Delightful Healthy Recipes

Clockwise from top: Raw crepes drizzled with strawberry and chocolate sauce, Coconut lime cheesecake and Raw lasagna with macadamia nut ricotta, red pepper marinara and basil pesto.

IN THE RAW

Certified raw food chef Lisa Pitman shows  how an uncooked meal needn't be bland or boring



How do you make a curry out of raw food? Canadian raw food chef Lisa Pitman, who is here on a mission to "rawify" Indian curries, shows us how with a raw saag curry. This dish combines cashew nuts, sea salt, ground coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, sweet onion, water, lemon juice and baby spinach, in a blender. Yes, it is that simple. "You can make rich curries using coconut, nuts, or sun dried tomatoes combined with spices. Toss in diced vegetables and let everything marinate for a while. The flavours will infuse the vegetables just as it does when you simmer them over a flame," says Pitman.
Below 50 degrees C
"Raw food means anything prepared without heating above 118 degrees Fahrenheit (47.7 degrees C)," says Pitman. "That means making cheesecakes and date squares without the use of an oven or a stove."
Instead, she mainly uses a food processor for mixing fillings, a blender for smoothies, and a dehydrator for pizzas and pancakes. Instead of an oven, she chills most of her crusts, allowing them to set.
But Pitman is best known for her healthy desserts — she makes them using different combinations of nuts, coconut, spices, dried and fresh fruits. Her signature dish is date squares, which she can whip up in minutes. The crust is made by mixing pecans, walnuts or cashews, raw oats, dates and a dash of cinnamon. "When this is blended in a food processor, it begins to clump together. This mixture, when placed in a pan lined with parchment paper, becomes your crust," says Pitman. The filling is made by blending dates, orange juice and orange zest. A little crust is sprinkled on top. The dish is chilled for an hour and served.
She makes a cheesecake with almonds, unsweetened coconut, medjool dates and vanilla, all blended together to form a crust, and then refrigerated. The filling is made with coconut, cashew or almond milk, cashews, date paste, fresh lime juice, vanilla extract and raw, cold pressed coconut oil. This mixture is chilled for two hours.
Ever since she arrived in India this week, Pitman has been wowing audiences with her desserts — raw cheesecakes, fruit sorbets, cookies, tarts, pies and more. "You should hear the reaction when people take a bite of a raw cheesecake... no one complains about the missing cholesterol or saturated fat... I've replaced all that with fabulous flavour," she says.
Back to basics
Pitman, 33, has been a vegan since the age of two, when her parents realised she couldn't ingest animal protein. Then, seven years back, she started reading about the connection between diet and health and found herself slowly eliminating refined and processed foods like white sugar, refined salt, flour and butter from her daily meals. She inspired her mother, who was suffering from diabetes and asthma, to try her vegan whole food diet. "After a year, she had lost well over a hundred pounds, reversed her diabetes and stopped needing her asthma medication," says Pitman. Then she shifted completely to raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
No compromise on flavour
Pitman is a full time social worker doing public policy for the government. Her day starts with a blended fruit smoothie, a parfait, or oats porridge.
The parfait is a layered recipe that is more structured than the others. She pulses dates and orange zest, then adds pecans, oats, dried cherries and salt to create a granola-like mixture. Separately, she combines cherries, orange juice, dates and salt. She also blends frozen bananas to get an ice-cream like texture. The three mixtures are then layered in a glass to provide a nutritious breakfast or evening snack. "This recipe is also a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen. They can add ingredients to the food processor, push the pulse button to get things moving and study the transformation from frozen bananas to ice cream," says Pitman.
During the day, she snacks on fresh fruits. She also makes dips using nuts or sprouted beans and spices, which she enjoys with sliced vegetables.
"My favourite foods are raw cheesecakes, ice creams and cookies. But I also make simple main course dishes with raw foods," says Pitman. An example of this is spring pasta, using zucchini noodles. "A vegetable peeler will give you fettuccine-like noodles. In a blender, combine frozen peas, asparagus, avocado, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme and pepper to make a smooth sauce." Pitman uses hot water in this recipe, to pour over the asparagus and peas for a couple of minutes. They are drained and mixed with the noodles and sauce. "You don't have to choose pleasure or wellness. You can have both," she says.

The great Indian street food trail

Sephi Bergerson fell in love with Indian street food when he had a pakoda at Paharganj ten years back. Ever since then, the Israeli photographer has been documenting the street food culture in our cities. Joanna Lobo finds out which are his favourite spots



When Sephi Bergerson walks the streets of India, he is "the bald foreigner with a camera who is eating our vada pav". So, when he proceeds to shoot pictures in the middle of a bustling Dadar market or outside Jama Masjid, his subjects are happy to oblige. "I am a foreigner and speak a little Hindi, so it opens people's hearts," says Bergerson happily.
Now he says he wants to share this joy with others. Come February, he aims to take a few like-minded people on a ten-day tour through the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi.
Biryani at Jama Masjid
Bergerson's love for Indian street food goes back ten years when he moved here from Israel. His first taste of it was a pakoda in Pahargunj. "Someone asked me if I was crazy. I told him the guy had been sitting here for 500 years (sic), he hadn't been thrown out and people still eat it. So I will eat it too."
What he doesn't eat, and therefore doesn't click, is non-vegetarian food, the sole exception being the biryani stall outside Jama Masjid which he could not resist. To him it exemplifies the street food experience in India. "It has the food, the crowd, the beautifully old Jama Masjid. It says India".
Chuski in Old Delhi
Old Delhi is one of Bergerson's favourite places for street food because of the huge variety it offers. "Migrants come to the city, they don't know what to do, so they start cooking something from their own home and selling it on the street," he explains, adding that he loves to see the making of a chuski (flavoured ice).
Bergerson wants to capture this era before it is gone. "You take it for granted because you have grown up with it, but make no mistake, it will change." Much like the falafel in Israel where he grew up, which went from being food sold in a "dirty, greasy hole-in-the-wall" to a "white ceramic and steel glass place that serves fresh salads".
Panipuri at Chowpatty
Mumbai's quintessential street food, vada pav barely made it to Bergerson's collection, despite being a personal favourite. "I wanted a good picture of the experience of vada pav and not the bun itself which is ugly." He has similar feelings about another favourite, pani puri. It was on an assignment to click panipuri when he realised that it just doesn't look good in a close-up. But he realised that eating a panipuri can get messy which makes people go into contortions. So he kept his distance, and used a long lens to capture what has become one of his favourite pani puri images.
Kulhad chai at Kolkata
The first time Bergerson visited Kolkata, he walked for five days but shot only two 'satisfactory photos'. The second time round he got the picture he wanted. It was on his way from the airport, when a jolt of blue on an otherwise drab street caught his eye. "Kolkata is not colourful. If I had to give the city a colour based on its energy, the life there and my experience, it would be black". He did not know which street the stall was on, so he patiently retraced his route to the airport. When he did find it, the vendor refused to get his picture clicked. Unfazed, Bergerson bided his time, shooting something nearby, smiling at him from the middle of the road, ordering chai from the stall. "He was quite tired of having me hang around there and I finally got my picture."
Jalebi in Jaipur
Bergerson always ate everything he clicked, except this one time in Jaipur. He was ambling along a bylane when he noticed a vendor carrying jalebis. A quick run, about turn and he got the vendor in the frame. "Just before he got too close, there was sunlight that lit him up from behind and made the jalebis shine," he smiles in recollection.

Burmese connection

Want to satiate your crush on Kaukswe? Get a table at this restaurant in town, known for its authentic Burmese cusine

Apart from my petiteness, if you haven't already noticed my features and guessed I could have a Burmese connection, let me tell you, I in fact do! My great grandfather Sunder Rao had migrated to Burma, then Myanmar, from our home town Mangalore and made a fortune. My grandfather Amrit Rao was born in Burma and was extremely fond of a variety of Burmese cuisine and also knew how to prepare it.
And since we're on the topic of Burmese food, let me tell you that Busaba is perhaps the first Burmese cuisine restaurant in Mumbai, and I have been frequenting this place since school days. It was here that I got introduced to my grandfathers' first Burmese crush — Kaukswe and I discovered she has many interesting facets indeed.
The Kaukswe is a wholesome noodle meal that originated in Burma in the mid-16th century and is pronounced as 'cow sway'. The Kaukswe at Busaba is an original recipe that was passed on by the owner's (Nikhil Chibb's) grandmother who was Burmese. And trust me, it surely is a big reason to go to this place.
A bowl of noodle is served along with nine to 10 different bowls, which makes it look like an Indian version of a thali. Each of these bowls contain chopped celery, spring onion, fried garlic, onion rings, coriander, lime juice, red chili flakes, coconut based yellow curry with vegetables or (chicken/prawn) and boiled egg and prawn paste for non-vegetarian preferences. The whole process of pouring the yellow curry over the noodles and then sprinkling each of these condiments on to it is a rare feeling of being involved in the preparation of the dish, unlike the regular act of feeding your face, the moment the food is put on the table. When you put a spoonful of this concoction in your mouth, it's amazing how each of these fine condiments leave a special feeling of their unique presence to our taste buds! The best part is, you can also individually choose to mix any combination from the rich array of these accompaniments to create your own original taste sensation. I especially feel the comb of celery and burnt garlic chops adding to the flavour of curried noodle leaving an exotic sensation in the mouth.
Just like the history of Burma accommodated various cultural habitants, Busaba's kitchen is stacked with chefs from Vietnam, Thailand and Korea, presenting their niche delicacies. With its precise mezzanine arrangement of a 'resto-bar', you could experience a fine dining atmosphere upstairs or slip downstairs into the cozy chalet lounge with jazz, funk or house beats, and pamper a mixed cocktail in your hand with the motto being — just chill! (The watermelon Man — named after the jazz guru Herbie Hancock promises to rhythmise your senses; the Good Morning Vietnam is compulsory, I insist!). For starters, vegetarians could find bliss in the Khao pod tod — Thai corn cakes with red bell peppers, cilantro and curry paste served with a sweet and sour sauce or my favourite Banh xeo — Vietnamese rice pancakes filled with bean sprouts, mushroom, tofu and fried onion.
There is a unique variety of seafood starters like the Japanese tempura — squid or prawns fried in a light batter and served with a sweet chili sauce. My friends drool over the Satay-Thai barbecue chicken, pork or prawn served on skewers with a spicy peanut sauce.
Also, the Tod man pla — spicy Thai fish cakes (with cucumber chilli pepper relish), I hear is a show stopper! With such exotic variety of starters in the menu, one could easily get tempted not to begin with the main course at all! My expert advise — starters must be light and preferably shared, if you go there in a large group so that you have ample space in your tummy for the Kaukswe, which in itself is a 'one meal dish'.
The Bulgogi — Korean style marinated beef with shaved garlic, spring onions, lettuce leaves, mushrooms and Koearn chilli paste, the Pla neung Manao — Thai steamed fish with lime chilly and garlic and the Disha fire red based crab are runaway successes too. If you can claim to die eating like me, don't leave the place without tasting the chocolate fondant. I'm sure you will agree with me that Busaba's creative appeal carves a niche in South East Asian cuisine. If my taste buds feel a magnetic pull and find a soul satisfaction at Busaba, it's got to be my DNA!

Amrita Rao is an actor and a foodie.

Tuck in some turkey!

Thanksgiving Day is coming up on Thursday; try out these turkey recipes...



Thanksgiving Day has been officially recognised as an annual tradition since the 80s. Initially Thanksgiving was celebrated after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest season and rejoice with family and friends with a feast. Oven roasted turkey is a must in every household celebrating Thanksgiving. Following the tradition, restaurants in Mumbai have come up with their own food spread especially for this occasion. LPQ is offering dishes like Smoked turkey breast shavings with cornichons, herb cheese and scallions and Pumpkin cake with vanilla ice-cream. Indigo Delis have roasted butterball turkey and apple pie. Renaissance hotel offers Turkey escalope, fennel-prosciutto mascarpone gratin and Braised turkey shank. So, here are a few recipes that you can cook up for Thanksgiving at your home...

Roasted Turkey with chestnut, sage, apple stuffing and cranberry jelly (Le Pain Quotidien)
Ingredients:
Turkey breast - 1.2 kg
Demi-glace - 500 ml
Onion - 300 gms
Garlic - 40 gms
Leeks - 150 gms
Celery - 75 gms
Croissant - 1
Brioche - 2
Sage - 5 gms
Apricot canned - 5
Milk - 400 ml
Carrot - 300 gm
Cranberry jelly - 50 gm
Egg - 1
Red apple - 1
Water chestnut - 100 gms
Prunes - 30 gms
Salt - 10 gms
Pepper - 5 gms
Olive oil - 200 ml
Thyme - 5 gms
Pre Preparation:
Clean the turkey breast; flatten it using a meat hammer. Marinate it with salt, pepper and chopped thyme. Make it into roulade and tie it using a twine. Cut a few vegetables for mirepoix for the base. For the stuffing - saute carrot, leeks, celery, garlic. Add this to the diced croissant and brioche; add milk, seasoning and egg. And keep it for 15 mins till the bread soaks all the liquid. Make a roulade using a kiln film and cover it with foil and keep water boiling for cooking. Make florets of the broccoli and blanch them. Chop the prunes for the sauce and add them into the demi-glace.

Preparation:
Set the oven at 175 degree Celsius. In a roasting pan put the mirepoix and place the turkey roulade on it. Pour some demi glace over it. Cook it for 45 mins basting it every 10 mins. Poach the stuffing roulade in the boiling water for 15 mins at the same time. Put the cranberry jelly in the apricot halves and warm it in the oven. Sauté the broccoli florets in olive oil with some seasoning. Slice the turkey breast and roulade and arrange it alternatively on the plate. Along with the broccoli, apricot and pour over the sauce with prunes. Roasted Turkey by Chef James Reppuhn, Visiting Executive Chef, JW Marriott
Ingredients:
Whole Turkey - 1nos. (Approximately 5-6kg)
Unsalted Butter - 300gms
Fresh Sage - 30gms (40-45 leaves)
Onion - 2 nos.
Celery - 4 sticks
Carrot - 2 nos.
Leek - 2 nos.
Salt - to taste
Black pepper powder - to taste
For Stuffing:
White bread -10 Slices
Celery - 3 sticks
Onion - 1 medium
Chicken Stock - 1 cup
Egg - 1 nos.
Salt - to taste, black pepper powder - to taste
Method:
Keep the unsalted butter at room temperature, when it is soft mix it with chopped fresh sage. Cut the wings of turkey at end bone, this helps it to seat still while roasting. Cut the excess skin near the neck. Wash the turkey and pat dry with paper towel. Season the turkey with salt and pepper powder. Rub the turkey with sage butter. Cut the onion, celery, carrot and leek in to large dices. Place them in the roasting tray. This will infuse the flavour in turkey while roasting. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. Put the Turkey in roasting tray, put it in the oven and roast. It will take 75-90 minutes.
For Stuffing:
Cut the white bread slices in to cubes. Chop the onion and celery finely, saute it lightly in butter. In a mixing bowl mix together bread cubes, sauteed onion and celery, egg and chicken stock. Season the mixture with salt and pepper powder. Place this mixture in an oven dish and place it in the pre-heated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 15 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments like mashed potato, roasted sweet potatoes, bacon, green beans and mushroom, and cranberry sauce.

Apple, chocolate, pomegranate idlis, anyone?

Coimbatore man applies for patent and Intellectual Property Rights for 20 varieties of idlis

If variety is the spice of life, then nobody other than Kovai Iniyavan of Coimbatore has truly lived upto the adage.
A 38-year-old school drop out from Coimbatore, Kovai has not only developed scores of varieties of idlis, but has also applied for patents for 20 types of the popular south Indian dish.
The caterer has applied for patent and Intellectual Property Rights for these idlis claiming all the recipes were exclusively developed by him. His menu card boasts of 200 types of idlis comprising apple, orange, tomato, pizza , pudina, curry, honey, etc varieties.
"They differ in taste, shape and smell. He makes idlis with various kinds of fruits, vegetables and spices," said Gnanavel Murugan, a foodie from Chennai.
Kovai learnt the art of idli making from Chandra, a widow in Coimbatore whom he helped in transporting the idlis she made to hotels.
"Later I started helping her in idli making and she taught me how to prepare soft and tasty idlis. It was a new experience and she shared all knowledge with me," he said.
Idli is the simplest and safest of all foods, says Kovian.
"But one has to be careful while preparing the batter. Housewives grind rice and lentils and leave it overnight for fermentation. That is not the correct method," said Iniyavan.
Though he grinds the rice the previous day, the lentil is ground only three or four hours before the idli is steamed.
"The rice and lentil are mixed just two hours before preparing the idli," he said.
Kovian asks housewives to use aluminum vessels to steam idli. "Pour the batter only after the water starts boiling and use only two layers at the same time," he said.
On the anvil are idlis made of tender coconut, carrot, chocolate, pomegranate, coriander, etc. "This will make idly eating a new experience because every day one can think of having a new variety," he said.

You're my cuppycake!

Hotels and restaurants across the city have something special in store for kids on the occasion of Children's Day on November 14



Here's one day where you can let the kids go free without preaching to them what's healthy and what's not. And the little ones are spoilt for choice this Children's Day, on November 14, as several cafes and restaurants have designed a special kiddie brunch/lunch or even a special kids menu — with all the not-so-healthy but tastefully addictive stuff — designed specially by chefs.
For instance, Lotus Cafe at JW Marriott is organising a special Children's Day extravaganza where you can shower your child with gifts he'd love — scrumptious food, together with games and fun-filled activities like face painting, unique balloon creations, video games and famous mascots and clowns. Also, the centre piece on every table shall be the Candy Wonderland made of castor sugar and lollies. The kids buffet will include lip-smacking favourites like Chocolate Profiterole, Lamington, Chocolate muffins, cupcake assortment, chocolate doughnuts and fruit tartlets, apart from fish fingers with gherkin mayo, chicken nuggets with honey mustard sauce and ketchup, smileys and vegetarian wok noodles.
However, a separate buffet arranged for parents will comprise of Pan Seared Red Snapper Steak, Baby Crushed Potato & Pakchoy, Balsamic Ginger Veloute, Grilled Tenderloin, Onion Jam, Foie Gras Jus, and Wild Mushrooms Stuffed Chicken with Seared Polenta, Buttered Asparagus and Red Wine Jus. Also, there will be live counters serving Hand Tossed Pizza, Pasta, Chicken Shawarma, Khauswey or Roasts and Live Desserts. Says Neha Mathur, manager Lakeside Chalet, Marriott, "We decided the menu going by what kids like the most… cakes, sandwiches, doughnuts, smileys and soft beverages." She adds, "There is also a kids dance party and loads of dance floor games. We have a special cake that will be cut by the kids, plus there will be lots of gifts and prizes being given away."
Deliverychef.in too has some amazing offers for the day. You can personalise cupcakes with your kids' favourite cartoon character and customised messages with sugar work and candies. Moreover, it's also offering 20 per cent off on all kiddie flavours like bubble gum burst, cotton candy and tooty frooty.
Westin Mumbai Garden City has a Children's Day brunch on November 13. "We anyway have a special theme based brunch every Sunday. So this time we decided to make it special for kids. It's called 'bubblicious'. We have cartoon characters like Dora, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse present in the party. There will be 20 different types of candies, mini burgers, nuggets and pastas," says Sachin Mylavarapu, director F&B, Westin Garden City Hotel. "We'll also teach them how to do icing on the cookies, which they could take back home as a souvenir."

Born. A petite

Whether it's Italian, Mediterranean or Carribean cuisine, this restaurant in the suburbs lures with its authentic food



Looks can be deceptive and I am a classic example. I might look like they starve me back home and I can't claim to survive on fresh air in the city of Mumbai either. But the secret coming straight from the kitchen onto your plate is that there is a lot of food that hides comfortably behind this petite frame! My close friends call me "bhukku" and half my Twitter matter is about the yummy things I binge on! My Twitter friends and DNA After Hrs were the unique ones who spotted the foodie in me and encouraged me to write and review a food column. As a staunch vegetarian myself, I hope to share some great recommendations to my veggie folks and hope to tempt the taste buds of those from the non-vegetarian religion too!
I begin my first food column with Out of the Blue on Pali hill, a restaurant I've been frequenting since school days, when it was exclusively a sizzler place. I have memories settled in different corners of this place — whether of birthdays, Christmas luncheons, farewell dinners, friendly get-togethers and, of course, a whole lot of official meetings and photo shoots!

The restaurant is perhaps one of the rare combinations of ambience and mouthwatering food. Its USP is the space and the efficient utility of each and every corner. The indoor arrangement has proximity to the bar and the outdoor seating is close to the live barbeque counter. Today, along with their famous sizzlers, the restaurant serves the city's finest Italian cuisine, along with their original and innovative variety of fondues such as the desi fondue, Chetinad fondue, pizza fondue and so on. My personal favourite? It's olives dipped in desi fondue.
The kitchen is a bunch of creative madness with chefs who believe that food can be fun if you want to invent new things. This place serves the most unique cold cheese bruschetta, which was a discovery by default by one of the young enthusiastic chefs, who forgot to heat the bruschettas before serving them. However, this slapstick version has now become the restaurant's running 'cold' favourite. Their Caribbean chef Michelle Fourniller is the latest flavour of the kitchen and specialises in Mediterranean and Caribbean cuisine.
And for all of you who, like me, believe that the company of the right choice of drink can make all the difference to the entire dining experience, try out the Jaljeera Mojito, which is the restaurant's farm grown recipe and an instant mood-pepping refresher.
Let me now, with a musically loud announcement, introduce to you, ladies and gentlemen, my crush on the menu that ensures I come for it again and again — the Vegetable Exotica. It's basically vegetables in cheese, aptly true to its name with its 'exotic' taste. Each time I'm at Out of the Blue, I order for this particular dish… to an extent that when the restaurant was revamping its menu, it retained this dish on the menu, specially for me! I think in the years to come, it shall be called Rao Exotica! If you haven't tasted the Vegetable Exotica, you haven't been to Out of the Blue. Just a reminder… it's on Pali hill. See you there!
Amrita Rao is an actor and foodie.

Green Peppercorn and cumin rubbed hickory smoke chicken with beetroot spaghetti: 
Chef Mrinmoy, 5 All Day, Colaba
Ingredients:
❉ Smoked chicken breast
2 nos
❉ Green peppercorn
crushed 10 gms
❉ Cumin toasted and
crushed 5 gms
❉ Garlic 5 gms
❉ Olive oil 1 tbsp
❉ Salt and black pepper
freshly ground to taste
❉ Beetroot flavoured
spaghetti 50 gms
(alternately regular
spaghetti)
❉ Red wine 30 ml
❉ Balsamic vinegar 10 ml
Procedure:
❉ Burn about 50 gms of
hickory wooden chips
which has been soaked
in water. As they begin
to smoke put it in a steel
vessel with the chicken
breast not touching
each other which has to
be coverd with a cling
wrap for 10 mins.
Marinade chicken
breast with oil, salt,
pepper, cumin, garlic
and green peppercorn
for at least 30 minutes.
Sear the chicken
breast both sides
for a minute each
and put in the
oven for bout
10-15 mins.
Keep the pan
aside for the
sauce. Toss the
spaghetti in olive oil
and garlic with
seasoning. Add the
red wine and
balsamic vinegar in
the pan used to sear
the chicken and
reduce. Place the
tossed spaghetti on a
plate, place the chicken
breast on top. Pour the
sauce over.

Tea smoked quail: Chef
Mahesh More, OPA, Juhu
Ingredients:
❉ 3 Quail
❉ 1 tsp rice wine
❉ 1 tsp salt + salt to taste
❉ 5-6 spoon veg oil
❉ 3 tsp tea leaves such as
black, jasmine, litchi,
lapsang, souchang
❉ 5 pieces dry tangerine
peel
❉ 1/2 tsp castor sugar
❉ 5 tsp sesame oil
❉ 1 garlic chives
❉ 2 tsp light soya
Procedure:
To prepare the quail, rinse
and dry the birds.
Cut off the necks
and wing tips,
then split each quail in half
along the breast bone. In
large shallow bowl, stir
together the wine, 1 tsp
salt and a tsp vegetable oil.
Add the quail and turn in
the mixture rubbing the
birdswith your fingers to
coat evenly. Leave for 20
minutes, turning twice. To
bring water to a boil in the
base of a steamer. Set
the quail on the metal
steamer rack, cover
tightly, reduce the heat
so the water continues to
simmer and steam for
five mins. Remove the
quail on the rack and
place the rack over a plate
or bowl to drain. Line a
large, heavy sauce pan or
wok with a double
thickness of alluminium
foil. Place the tea leaves,
tangerine peel and sugar
on the foil in the bottom of
the pan and set over a
medium heat. Place the
quail on the rack in the
pan. Cover the pan and
smoke - cook until golden
brown about 12 mins.
Remove the quail from the
rack and brush them with
2 tsp of sesame oil.
Sprinkle lightly with salt. In
a wok, warm the remaining
2-3 tsp veg oil over high
heat. When hot add the
chives and stir fry until
they begin to wilt. Spread
the chives on a platter and
arrange the quail on top.

Smokin' hot!

'Smoking technique' is the new alternate, innovative way of cooking that city based chefs are taking to



Smoking technique is a traditional method that is mostly used for preserving food materials, but has now become an integral part in the kitchen as well. With new restaurants opening, whose menu mainly comprises of dishes made of smoked techniques — starting from starters to even drinks, this innovative way of cooking has become the talk of the town.
The smoking exposes the food material to flavourful compounds released from the wood, apart from retaining its original flavours. Though the cooking may sound easier through this method, but one also has to take into account the various elements involved in it. "Smoking technique involves two types of smoking — cold and hot smoking. Cold smoking produces the satiny, moist texture, while hot smoking results in the firm and dense texture," says Mrinmoy, owner and head chef of 5 All Day restaurant. Sous Chef Sahil of Two One Two Bar and Grill adds, "Smoking technique helps in maintaining the juicy flavour while absorbing a nuance of smokiness that adds like a fabulous seasoning." Chef Alain Coumont of LPQ (Le Pain Quotidien) says, "Smoked food develops a beautiful golden colour. The meat on the outside becomes a light brown, red, or almost black depending on the type of wood used, heating temperatures and total time smoking."
Inspite of all this when the issue comes to the healthy aspect, chefs are not sure whether smoke technique is indeed the healthiest way, "It's a debatable topic. One may argue that chemicals from the wood and carbon monoxide from smoking may not be the healthiest option. The only thing is there is no harm in having them once or twice, but just don't make it a habit," adds Chef Mahesh More of OPA.
Local restaurants use woods depending on availability and saw dust for the technique. And one of its merits is that this method is perfect for novices, since it doesn't require any extra time or drip pans.

reviewS BY CELEB Guests A slice of Japan

This restaurant in town caters to your love for authentic sushis, shitakes and more...


We are big fans of Japanese food. And hence for my last review, I could not miss out on this Japanese restaurant that's easily the best in Mumbai. Situated at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower overlooking the Gateway of India is Wasabi, which I feel is Mumbai's only true-blue Japanese fine dining signpost. After so many years with so many Japanese restaurants sprucing up in Mumbai, Wasabi still stands tall, having silenced critics with its consistently high standards of ingredients, preparation and presentation, and the fact that reservations are norm even on week-nights.
The recently restored restaurant has an all new decor with a cheery and dramatic red lacquered staircase, a glazed glass and steel lift zooming you up from the Harbour Bar into this small 'magic box'. The key feature of Wasabi by Morimoto is the bold, sculptural round table that dominates the room and is complemented by an over-scale custom hammered metal light fixture. The overall look is crafty, traditional Japanese and the sushi counter and teppanyaki kitchen serve as focal points of activity, with the teppanyaki area defined by a large art piece.
The food fare here is authentic Japanese. Many of the ingredients are apparently flown in everyday from around the world and most from Japan too. We started by ordering a plate of spicy salmon sashimi roll and a spicy shitake roll (the veg version). The sashimi was just so fresh! The wasabi that came along with it seemed creamier and of a different texture. We were later told that a lot of restaurants usually make the Wasabi paste with some powder and they were one of the few places to use the actual root. The chef then created a special squid salad, which was delicately done with pine nuts and walnuts. The flavour and the seasoning was done just perfectly without an overdose of any dressing. It was a light seasoned salad in which you could savour the taste of each ingredient. Among their famed Sushi dishes are also the Spicy Tuna, Soft Shell Crab and the vegetable combo... sheer bliss, paired with a fine Barbaresco D'Alba Italian red wine or their legendary cold Sake. You also cannot miss out on their Black Cod Miso. It was simply out of this world. It was this big and beautiful and juicy piece of fish, marinated in Miso. It was soft and had the most succulent flavour ever!
There is an outstanding and dedicated veggie menu as well. Japanese Pizza (yes this exists), Veg Epice, Spinach Tempura, Veg Sushi (a No-Nori Veg Sushi is on the cards), Newspaper Vegetable Purse and Edamame too.
My verdict? Wasabi is at the pinnacle of freshness and everything is prepared to perfection. The best part is that the food does not weigh you down and the service is super-efficient and full of warmth. This is one place where I will keep coming back for sure!
Raveena Tandon is an actor and a foodie.