, I wanted to explore the place where my forefathers came from. My great-grandfather, grandfather and my father have been credited with bringing a cultural renaissance of sorts in Kashmir. I couldn’t stand back and watch, so I decided to make efforts of my own,” he tells me, looking satisfied with the first batch of kabargah that comes out steaming hot from the wok. Sopori warns us to forget all about dieting, for this Kashmiri dish (also our chef’s favourite) is cooked in pure ghee.
More From This Section
I almost shriek when he says this, but he ignores my pleas and dunks a mutton piece on my plate. “Let me tell you, it’s an acquired taste. It’s like having a steak: well-done is good but medium-rare is ideal,” he informs me. It’s nicely browned, but when I do take a bite, I crave a squeeze of lime and a hint of mint chutney on the side. The photographer later adds extra salt to that list too.
The Sopori family sits down to authentic Kashmiri meals every single day. “We pound whole spices and mix them in ghee to form the dough. This masala is used in most of our food,” says Sopori’s mother, who decides to help him fry a fresh batch of kabargah while we talk to him. “Kabargah has no short-cuts,” she adds, “If you have to soak the mutton in curd for two hours, you just have to.”
That explains why there’s rhythm even in the way that food is prepared in this Kashmiri household.
FAVOURITE RECIPE
KABARGAH
1 kg lamb rib pieces
3 tbsp fennel seed powder
½ tsp asafoetida
2 tbsp dry ginger powder
4-5 green cardamom pods
2-3 black cardamom pods
4 cloves
¼ tbsp cinnamon powder
3-4 strands saffron
1 cup yoghurt
Ghee, for frying
125 ml milk
1 tsp whole spice (garam masala) powder
Clean the meat pieces thoroughly under running tap water. Boil the meat pieces, adding a pinch of asafoetida, in a pressure cooker (two or three whistles, approximately). This will remove any extra fat and dirt that may be in the pieces. Throw away the water and boil the pieces again in the milk and an equal quantity of water. Add fennel powder, dry ginger powder, crushed cardamom pods (green and black), cloves (roughly crushed), cinnamon powder, garam masala and salt. Add saffron strands and continue boiling until the water evaporates. Allow the mixture to cool, and then marinate it in curd with an extra pinch of whole spice powder and dry ginger powder, leaving it for two and a half hours. Fry in clarified butter till both sides are golden brown. It’s done when the meat is tender and tears away slightly from the bone. Serve hot.
