Mutton Pantheras-Anglo Indian Snack from Kolkata
Calcutta is a melting pot, of language, culture, and most of all food. As you walk down the alleys and by-lanes of Calcutta or Kolkata as it is known today your taste buds and olfaction will be tickled and tingled by flavors that might be inspired from china, from awadh, down south, and heavily from the anglo influence of the British raj over and above the indigenous cuisine of Bengal east or west. Calcutta has made its own, the various influences of cuisine, amalgamated them and created a platter that is it’s own. A food walk in Kolkata will tell you the story of how an egg came to be part of biriyanis in Kolkata unlike other parts of India. Similarly, there would be stories about the coverage cutlet becoming a kabiraji cutlet. Anglo Indian influence, particularly of the clubs, has spewed its own range of food. The culture of high tea has created its staple of food like pastries the cutlets and so on. One such nugget is a dish called mutton pantheras.
The authentic dish can today be probably only found in a hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant tucked in a bylane of north Kolkata, but the taste of this dish is pretty much known across Kolkata. Essentially it’s a crepe stuffed with minced mutton that has been crumb fried, but the original recipe that was developed and today found only in those bylanes of Kolkata gives you a delectable taste where the mince stuffing literally melts in your mouth. If we want to look at the origins of the dishes, we have to look at the British Raj, and not just the clubs but also the kitchens of the babus of that time. The Mog cooks of Chittagong are said to have been legendary in being able to replicate the cuisine that the Britishers liked and then Indianised it as per flavors available in India and to suit their own master’s tastes.
In our take of this classic Anglo Indian snack, we will try and replicate it to the best of our abilities, although the Indianisation of the minced filling with the spices will be the differentiator between one or the other interpretation of the pantheras. Tne preparation has essentially three parts, the filling, the crepe envelope, and the assemblage of the pantheras. So looking at each of these components we have the following ingredients
For the crepes:
- Flour-3/4 cups
- Milk ½ cup
- Black pepper powder 1 tsp
- Whipped egg 1
- Salt to taste
- Oil as required
For the stuffing:
- Minced mutton 200 gms
- Onion finely chopped 2 large
- Ginger paste 2 tsp
- Garlic finely chopped 3 cloves
- Green chili paste 2 tsp
- Tomato 1 pureed fine
- Red chili powder 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder 1 tsp
- Cumin powder 1 tsp
- Coriander powder 1 tsp
- Cloves 2
- Cardamom 2
- Cinnamon stick ½ inch
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- Garam msala powder ½ tsp
- Coriander leaves chopped ½ cup
- Salt to taste
- Oil 2 tablespoon
Assembling the pantheras
- Breadcrumbs for coating 1 cup
- Eggs 2
- Black pepper powder 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
So now that we have got all our stuff ready let us roll our sleeves and get going on the cooking. The stuffing would first be made, following which the crepe, then making an envelope out of it with the stuffing cocooned in it. Once ready we will then crumb and deep fry it.
Stuffing:
The essence of the dish is the stuffing and the mix of the spices is essential to making it. To begin oil is heated in a pan and the crushed whole garam masala, i.e. cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves are added to the oil to temper it. Once they have sputtered and released their aroma into the oil, they are strained off. To this tempered oil, we now add the chopped onion and garlic, and shallow fry it. Once the onion turns translucent, the green chili paste along with the ginger paste is added followed by the tomato puree, and allowed to cook. The spices in the form of chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder are also added, as this cooks over a medium flame for about 5 minutes till the oil starts separating. Into this masala/sauce, the minced mutton is now added and carefully mixed in, and allowed to cook for about 20 minutes on a slow flame. The taste of mutton is best enhanced when it is cooked over a low flame. Salt to taste may be added, and with a dash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of garam masala, we take it off the flame and allow it to rest and cool to room temperature. This will now be used inside the crepe when ready
Crepe
A crepe as we all know is essentially a very thin pancake. Only here the crepe will be used to make an envelope around the stuffing we have made. So the flour is taken in a mixing bowl into which we add milk, the whipped egg, and black pepper powder we have set aside and whisked. About ½ a cup of water is added to it while whisking till a smooth lump-free batter is ready. This will be of mid consistency and water may be added as per need to ensure that it is smooth and free-flowing. Oil is now heated on a frying pan and on mid-heat the batter, which has been allowed to sit for 15 minutes is poured. This is about 2 ladles worth so that the pancake /crepe is big enough to be able to accommodate the stuffing when we fold it. Care is taken to spread the batter evenly and without breaks and cooked till it just starts setting. Now the stuffing is taken and appropriate to the size of the crepe, say about 2 tablespoons worth of it is placed at the center, flattened and shaped into a square and the crepe then folded over it to an envelope, sealing it with a spatula. It is flipped over and allowed to cook for a bit more before setting aside to cool. The crepe is now ready for the final assemblage.
The pantheras
In another bowl, the eggs are cracked and mixed with salt and pepper to taste are whipped thoroughly. Now dipping the crepe envelope we have made earlier in this egg mix/wash, we press it on a bed of breadcrumbs and then flipped on the other side. Care is taken to ensure the crumbing is even and any excess crumb is dusted off. This is done with every crepe and allowed to firm for a bit. In the meanwhile, oil is heated to high temperature in a deep frying wok or pan, into which we dip the crepe envelopes one by one to fry to a golden hue. They are then placed on a tissue to soak up the excess oil and voila our pantheras is ready.
Typically serving is done with a side garnish of onion rings and a dip of mustard sauce typical to Bengal called kashundi. Experimentation with mayo may also be fun.
The mutton pantheras is typical of the Anglo Indian culture of Kolkata, dating back to the days of raj, and is a story of decadent flavor. Like all things decadent in titillating the taste buds, there is something that needs to be added to stabilize it and enhance it. That my friends are my mother’s secret ingredients that need to be added to any cooking adventure. A dash of a smile while cooking and a sprinkle of love for the ones you cook for even if that be you is always advised to make a dish that much delectable. Bon Appetit.
