Food Talk: Our very own finger-lickin’ tales

Fingers have an intimate relationship with food. Finger-licking goodness is the gold standard of a recipe. For us in India, where fingers are preferred over cutlery, the phrase is even more resonant. Anguliyaan chaat te reh jayenge! is the boastful promise a chef or a host makes introducing a dish especially prepared for the guest. Bhindi is a common vegetable in Hindustan but where it is considered a delicacy, it’s lovingly referred to as ‘Ladies Fingers’. The non-vegetarians drool over ‘fish fingers’ that are culled out of boneless fillets and fried dipped in batter. In days gone by, in Lucknow, the city of nawabs, slim cucumbers were sold by hawkers doing the round of streets attracting would-be customers with the poetic call — ‘Le lo! Le lo! Majnu ki pasliyaan hain, Laila ki anguliyaan hain!’ But we digress!

At a brunch recently, we were served (among many other mouth-watering snacks) what the hostess, consultant chef Gunjan Goela, called “mangodi with a twist” that we think deserves the epithet Laila ki anguliyaan more than the cool cucumbers. Long strips of potatoes were draped in spicy moong dal batter and — hold your breath — air-fried. You can, of course, deep fry these and sprinkle myriad powdered spices and assorted chutneys over them. Our advice is to grab a fistful, forget the guilt and devour the anguliyaan, holding the whole lot in fingers folded in a fist. We have since convinced ourselves that this is a balanced nutritious snack. Proteins, carbs, fat and all the six rasas.

With monsoon in its last phase of receding, you may happily use moong wali anguliyaan instead of pakora or bhajiya.

Laila ki Asli Anguliyaan

Method

Wash well and parboil potatoes with the skin on. Allow to cool. Then cut lengthwise into ‘fingers’, resembling jumbo French fries 5-6 inches long. Keep aside in a pan of water to avoid changing colour.

Drain the dal and grind it coarsely with very little water so the batter is thick. Put the batter in a large bowl and whisk it for 5 minutes until fluffy.

Add finely chopped green chillies (if using), ginger paste, salt and all powdered spices to the batter and mix well. Heat oil in a pan.

At smoking point, reduce the flame to medium high. Dip the potato batons into the batter, ensuring these are coated evenly. Fry in batches, turning once gently, till golden brown.

Remove with slotted spoon and place on kitchen towels. Sprinkle chilli flakes, chaat or tandoori masala and enjoy with green chutney, mustard or kasundhi, mayonnaise, or ketchup!

— The writer is a food historian