From charcoal ice creams and avocado on toast to fish-shaped waffles and one-bowl meals, we’ve witnessed a range of food trends trickle in from abroad over the last few years. However, during a recent conversation with Sabyasachi Gorai of Lavaash by Saby, New Delhi, the celebrity chef revealed that the one trend that took a long time to become en vogue in the country was, “the support for local farmers; buying local produce, replacing the leaves and vegetables at the salad bar with fresh local produce”.
Incidentally, a few weeks later, I saw a green soup made from local green tomatoes. The soup, photographed with a cluster of shining green tomatoes, had me drawing connections with the market. Chef Thimma Reddy, executive chef, The Park, Hyderabad, who’d made the soup, said, “Why not green tomato fritters? They have the crunch. With the right dip, they make for excellent finger food. We can only support local farmers by buying their produce and giving them their rightful due. This apart, nutrition-wise, locally available seasonal ingredients will do wonders for the body and taste buds.”
The struggle continues
As supermarket shelves brim with ready-made sauces and quick fixes for meals, locally-found seasonal ingredients seem to have no takers. Which could be why vegetable vendors in Guwahati, who would otherwise be selling cauliflower this season, are now selling broccoli. Kitchen gardens that would otherwise have rows and rows of the crunchy lai xaak (the Indian version of bok choy) and coriander are now replaced by bok choy. So, the traditional winter delicacy lai xaak , bamboo and pork is now bok choy and pork; a somewhat lacklustre version of the original.
However, there are people like Mehboob Alam Khan, a food connoisseur and expert on Hyderabadi cuisine, working towards highlighting local produce. “We have forgotten to experiment and reach out for easier alternatives,” he says. When hosting Gary Mehigan and his team at his ancestral home in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, (for Gary’s upcoming food show) Khan made a green chutney for the kebabs using, “tender, green tamarind which was in season, and fresh red. The chutney was a huge hit”
Know your food
Green tomato fritters by chef Thimma Reddy
Being a locavore can benefit not just the farmer, but the ecosystem as well. According to agriculture scientist, food and nutritional counsellor, GV Ramanjenayulu, whose never-ending combat against pesticides saw him on the first season of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate , says, “Modern industrial agriculture is a system of mono-crop. As we bring in newer non-local breeds of vegetables, the reliance on pesticides and fertilisers grows. Sustainable farmers think about the environment, future crops and energy-intensive technology. The mad fad to eat the same vegetables throughout the year has made us forget our local produce.” He adds, “Did you know that those expensive apples that are so red and shiny, that we make a beeline for, were probably rejected in the countries they are grown in? To ensure that you are eating good food, ask these questions to the seller: where is it from, when is it grown, how is it stored.”
Chefs too are acknowledging the virtues of using local seasonal produce. Fire, the restaurant at The Park, New Delhi, was relaunched last year as an earth-friendly restaurant. Nearly 80% of the ingredients on its seasonal menu is either organic or bought locally. These include grains bought directly from farmers and vegetables grown around NCR.
Chef Thomas Zacharias of The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai, goes all out to celebrate seasonal produce. At the ingredient-driven restaurant, the team makes an effort to make global dishes using Indian ingredients. Think pickled tendli (ivy gourd), thepla tacos with Goan pulled pork vindaloo and a til gud cake. The focus is clear — sustainable eating.
So, if anyone out of ignorance asks if the zucchini can be replaced with ridge gourd, it is no matter to snigger, says Chef Viraf Patel, corporate chef at SodaBottleOpenerWala and Olive Bar & Kitchen. Viraf, also the man behind Café Zoe, says, “I use idli rice to make a risotto replica. The idli rice, like Arborio, has a bite to it and is starchy. For a famous Moroccon recipe of stuffed zucchini with minced meat, the snake gourd is ideal. The best part about using local ingredients — there is less wastage.”
Customise and adapt
Arundati Rao of Escapades Culinary studio, agrees with Viraf. Her instructions at cooking classes are simple, “Use millets where quinoa is recommended. Ripe red chillies can be used in anything that needs red habanero, and replace green habanero with our banana chillies.”
Sangeeta Khanna’s mix vegetable salad with mustard oil dressing
As demand for high-breeds and non-local vegetables goes up, owing to their looks and recipes on international cookery shows, customers looking for okra instead of ladies finger is quite alarming. Sangeeta Khanna, food and nutrition consultant, says, “It is one and the same. The same goes with aubergine. As a nutritionist and a food expert, I only look at local alternatives. My salad dressing is not always with olive oil; it’s usually a bowl of seasonal vegetables. Local food tastes better than food that has been trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. Think you can’t taste the difference between lettuce picked yesterday and lettuce picked last week, factory-washed, and sealed in plastic? Think again.”
Published - March 28, 2019 04:16 pm IST
