A Chicken Dish Like No Other From the Indigenous People Of India
Undoubtedly delicious!
In the year 2022, my elder brother started a YouTube channel. It is related to our family roots.
Santals, a prominent tribal community in South Asia, primarily reside in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
We have that rich heritage, just like any other ethnic group. We are the indigenous people of India.
When I go to my village, I always feel like an outsider. This could be because my father worked in banking and I grew up in the city.
Anyway, every time I go there, the meal smells and tastes differently. Perhaps this is due to the preparation method or the lack of fertilizer in the soil.
It is genuine organic food, which is rare in the city or among urban people.
Preparation of food
The food is initially wrapped in the bark of a Sal tree (Shorea robust). Before wrapping, the raw chicken is combined with onion and red chili, along with native spices such as turmeric powder, red chili powder, and ginger-garlic paste. Finally, some cooking oil and salt are also mixed to create this unique dish.
The white meat is slowly cooked in an open furnace, and the Sal tree bark is generally laden with firewood sticks on top of it. Yes, it sounds unusual.
I’d never seen such an unusual cooking technique. But last year, when I visited there, they treated me to this particular dish, which was worth trying.
In my village, this chicken is mainly served with rice beer. And rice beer has a significant role in the society of Santals, both culturally and spiritually.
The video shows an old lady brewing rice beer, which is known as ‘Handia’ in the local language.
Final Thoughts
Santals adore nature and prefer to reside in deep forests. They like to keep a distance from the modern world in general, but the trend has changed over the last few decades.
People have come into the mainstream, and it is not surprising that the present president of India, Mrs. Draupadi Murmu, is also from this tribal family.
When I think about my people, I always feel like there is a missing connection, but not a strong one. This makes me miserable sometimes when I spend my time there. But they are incredibly welcoming.
People in the village have clean hearts, and they don’t judge you. I believe that this is an important trait of each tribal society anywhere in the world, with very few exceptions.
And that is what makes me grateful to be a part of this magnificent human race.
Thank you for reading!
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Have a nice day!
