food smell sour?
Delhi, NCR
As they were entering Aminia restaurant through the glass door at Esplanade, Ria asked Arka, “Arka da, how old is this restaurant?”
Without answering Ria's question, Arka looked towards his favorite table to see if anyone was sitting there. The table facing the street was empty today. The restaurant was relatively quiet, with only a few customers. It wasn’t a holiday. As Arka pulled out a chair and sat facing the street, he responded to Ria’s question, “Ninety-five years old, from today. Good question. Not just this restaurant, but you’ll find many more Mughlai restaurants in Kolkata. These places offer the taste of Awadhi or Lucknowi Mughlai cuisine. You’ve come from Delhi, a Mughal city where you can find a treasure trove of Mughlai dishes in every corner. But the person who brought the essence of Lucknow to Kolkata was…”
“Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.”
Arka widened his eyes in mock surprise and shouted, “Bravo! Forget about becoming a scientist. You should study history instead. You’re absolutely right. So today, along with biryani, I’ll order something else for you—something purely Awadhi.”
“What’s this special dish? If I eat biryani, I’ll be too full to eat anything else. By the way, I read in a book about why Wajid Ali Shah came to Kolkata. Were Aminia’s owners chefs in the Nawab’s royal kitchen?”
“Hard to say. But the current owners are likely the third or fourth generation of the original proprietors. The first Aminia outlet opened in Zakaria Street in 1929, during the British era. By then, Nawab Wajid Ali had already passed away several decades earlier. The owners may have lived in the Metiabruz area, which is how they mastered the Lucknowi cooking style. However, today they face many competitors in Kolkata’s market. Anyway, for quickly guessing the Nawab’s name correctly, I’ll order mutton rezala for you.”
“I’ve heard my mom talk about rezala, but I’ve never had it.”
As a middle-aged, uniformed waiter arrived to take their order, Arka ordered chicken biryani and mutton rezala, then turned to Ria and said, “Well, that’s good then. The dish is unparalleled. It’s highly unlikely you’ll find it anywhere in Delhi. Rezala, apparently, comes from the Urdu word ‘rajil,’ which means ‘low quality.’ It’s unclear why such an amazing dish got stuck with that label. The story goes that when the Nawab came to Kolkata, he grew poorer under the crushing pressure of the British—this is when people say potatoes started being added to biryani due to a shortage of meat. Whatever the reason, many believe that rezala originated from Dhaka in East Bengal, where Mughal cuisine merged with the local style. So, even though some detractors might consider rezala to be inferior, it doesn’t matter to us. The name may have come from some other word altogether.”
While Arka was recounting the history of rezala, two large plates arrived—one with the fragrant chicken biryani and the other with mutton rezala in two white porcelain bowls. Ria noticed two pieces of mutton peeking out from a nearly transparent yellow gravy, with a light layer of ghee floating on top. A delightful aroma filled the air.
“Seems like our scientist is more interested in rezala than biryani today?”
“It’s a new dish, so I’m just inspecting it,” said Ria, popping a piece of mutton into her mouth from the rezala dish. “It’s really delicious. The smell is amazing. I can also taste a slight sourness.”
"Yes, yogurt is used in the preparation of rezala, and it contains quite a bit of sourness. There is also pure ghee, which floats in the dish. Eating too much can increase cholesterol levels. The sourness isn't just a feature of this dish; it enhances the flavors of many dishes. Our taste buds can detect five different tastes—sweet, spicy, salty, bitter, and sour. When these five tastes are balanced in a dish, we praise the cooking. If the balance is off, the dish becomes unpleasant, and the cook’s reputation suffers. However, ordinary cooks, despite not knowing much about the science of these five tastes, still manage to create excellent dishes through experience alone. Speaking of sourness, let me give you a 'sour' explanation on sourness, what do you say?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. It’s not just rezala that has a bit of sourness; I noticed there's also a slight sourness in the biryani. Your 'sour' explanation about the use of sourness in food is therefore very important to me."
"Lemon juice is used in many dishes, as you probably know. The sourness comes from citric acid, which is present in lemon. Vinegar is also added to food, which contains acetic acid. These acids are mild. A drop on the tongue tastes very sour but does not harm the skin. They are organic acids. When used in meat cooking, these mild acids cause the meat's tough proteins to 'denature,' meaning the long fibers break down into smaller pieces, making the meat tender.
"Not every dish needs lemon or vinegar. Yogurt also works. Yogurt contains acid as well, but it’s even milder—lactic acid. Adding yogurt to meat while cooking makes it tender faster and adds a great flavor. To understand the play of these acids, it's good to learn a bit about acids and bases. Refresh your memory about this. Tell me, what’s the difference between acids and bases?"
Ria was savoring the delicious gravy from the rezala dish with a spoon. She responded with mild reluctance, “Oh, you’re bringing up study material again! How annoying! Yes, I know. When an acid dissolves in an aqueous solution, it donates a free hydrogen ion to another molecule, and when it is a base, it donates a hydroxyl ion. Hydrogen ions are positively charged, and hydroxyl ions are negatively charged. Due to the presence of free hydrogen ions, acids take electrons from other compounds, whereas bases donate electrons. To determine whether a solution is an acid or a base, we measure its pH value. The pH of an acid ranges from 0 to 7, while a base ranges from 7 to 14. pH measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.”
“Take a deep breath, Ria. It sounds like you’re reciting your lessons! But I must commend you for accurately explaining acids and bases in so few words. The mystery behind our taste buds' ability to identify flavors is also hidden in that pH value. The pH value of saliva is slightly above 7. A pH of 7 indicates a neutral solution. So, saliva is slightly basic. Therefore, when a dish has a sour taste, the tongue quickly understands the flavor.
"Most food ingredients have a slight bitterness that is often neutralized by sourness. For instance, adding a few drops of lemon juice while cooking spinach enhances the flavor. Acid increases the aroma of spices. The chemicals in spices react with the hydrogen ions from the acid to form esters, resulting in a pleasant aroma.
"While cooking meat, we marinate it. We mix in yogurt. Of course, if yogurt is used without water, the results aren’t as good. The lactic acid in yogurt gradually starts cooking the meat even before it goes into the pan.”
Stopping Arka, Ria asked, “Cooking even before it goes into the pan! How is that possible?”
Smiling gently and chewing attentively on a chicken leg from the biryani plate, Arka explained, “The biryani and rezala we’re enjoying require the meat to be marinated for 10 to 12 hours. Only then does the meat become tender. It’s mixed with salt, spices, ginger-garlic paste, and a little oil. Only then does the cooking begin on low heat, whether we place the pan on a gas burner or not. The temperature plays a crucial role in cooking, as I’ve said before. Chemical reactions in cooking happen quickly with heat. However, if marinated meat is left in the refrigerator for days, it will spoil instead of cooking. Bacteria and fungi will thrive at low temperatures. Biryani becomes flavorful when it’s slow-cooked, as you know, which is called dum biryani. ‘Dum’ means cooking in a sealed pot, where the lid is sealed to keep the steam inside. The dish is cooked on low heat for a much longer time. This prevents the aroma of spices from escaping and makes the meat tender. If the temperature is too high, the biryani will be ruined.”
“So, this is the significance of sourness? Yogurt in rezala is why it tastes so good. Well, Arka da, we could try making rezala ourselves someday. We can test the importance of sourness hands-on,” Ria said with enthusiasm, cleaning her hands with a tissue.
"We can definitely do it. But for that, I’ll need to glance at the recipe first. However, your 12th-grade results are coming out next week. After that, you'll be rushing off to Delhi. Once the results are out, we’ll have a grand meal, not at home but at some restaurant. Your parents will also be there. Your return ticket hasn’t been booked by aunty yet, right?"
“Return? I’ve grown so fond of Kolkata, Arka da. There’s so much to learn from you! I’m thinking of continuing my studies here. Wouldn’t that be good?” Ria asked with a questioning look at Arka.
Arka glanced at the menu card and changed the subject, “Would you like to have lassi?”
“You haven’t answered! There’s no room in my stomach for lassi. Aren’t you concerned about my studying here?”
"Not at all. Which teacher would want to let go of such a good student? Is there any shortage of space at our house? It’ll be great. But in Kolkata, there will be more chatting than studying science, and if you fall into my company, even more so. Anyway, let's head home now. The waiter is coming with the bill. Walking to Esplanade metro station will help lighten the stomach. Come on, let's get going."
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