Alex Arson's Tribute to the Tribe – Do'o Khaap
Oil Free Spicy Chicken
Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes
Can't believe I'm gonna do this like I'm a cookbook writer lol. Please skip if you don't want to read nostalgic rants of things lost from my childhood.
I lived in Assam-Bhutan border, in the small district of Baksa for many years as a child. All of my comfort foods and dishes – egg curry, pithe, momos, chicken/local birds curry, and hot chillies – are an amalgamation of the community that brought me up. In our village, while many kids treated me as an outsider, I always found baidos and aitas who plumped me up on hot rice and chilli chutneys like I was one of their own. In 3rd grade, our landlord carved a cricket bat for me by hand just like he did for his grandson. We shared resources when floods wrecked Assam and our village was left without power and water for weeks in a stretch.
Small villages along the country's borders are the most neglected. They do not have reliable basic facilities, like internet, electricity, healthcare, education, clean drinkable water and so much more. I want to be an advocate for the same but the political climate has changed with me being an adult. I understand why people don't consider me an Axomia ally or I am seen as an outsider and that's okay. Axom has been neglected and exploited since Independence, as has been all her sister states. I haven't been to Assam in over 10 years, even though my half of my heart is still there, I do not have a say in their politics. It's not my home anymore and it's not okay for me to speak over the ones who're there in the flesh, dealing with everyday realities. So I will shut up, listen, comprehend and cook in the meantime.
This dish is a spicy tribal chicken curry and it is so delicious and light. I hope you enjoy making Do'o Khaap (chicken) and sharing it with your loved ones because this dish is all about community. I do not know the origin and did not think to research on it before posting but from my personal experience it is a Santhali Axomia thing – they sit in the paddy fields and cook it on an open fire while the kids run around playing some variation of the game of tag.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Lemon
- Chilli
- Ginger+garlic paste
- Fresh Coriander
- Salt
- Khaar (Baking soda if you can't get your hands on authentic North Eastern khaar)
- Water
- Preferably non stick pan, seasoned iron/aluminium utensils or just raw dog it. I personally love the crispy burnt part that I've to scrape from the bottom of an unseasoned pan.
Instructions
- Clean your chicken and drain it off excess water.
- Mix in some lemon juice and leave it aside for a few hours to marinade. I do this because I prefer the lemony hint in the taste. The khaar will soften the chicken anyway so you can skip this step.
- On medium low heat, put in your chicken and start to roast it on the pan.
- When the chicken starts to sweat, add ginger garlic paste, chillis, salt and baking soda and cook again until everything smells cooked.
- Add water and let it simmer for a few minutes until everything comes together.
- Serve with hot rice. Best consumed in rainy, windy weather.
Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com