Chicken roast preparation in icy North sikkim valley

We were so sad after being rejected by the nature, nature didnot want us to enter the sacred Gurudongmar Lake, not even the lake, We could not proceed a single meter towards Thangu, it was still 5Km far to reach Thangu– from where we were supposed to have our breakfast, but the entire ground was covered with thick snow layer.

Unfortunately our car didnot have any chain around the tires, probably the driver even didnot expect there would be so much snow, but we were quite reluctant with the nature views around, the ground was just completely hidden with a thick veil of white snow & this snow was completely different from the snow of Yumthang valey. Even we experienced little amount of snow fall, but it was not like Yumthang Valley’s snowfall.

We still had 3-4 hours to spend in this desert land, and already began to feel quite healthy & normal , after having butter toast & noodles in a Nepali’s kitchen. so it was about making a plan to spend time. We had one couple, 6 young boys & me with my cousine- total 10 people. so we were planning to have a  collective work.  Ist suggestion came as to  make a feast in this icy ground, some people started to counter how to lit up fire in ice, then some wise answers were initiated to be replied back. The driver said chicken isnot available here & that would be so costly, so better to have some camel flesh. We all rejected the plan , the dada (husband from the couple) started to ask repeatedly to driver if there would be any chicken is available or not. after some arguments, finally it was revealed that there was a chicken in Nepali’s house.

As we thought, the plan started to grow, after some burgeoning, it was fixed at 900 INR. can you believe? A 2Kg chicken for 900 INR? as chickens are very costly here- they were imported from siliguri. we arranged some wood stacks, kerosine oil, salt, spices,mustard oil. but we forget to bring a most important tool- chopper, it was so important because the chicken was not in parts, it was a healthy living hen. ha ha.  so we were planning to chop the hen into pieces. but how?

We face some strange answers, as:

• Lets use some stone to kill the hen.
• Why not to use some wine bottle (cracked glass piece) !
• Lets tear the hen with hands!
• Use some karate-kill the hen , then burn it
• Lets shave the hen with blade. (what a plan!)

awesome! we rejected all these plans. still searching for some chopper. we stopped 2-3 army vans & asking them if they had any knife or other thing, but finally we had to remain please with a small blade (yeah, its a fucking shaving blade).

you could never believe that we unwrapped the hen from its skin & feather with the help of a blade. How much cruel man could be! but I think who prefer to eat chicken , they would never know the chicken making processes. so lets cut the cruelty scene.

we lit up fire with wood stacks, some people became busy in preparing of spices,oil etc, the goal was to roast the chicken.

It took almost one & half hours. in between we made the whole chicken into two pieces- installed two electric wires through them to make ease of holding them on fire. we poured layers of butter, turmeric & salt.

Finally, upper skin was fire burnt, we got that as process completed. in between some sips of Honey Bee made us warm blooded- as the wind was so cold, even the water. we needed to take heat from the fire place each time after washing hand in the stream water.

We prepared the roast & served it to our stomach , the taste was not so good, quite obvious, but still thinking about our toil behind this, we finished it. Time to return to Lachen.