My Butcher and Me!


When I was a little girl, appa used to visit us twice or thrice a year. Whenever he comes, he will take me and anna in his bullet to a nearby butcher shop, I used to keenly listen to the conversations my appa had with the butcher! He will instruct the butcher about the exact portion of the meat he prefers and he will also say what we will be cooking. That way even after my father went back to his workplace we still preferred the same butcher my father chose once! The engagement, the conversation and the consistent meet-ups usually evolves into a meaningful relationship! Even when my mother
Anandhi Venugopal
 used to send my brother
Anandha Rajan
, he used to come back home saying “bhai enna thambi romba naala mutton vaangala nu ketaaru! (Bhai asked why didn’t we buy mutton for so long) Such was the emotion back then! But once my brother started buying mutton, I hardly visited a butcher in chennai! Should have been more than 30 years I ever spoke to a butcher in Chennai!
But here is my story of My BUTCHER and ME!
Dedicate this story to my father!
For over 8 years here in Chhattisgarh, I have bought meat from various places, I used to see the goat, decide which portion, size of cut and personally buy mutton wherever we travelled. I am the one who buys mutton, only as a substitute I send driver! Same goes with groceries to provision!
It must be evident from my FB posts how much I am fond of food! Cooking non-veg is a ritual to me! The thought process that goes behind it is like a new Jasmine bud that would blossom like the rice which is cooked, once cooked the rice gets goosebumps and curls and also have stiff peaks! mmmm...
I decide what I need to cook and then quickly check the kitchen for the stock of ingredients, once done, I make a checklist to buy!
First the usual veggies and finally the divine meat!
Such was my life until I got the number of this butcher in my whatsapp from a friend. He said that I could try but they don’t buy it so often and so not sure if the meat would be good!
From conversations in a physical butcher shop, the nexus begins with a phone call!
Me: Salam Alaikum Bhai! Aapka number mujhe mila, mutton chahiye! Mera naam Asha hae!
( Salam Alaikum Bhai! I got you number, need mutton, my name is Asha! )
My Butcher: haan ji maam, bhathaiyiye!
(yes ma’am, please tell me your order!)
Me: Mutton 1/2 kg - leg portion ( cut into squares) and 1/2 kg kheema ( no fat (charbi) and no bones ( haddi), aur bhaiya bheja... rakhaen haen kya?
My Butcher: nahin ma’am bheja khatam ho gaya ( no ma’am bheja is over)
Me: aiyayo! Bhaiya ithna jaldi katam!??
( oh so soon it got over)
My butcher: yes ma’am, you need to order a day prior and I can keep aside for you!
My first order was made and I had sent someone to pick it up! The meat was so tender, red, no bones and when I touched the meat to wash I felt I should keep massaging it over and over! Eventually I started cooking a new recipe, Tabaq Maas! It came out really well,
Alex Paul Menon
 was fida with the outcome and the mutton biriyani just blowed our minds! I shared a pic in whatsapp... and sent him a pic too thanking him for such good meat which we didn’t have access in the past 8 years...( usually mutton that I used to buy I had to pressure cook for 20- to even 40 whistles, crazy!!! Isn’t it!?
He said ma’am looks like sir and you are shaukeens! I said - a big yes to mutton!!
I again ordered mutton chops, and my bad Hindi ( instead of liver Kaleji, I said Fafdi-lungs ) he said again is it Fafdi ( for some reason I said yes)
I eventually ended up cooking that as well, however my cook at home like it and I gave him the whole portion I did try and Alex to try too, wasn’t too bad! I told him about this incident too, and he told he will ensure he will give me liver and ensure I don’t get the wrong stuff again!
But those mutton chops were made into mutton bombs and I felt so connected! While cooking the mutton chops, the sound of the hot oil, the sauté sounds of onion, tomato , slow cooking the meat and those final whistles, I feel I am the principal conductor of my kitchen orchestra! With songs of Ilayaraja sir or Lataji playing in the background as fillers...
The ethereal food emanating the fragrance in the entire house!!! (Then my help suddenly interrupts and asks agarbatti jalana hae!? i furiously - nahin bhaiya rehna do!!! )
Oh, I feel so addicted to cooking! It’s like a trance being in kitchen!
I told the butcher that I got the mutton chops And I Hope it comes out well!
My butcher’s message: “ Madam mein aap ko mutton dil se deta hoon, aur aap khaana dil se banate ho, mutton thi acha banega he!”
( madam, I gave you mutton with all my heart, and you make your food with all your love, so obviously the mutton will taste divine!)
Finally just like my Father, I found “My Butcher”
He still sends me the best mutton and have shared his contact with many more friends!
Today we all have people around us who may have played a significant or not so significant role in our life, how important it is to reflect at their deeds, words and build that meaningful relationship... lockdown has been affecting all of us, I just wished Qureshi Bhai for Bakrid! He said madam aaj tho mutton katam ho gaya!(today there’s no mutton left!) I said I just wanted to wish you... will buy mutton tomorrow !
Thank you Appa! Everyone around us is important, let us always make them feel special!

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