Gustavo (Meat floss)

Simplicity Coimbatore , Gustavo

One of the things that endear me most to Coimbatore is the fact that it is also home to so many enterprising folk. The city may have grown rapidly over the past 5 years but if you take the time to look ,you will still find delicacies being cooked the traditional way by talented home cooks who will take orders on request.

The Bohrani colony at Peelamdeu is home to the Bohra community who have brought in their unique culinary skills to add to the cosmopolitan food influences in Coimbatore.

My sister-in-law ,Ramya and her  friend Zainab Mamoowala are both foodies and good cooks. During one such conversation with Zainab , she mentioned the different dishes that are typical of their community.

It was something that I was very keen to explore. So when the opportunity presented itself a few weeks ago in the form of a get together with friends and family,I knew what I wanted to add to my menu.The Bohra families often eat a dry meat dish called Gustava or Gustavo for breakfast. It looks like thin long strands which are reddish brown in colour .In English it is referred to as meat floss.

Asian cuisine uses different kinds of floss as a topping for dumplings or as a delicious crunchy garnish on meats and sea-food. Fish floss, pork floss, chicken floss and beef floss are easily available in Asian supermarkets but it’s hard to beat the taste of home made floss. It’s also called meat wool because of it’s light and fluffy texture.

When I told Zainab that I wanted to place an order for meat floss ,she put me in touch with Mrs. Rehana Miyajiwala and her daughter-in-law Rashida Ratlamwala who are well known for making excellent Gustavo. They do have regular stock  of the chicken floss but the mutton floss is made only on order as the meat is more expensive.

So we brought home some chicken floss to give it a try.Zainab suggested that we serve it with eggs as that is how it is traditionally eaten for breakfast at their home.She said,”it makes for a quick and wholesome breakfast”. Though I was planning to serve it for dinner as part of a buffet ,it seemed a good idea to try out a little bit for breakfast. A weekend breakfast is ideal for a special treat and my son was delighted at the appetising sight of a fried egg topped with meat floss and garnished with fresh sprigs of coriander leaves. I was told that the tastiest way to eat the meat floss was by sautéing it in a little oil. The coriander leaves added a lovely contrast in taste and texture to the spicy meat floss and I was very happy with the outcome of the dish.

When I served it to my guests a few days later,It turned out to be the highlight of the meal. Everyone wanted to know how I made it,if it was made at home or where I bought it. Instead of serving it on a fried egg like we did for breakfast, this time, the Gustavo was scattered over slices of hard boiled eggs. Small onions were also fried and added for flavour and then generously topped with young coriander leaves. It was arranged in an ivory and blue speckled rectangular earthenware container and looked absolutely mouthwatering.

A few days later I told Rashida that her meat floss was a big hit. She then explained to me the laborious process that goes into making the Gustavo.Fresh meat is procured ,cleaned and cooked with spices and flavourings for over 4 hours.Then it is cooked again in oil for another 2 hours until the moisture is removed. Thereafter it is put in a grinder until the fibres come apart. This process takes until the evening. The next morning the ground meat is sun-dried for a couple of hours depending on the intensity of the sun’s rays,until it becomes completely dry.This is when it resembles strands as thin as dental floss. The meat floss is then allowed to cool before being packed in air tight packets.

A well made Gustavo has a long shelf life. Rashida says her young child likes to eat it just as it is for a snack but they also like to cook it with some cumin,coriander and turmeric powder for added taste. It already contains a good amount of salt and chilli powder so there’s no need to add more. However if one still needs to add more spiciness to the Gustavo, chopped green chillies are a good option.

From Ms.Rehana’s and Rashida’s kitchen to my table the Gustavo has passed many hands and delighted a great many more palates.It’s  ideal for travel and even makes for a special food gift from Coimbatore !

Contact

Rashida Ratlamwala -7904900612 (Whatsapp or call)

17/1 elangonagar,

Avarampalayam,

Peelamedu ,

Coimbatore

Shanthini Rajkumar