<p>The activists pooled in 200 kg of brinjals and 300 kg of spices and ingredients like tomatoes, onions and green chillies.<br /><br />It was the world's biggest organic 'baingan ka bharta' - the mashed and char-broiled brinjal dish - ever cooked in protest against BT brinjal and genetically modified food.<br /><br />The cook-in campaign was certified by the Limca Book of Records on the spot. <br />Last year, the government had made an abortive attempt to approve BT brinjal in the country. Public outcry and a debate stalled the move. <br /><br />The cook-in, supported by 800 chefs from the Culinary Forum of India and the Organic Farming Association of India, was part of a campaign by 100,000 citizens across the country against the new Bio-technology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2011, which seeks to approve genetically modified food selectively.<br /><br />The protesters contended that the autonomous regulatory authority under the BRAI to approve genetically-modified food should not be housed under the ministry of science and technology because the ministry has a mandate to promote bio-technology. <br /><br />"If BRAI is housed under the ministry, the mandate becomes questionable," Rajesh Krishnan, campaign manager of the sustainable agriculture wing of Greenpeace, told IANS. <br /><br />The venue of the great kitchen was the Dilli Haat in south Delhi. A battery of chefs from Le Meridien, led by executive chef Davinder Kumar, demonstrated to a gathering of hundreds of people the making of the dish as they stirred gigantic amounts with organic spices in a vat with char-broiled brinjals. <br /><br />The message was -- eat organic for a healthy immune system.<br /><br />The initiative was also meant to promote organic food, and ensuring that India grows enough non-toxic fresh food to feed its 1.2 billion people at an affordable price. <br /><br />Organic vegetables and grains cook faster, said organic farmer and food activist Jayashree Joshi Eashwar, the owner of Dubdengreen Organic Food Store at Dilli Haat.<br /><br />Eashwar, who owns an organic farm near Bangalore, said: "Organic farming saves on water resources because genetically modified food grown with the help of chemicals requires a farmer to flood his land to offset the effects of the chemicals, which react with the sun."<br /><br />The ethnic bazaar -- that sells handicrafts from all over the country -- was redolent with the aroma of the 'bharta'. <br /><br />The cook-in was capped by a modest feast of piping hot organic 'chapatis' (bread) and 'baingan ka bharta' for all those present.</p>
<p>The activists pooled in 200 kg of brinjals and 300 kg of spices and ingredients like tomatoes, onions and green chillies.<br /><br />It was the world's biggest organic 'baingan ka bharta' - the mashed and char-broiled brinjal dish - ever cooked in protest against BT brinjal and genetically modified food.<br /><br />The cook-in campaign was certified by the Limca Book of Records on the spot. <br />Last year, the government had made an abortive attempt to approve BT brinjal in the country. Public outcry and a debate stalled the move. <br /><br />The cook-in, supported by 800 chefs from the Culinary Forum of India and the Organic Farming Association of India, was part of a campaign by 100,000 citizens across the country against the new Bio-technology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2011, which seeks to approve genetically modified food selectively.<br /><br />The protesters contended that the autonomous regulatory authority under the BRAI to approve genetically-modified food should not be housed under the ministry of science and technology because the ministry has a mandate to promote bio-technology. <br /><br />"If BRAI is housed under the ministry, the mandate becomes questionable," Rajesh Krishnan, campaign manager of the sustainable agriculture wing of Greenpeace, told IANS. <br /><br />The venue of the great kitchen was the Dilli Haat in south Delhi. A battery of chefs from Le Meridien, led by executive chef Davinder Kumar, demonstrated to a gathering of hundreds of people the making of the dish as they stirred gigantic amounts with organic spices in a vat with char-broiled brinjals. <br /><br />The message was -- eat organic for a healthy immune system.<br /><br />The initiative was also meant to promote organic food, and ensuring that India grows enough non-toxic fresh food to feed its 1.2 billion people at an affordable price. <br /><br />Organic vegetables and grains cook faster, said organic farmer and food activist Jayashree Joshi Eashwar, the owner of Dubdengreen Organic Food Store at Dilli Haat.<br /><br />Eashwar, who owns an organic farm near Bangalore, said: "Organic farming saves on water resources because genetically modified food grown with the help of chemicals requires a farmer to flood his land to offset the effects of the chemicals, which react with the sun."<br /><br />The ethnic bazaar -- that sells handicrafts from all over the country -- was redolent with the aroma of the 'bharta'. <br /><br />The cook-in was capped by a modest feast of piping hot organic 'chapatis' (bread) and 'baingan ka bharta' for all those present.</p>