JOIN USHealthy food is the best way to ensure a healthy heart; and with takers of such diets increasing, city restaurants have started using wholesome options likefruits as main ingredients in food items.
“There is no denying that fruits are now also being used as ingredients in many more dishes, including in fine dining. The trend is catching up owing to the increasing health problems which is making people exercise caution. People are turning to unprocessed, raw and vegan foods. Fruits are used as sides or accompaniments and also as sauces and ingredient in many main-course dishes,” Varun Puri from Lights Camera Action- Air Bar in Rajouri Garden tells Metrolife.
With items like mango golgappas, berry pulao, fruit pizza and tandoori fruit chart, the list of nutritious food options for the health conscious is unending.
Sharing that the trend of using fruits in dishes gained momentum nearly a year or two ago, Gaurav Mehta from Global Food Factory says that people regularly enquire about the healthy, yet tasty food items available on their menu.
“There is quite a bit of awareness among the younger generation and most people like eating healthy. Mothers, specifically, prefer healthy food options for their children and restaurants now regularly keep a lot of salad and fruit salad — which is a hot favourite with them. We also do fruit pizzas made from wheat dough on request. Sangria, a fruit and wine cocktail, is a favourite with women. Not only this, even desserts like gulab jamun and hot chocolate fudge are replaced by fruit pudding and healthy low fat desserts like apple banana crepes,” says Mehta.
The commonly used fruits are apples, pineapples and oranges, and food items like fruit pizza, tandoori fruit chaat make for great starters while raw papaya salad is perfect for a fruit salad.
“Among all the fruits, apples and pineapples are popular in dishes as they hold their texture and one can use them with great versatility. There are many dishes like orange leafy salad, apple feta salad, asparagus grapes salad, grilled pork chops with granny smith apple, Pomfret with gooseberry salsa, grilled chicken with apple compote, grilled chicken with plum sauce where a fruit is used as the main ingredient. Fruit has been main ingredient in our Monsoon dishes as well — we innovated golgappas and gave them a new taste by calling them Mango Golgappas. Also berry pulao is another innovation. The Indian palate, for sure, is open to experimentation, always up for trying new dishes,” says Puri.
He further adds that while some nutrients are lost when the fruits are cooked, “the taste compensates for that”.
However, sharing tips, Suveeth Kalra from Ardor restaurant in Connaught Place says, “Any fruity dish needs to have a proper balance between the fruit’s sweet flavour and Indian spices. The main course dish should not be much on the sweeter side.”
Agrees Sunny Bhatia, owner at Pout Cafe in south Delhi’s Greater Kailash area.
He says, “There is no limit to what you can do with making food dishes that has fruits, but one should make sure to always use fruits that are seasonal.”