CHICKEN CHETTINAD IN LETTUCE WRAPS
When P.F.Chang meets Chettinad “Annachi” the result is an Asian fusion recipe of “Chicken Chettinad in Lettuce wraps”.Everytime I walked through the malls here,after a long day of window shopping & the like , I would stop for a bite and so desperately wish for a food stall that served South Indian menu especially hot idli sambar, masal dosa,or more spicy biryani’s & chicken.Alas,I had to stick to Teriyaki chicken the only one I knew of that did not contain egg(which I was terribly allergic to!) so this attempt at a fusion dish is hoping something like this would pop out in the food stalls here in the near future:)where people like me could just stop by & be taken back in time,when food meant closer to home.”Remove the dressing the core is the same” they say,since these lettuce wraps are the zing thing catching up on every Asian menu here, why not add our own stuffing to it & relish this movable feasts in crispy cute packages.The cool crunchy lettuce wrapped around warm spicy Chettinad chicken,folded & eaten like a burrito would be a refreshing zip on a hot summer day.
“Chettinad” is the home of the Chettiars,in the southern part of the state of Tamilnadu, India.They are known to a prosperous banking and business community.Their culinary expertise gives them the apt title of being Master chefs worldwide in the art of subtly blending the spices to tease your palate,letting you ache for more,the memories they leave behind go with you as long as you live.The men of Chettinad are fondly called”Annachis” & the women folk as “Acchis”,they are known for their hospitality.
Just like the” Chicken Manchurian” which was a fabrication dish of Chinese in India,the” lettuce wraps” seem to be an American fabrication with an Asian twist.When I asked some of my friends who are of Chinese orgin, they do not believe lettuce wraps are authentic to China,but then they are as popular as the Manchurians in India,so why not let Chang meet Annachi for a change?So enjoy these Lettuce wraps with Chettinad Chicken & rekindle some fond culinary memories of the past.
