Kolkata/Bhubaneswar
Laato Jel
Bilasi Mandi from Gidhni village of Jhargram vouches for the “mouthwatering” Santhali dish Laato Jel. Simply put, it is the local version of kosha mangsho, a spicy and greasy minced meat that’s very popular comfort food in West Bengal.
“The best way to cook Laato Jel is with the intestines (chicken or mutton). These are marinated with traditional spices – oil, onion, ginger, garlic, salt. Some even replace the garlic and onion with hing (asafoetida) for a different taste,” she tells The Indian Tribal
“Black pepper, red chillies, lemon juice or curd are also used,” she points out adding cooking it over a slow fire in an earthen pot maximizes the taste.
The Jangalmahal secret ingredient, though, is powdered rice. This needs to be added very slowly to the simmering meat while stirring. It ends up adding thickness and a glaze, or as Bilasi says shyly. “It will look like what babus have in towns – chilli chicken.”
Laad
Pull off a branch of a Sal tree. Light a bonfire. Have some marinated mutton, poultry cut or pork. Finally, get it roasted inside a branch of a Sal tree in the flames of the bonfire.
Now the Santhali dish ‘Laad’ is rustled up to relish on, when friends or family members hold a get together for fun, frolic and feast.
When a congregation takes place or any union/reunion of relatives happens, it’s time to dig in this non-vegetarian delicacy.
The process gets started off with the bonfire lit. Then a branch of any length and breadth is chopped off a Sal tree. The branch is knocked against the ground till its internal wood part of the branch falls off, leaving its bark hollow.
The already marinated mutton, chicken or pork is stuffed into the hollow bark with its two open ends covered tightly with green sal leaves, The bark is then pushed into the bonfire till it is burned for cooked ‘Laad’ to come out of it.
“The liquid that oozes out of the bark soaks the stuff inside slowly as it burns adding taste and flavour to ‘Laad’, the dish,” says Deepak Beshra, who cooks it for his friends and family during get-togethers.
