A modern twist

A modern twist

With Shravan here, most people are fasting and refraining from non-vegetarian food. While the older generation may find it easy to follow the tradition, the younger generation may find the food bland and boring. 

Speaking to a few food experts, we find out possible ways in which traditional food for fasting can be given a modern twist so that even the youngest member of the family can enjoy them.

Pune-based home chef Sunita Desai recalls that during Shravan, children at her home would not enjoy vrat (fasting) food. “On some days, the kids would refuse to eat and would demand ‘fast food’ because it was more ‘tasty’,” she says adding, “What I realised was that new age children would prefer food which was well presented even though they knew little about the concept of food. So I started working on the presentation of Shravan food and it worked.” 

Kiran Suvarna, executive chef, Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa, cannot agree more. He says that it is actually all about presentation. “In the cooking world, the plate is an open canvas so food is basically art. Try to garnish your vrat food with whatever ingredients available at home and see the difference,” says Suvarna.

He points out that it is a safe choice to use one of the ingredients within the recipe so that no other ingredient alters the original taste of the dish.

Chef Ravi Shankar Sharma from Novotel Ahmedabad, says that along with good presentation, it is important to consider the nutritional benefits of food. 

“When fasting, try using jaggery instead of sugar in the sweets. Not only will it make the dish tasty, but healthy too,” says the chef. 

He also adds that one can easily make food for fasting healthier by substituting potato with sweet potato and milk cream. “Instead of frying the potatoes, you can bake the sweet potatoes and make a healthy and tasty dish,” he adds.

Sabudana Rösti
Ingredients

  • Sago (sabudana)…200gm
  • Peanuts, crushed…50gm
  • Salt to taste
  • Khoya…20gm (optional)
  • Boiled potato…100gm
  • Green chilli…1
  • Oil for frying

Method

  • Take a bowl, add sago and water in it. Soak for at least 2 hrs or till it gets fluffy. Drain the excess water and transfer the sago to a bowl and reserve for 2-3 hours.
  • Take another bowl, add 2 boiled potatoes in it. Meanwhile, roast 1/2 cup of ground nuts in a pan over medium flame. Once done, transfer the nuts to a bowl and keep aside.
  • Mix the sago, boiled potatoes, crushed ground nuts and chopped green chillies together in a bowl. Add salt and mix well.
  • Take portions from the mixture stuff with khoya (optional) and make patty  out of it.
  • Deep fry the  rösti on medium heat until crispy golden brown. Serve hot.

 — Recipe by Kiran Suvarna, executive chef, Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa

Potato Kachori
Ingredients

  •  Mawa…50gm
  • Cashew …15gm
  • Pista…10gm
  • Raisins…10gm
  • Cumin seeds, roasted… 5 gm
  • Peanuts, roasted… 10gm
  • Potatoes…200gm
  • Cornflower… 50gm
  • Green chilli as per taste
  • Salt as per taste
  • Ghee…25ml
  • Oil…500ml

Method

  • For the stuffing
  • Fry the dry fruits till they turn golden.
  • Chop in the mixer, do not make a paste of the dry fruits.
  • Roughly chop the roasted peanuts for the stuffing.
  • In a bowl, add the chopped dry fruits, chopped peanuts and mawa.
  • Mix it well with ghee and roasted cumin seeds. (The ghee here will bind the stuffing).
  • Add salt as per taste.

For the coating

  • Boil the potatoes, peel and mash (make sure there are no lumps).
  • Add cornflower to the mashed potatoes.
  • Start shaping the stuffing.
  • Take a ball of the coating and flatten it with your fingers.
  • Place the stuffing in the flattened coating.
  • Fry the ball in hot oil.
  • Serve.

— Recipe by Chef Ravi Shankar Sharma, Novotel Ahmedabad

Sabudana waffles with peanuts and cucumber yoghurt
Ingredients

  • Sabudana…1cup
  • Water…1cup
  • Boiled potatoes…1cup
  • Cumin seeds…1tsp
  • Green chillies…1tsp
  • Peanuts…100gm
  • Salt (sendha namak) to taste
  • Water chestnuts flour (singhare ka atta)…100gm
  • Oil as required

Peanuts and cucumber yoghurt

  • Yoghurt…1cup
  • Peanuts…100gm
  • Cucumber…1
  • Salt (sendha namak) to taste
  • Sugar to taste
  • Green chillies (chopped) to taste

Method

  • Soak sabudana whole night in water. It should be dry and soft. Mix together soaked sabudana, boiled potatoes, cumin seeds, green chillies, crushed peanuts, salt and water chestnut flour in a bowl.
  • Pre heat waffle machine and grease with oil. Take mixture and spread in the waffle maker. Apply little oil to make it crispy. Cook for 10 minutes and take it out.

 Peanuts and cucumber yoghurt

  • Crush the peanuts and grate cucumber. Whisk sugar, salt and green chilies in yoghurt. Add peanuts and grated cucumber and mix well.
  • Serve hot waffles with dip.

 — Recipe by Praduman Bisht, executive chef at Marriott Suites Pune

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