Venison Tikka Aflatoon

From Cyrus Todiwala! The Maharaja of Gwalior’s private dining car was noted for its culinary fare, none more famous than the “Aflatoon”. Venison marinated as a tikka but flavoured with an exclusive blend of roasted fennel, star anise, Mandarin / Orange zest and cinnamon.

Ingredients

Venison Haunch Muscle Or Fillet – 2Kg. If using the Haunch, take the inner muscle.

The muscle has to be cleaned then partly frozen to make the meat firm and then cut into long thin slices. It is also best to bat them down a bit to break down the strong muscle.

If using Fillet then the stress is reduced and once again if you can semi-freeze 5” long pieces of cleaned fillet and then thinly slice them that will be great. Just a light batting down may be required but not entirely necessary as it’s the fillet

Juice of two limes
2-3 teaspoons salt – rubbed in well with the lime juice, then cover the venison and set aside for an hour or so until the masala is ready.

The Masala

OIL 100Ml

CINNAMON STICK 2”X 2 Pieces broken into smaller pieces

GREEN CARDAMOM 6 Cracked

STAR ANISE 6-8

FENNEL SEEDS 1 Heaped Tablespoon

GARLIC CLOVES 10

FRESH GINGER 3-4” Washed and sliced skin on

FRESH GREEN CHILLIES 5-6 Long Finger type

KASHMIRI RED CHILLI 6-7 Broken into pieces

FRESH CORIANDER STALK 15-20 Washed Stalks

GREEK YOGURT 350-400Gms

SALT To check again when masala and marinade is complete

ORANGE ZEST 1 Heaped Teaspoon to add when pureeing.

Method

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Heat the oil in a pan, add all the remaining ingredients except the yoghurt and orange zest and cook gently taking care not to let them colour. Stir frequently until the heat has penetrated right through and the dried chillies are gently roasting.
Leave to cool and then grind to a smooth paste in a blender with the yoghurt & zest making sure all the spices are fully ground. If not grinding, you can add a bit more oil if need be.
Rub the paste into the salted venison and check the salt again.
Place in lidded container laying the slices out flat and leave covered at room temperature for about 2 hours then transfer to the refrigerator for 8-10 hours before use. For a dense meat such as venison and overnight marinade is essential.
To cook the meat, remove the desired portion onto a small tray & grill under a high heat turning after about one minute. Should not take more than 2-3 Minutes max under the grill or salamander or in a very hot oven. A hot grill will reduce moisture loss. Keep to medium rare for best results
Once it reasonably well coloured on both sides, check a piece for tenderness. Best to keep the meat as close to the heating element to as possible for rapid cooking.
Be careful not to overcook it or let the moisture dry out
Serve with a salad
This can also be skewered and cooked on a barbecue or a brazier (which is best of course.)
Roll them into paupiettes, insert two skewers, and grill over high heat for optimal results.
The less you cook it the better and for a leg muscle lengthy cooking is very likely to make the meat touch and chewy