For the love of culinary art
Armin Sultana Jui, much like any of us, is an office-goer. And like many of us, she too works at the kitchen to bring food to the dining table. But the fervour with which she cooks has made her stand out in to crowd.
Armin Sultana, from Khulna, became the first runner up of Rupchanda-Star Lifestyle Super Chef 2014. In this nationwide, highly competitive culinary competition that spanned over several months, she had battled her way to the top three.
It started with seeing the advertisement on a newspaper. She applied, just like thousands of others. As days passed, she didn't receive any call. "Some of the applicants got their call and were very elated. I, on the other hand, anxiously waited for the phone to ring. Will I not get the call then, I thought to myself. Finally, after the anxious wait, I got the call," she told.
And that was the start of the competition and some very interesting and enthralling days of her life.
Before that, she also excelled in another culinary competition.
Going back further, it cannot be said that Sultana was interested in cooking since her childhood, though. Her grandmother normally did not let her go to the kitchen much, in fear of her safety. Years later, her grandmother fell sick, and it was then she actually started cooking on a relatively more regular basis.
And it was then when her love for cooking developed. And since then, she started experimenting at the kitchen.
"What happens when I mix one spice with another? What happens if I add another new ingredient to a dish? These probing questions made me an experimental cook, which later eventually helped me a lot in the competition."
The tasks given in the several rounds of the competition required good time management and a spark of innovation. Sultana's love for gastronomy and the investigative attitude she have developed pushed her to the top three.
Standing second in Rupchanda-Star Lifestyle Super Chef 2014, she was awarded a prize money of Tk.3,00,000.
CHARRED CHUI JHAL CHICKEN
6 medium sized chicken, 50 gm chui jhal
1 pc garlic, ½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
1 tsp jeera paste
1 tbsp sour cream or lemon juice
3 tbsp soyabean oil
1 tbsp mustard oil
¼ tsp tumeric powder
Salt to taste
¼ tsp mustard paste, 1 tbsp grounded onions
1 pc darchini
¼ tsp pepper
1 tbsp dried chilli
Make cuts on each piece of chicken on both sides and then marinate with sour curd or lemon. Make the cuts or an incision as such so that the juice soaks into the meat and keep with marinate for ten minutes. Heat oil in a wok and then add all the ingredients with a little water apart from the chui jhal. Along with the chicken, braise the ingredients, ensuring that the spices get amply charred whilst the chicken doesn't to avoid a burnt taste. Do so for 3-4 minutes. Add the chui jhal as required and salt. This was served with Aloor Jilapi and Prawn Mix.
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