Home chefs share recipes to cook a roast and shed light on the age-old tradition

The Bank Tavern’s special Sunday roast

It began as a weekly family tradition in the British Isles, when people would gather post their Sunday church routine for a large meal. To imagine that the practice of Sunday roast would grow so popular as to force The Bristol pub, The Bank Tavern, to close their reservations for four years is unimaginable. Their popular Sunday menu consists of a 30-day-aged rare b''f, slow-cooked pork belly, honey and rosemary roasted leg of lamb and a vegetable lentil loaf.
While it is an English tradition, the island's historic connection to the Subcontinent has led to the tradition acquiring its own flavours. A couple of home chefs explain the draw of this traditional weekend repast.

The facade of the Bristol pub. Pics Courtesy/Twitter

A family occasion

Reshma Mane, founder, Every Aroma and Vannu Tinuka
The roast was always meant to be eaten with family. It is a myth that it is more of an East Indian or British tradition. Last year, I travelled to Kerala, where we explored a wide variety of roasted meats in addition to the traditional chicken fare. Since I also have family from Kerala, it allowed me to learn about the traditional home-made masala. The masala makes these roasts stand out from other recipes. In Kerala, people consume a variety of roasts and game meats as well. At one toddy shop in Kochi, I was lucky to try the quail roast, which is a rare meat. The region also has a great tradition of community feasts, where the recipes originate.

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Kerala quail roast

Kerala quail roast

Ingredients
. 1 whole quail
. 1 tsp turmeric powder
. 2 tsp red chilli powder
. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
. 2 to 3 sprig curry leaves
. 3 green chillies (slit)
. 2 onions (sliced)
. 2 tbsp Kerala sambar masala
. 2 tsp black pepper powder
. 2 tsp soya sauce
. 2 tbsp rice flour
. 3 tbsp coconut oil
. Coriander (chopped)
. Salt to taste

Method
For the marinade:
Marinate the quail with all the ingredients except the onions, chillies and coriander. Set the mix aside for at least two to three hours (for best results marinate for 24 hours).

For the quail:
Heat up the oven to 180 degrees. Apply a little butter on the quail and roast it for 30 to 40 minutes. Since quail meat is tender, it will take less time to cook. Get a nice char on it - but don't dry it out. If you do not have an oven, fry the quail in a pan with a lot of oil, preferably coconut oil, on low flame until you get a nice crispy skin on both sides.

Make curry gravy out of the marination juice and meat left by adding a little water and butter to the mix. Boil it once, and serve alongside the quail. To serve, fry the sliced onions with green chillies until crispy brown. On a serving plate, place the roasted quail, garnish with crispy onions, coriander and chillies, and serve alongside coconut chutney and curry gravy.

Nostalgia for the past

Aaron D'Souza, founder, The Goan Poie
The tradition is prominent in Goan families, and is still a common practice. For every get-together, each family often brings one roast dish. There is always one person who specialises in the roast. Usually, it is someone senior in the family - mother or grandmother. The women also pass down their recipes to their children. Our Mama's one-pot slow roast chicken, pork roasts or chicken and tongue roasts are a few examples. It is slow cooked with a lot of flavour. As times go by, people tend to lose these traditional recipes and crave that nostalgia no matter where they are from.

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Cost Rs 950 (only pre-orders accepted)

Mama's one pot whole chicken roast by D'Souza

Getting stuffed with roast

. Roast suckling pig
On Every Saturday and Sunday
At O Pedro, Unit No 2, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, BKC, Bandra East.
Cost Rs 950

Asian roast chicken

. Asian roast chicken
On Daily AT Smoke House Deli, Plot B, Savitribai Jyotiba Phule Road, Versova, Andheri West.
Call 7506394247 (Versova)
Cost Rs 750 onwards

Slow-cooked chicken

. Slow-cooked chicken layered with Java apple & paired with braised cabbage
On Daily
At NAVA, Suburbia Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Bandra West.
Call 7410156327
COST Rs 750

. Sunday roast chicken
On Sundays
At Sofitel Mumbai BKC - Pondichery Café, C57, BKC, Bandra East.
Call 9167391130
Cost Rs 3,899 plus taxes (à la carte)

. Ghee roast chicken
On Daily
At Butterfly High, Hiranandani Estate, near Ghodbunder Road, Thane West.
Call 7900032674
Cost Rs 460 plus taxes

. Sunday roast chicken
On Sunday
At Julius, Second Floor, Phoenix Palladium, Lower Parel.
Call 8828823987
Cost Rs 845