Close to Navratri, vegetarianism is the new high for all kinds of restaurants in Delhi, says Ritu Pandey
Benihana, the largest teppanyaki restaurant chain in the world, which forayed into India last year, has introduced a vegetarian menu at its flagship outlet at Epicuria Food Mall in Delhi to celebrate 50 years of the brand. Wondering if that means eating sushi in vegetarian combosIJ Sure it does. But there’s a lot more than just sushi here. To vegetarians who want to try Japanese food but hesitate believing it’s only meat, the restaurant’s two exclusive vegetarian tables will now serve freshly prepared 30 meatless delights such as hibachi, okonomiyaki grill, midori and yasai roll, yasai Japanese noodles, soy chop skewers, spicy tofu steaks and a miso soup.
You can only guess if that is the impact of the forecast by Swedish aqua scientists that the world may be forced to go vegetarian by 2050 because there won’t be enough water left to produce food for the increasing population if we keep following food trends common in the West. Casual and fine dining places in Delhi are increasingly showing a propensity towards vegetarianism, innovatively taking forward the trend that was started years ago by eateries such as Govinda’s and Rajdhani.
Staunch vegetarians have always had a thing for Govinda’s in Sant Nagar, Veg Gulati on Pandara Road and Rajdhani’s authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati thali. But unlike these, newer additions to Delhi’s eating joints list aren’t merely reproducing traditional meatless dishes. Their need to innovate is reflected in the way they’re creating meatless versions of very meat-based specialities.
Purity matters
Satviko, a new casual dining space in GK II, takes its name from satvik or sattva. In Vedic philosophy, Satvik is the most rarified of the three gunas which refers to “pure”, the other two being rajsik which refers to “excitable” and tamsik or “indifferent.” Seriously following its moniker, Satviko bars onion, garlic from its kitchen. But how much room does that leave for experimentationIJ “I would say the restriction opens us to explore another world of really light flavours. A niche which people are keen about but confused what it might lead to. They understand it when they eat dishes here made with pure ghee, olive oil and very light spices,” says executive chef Rishi Verma. So Continental items like quad burger, chimichangas, Mexican quesadilla, burrito and nachos get a new desi spin minus onion and garlic. At Paankhuri in Pahargunj, too, there’s a significant following for meifun, kung pao and minestrone soup — Oriental-Continenal dishes made with green ingredients.
Open to experiment
Foreign chains appear keener to localise like US fast food chain Fatburger, which has debuted in India at Cyber Hub in Gurgaon with a green menu full of burgers in bean, soy as well as veggie variants. Historically, Japan has been a fish-eating country that shunned other meat. So at Benihana, the attempt seems to end the misconception that Japanese is all non-vegetarian cuisine. “We want to accommodate both vegetarians and meat eaters,” says operations manager Russell Merdjanian.
World platter
World over, from the very carnivore-loving Chicago to the chef capital of Paris, culinary planners are busy testing green flavours in all sorts of permutations and combinations. A popular eatery in Chicago makes a “cauliflower steak” a delicacy topped with toasted quinoa, pistachios, juicy grapes and dollops of chilli sauce. lula in the same city has several appetiser and entrée options with even a six-course vegetarian tasting menu. Parisians like their vegetarian menus and platters changed daily at the city’s many eateries, be it fine-diners or cafes. There is no more militant separation of vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options as a detestable fad. Be it breakfast or a sit-down dinner, there is an explosion of Umami flavours, rather than including faux meat in the shape of soya foods.
As Jasmine Baker, the president and principal planner of For the love of Food, who has been catering to a wide clientele, writes in her blog, “Responsible enjoyment of food is something everyone is becoming more and more aware of. Perhaps this is more of a movement then a trend but we are happy to see many caterers having fun with their food while discovering delicious ways of catering to the health needs of their guests. Crudités are not just your average veggie platter anymore. ‘Eat your veggies’ is no longer a punishment; it’s a pleasure! Many caterers are approaching the presentation of their crudité with the discipline of a florist or decorator. Veggies and dips are being treated like delicate flowers with every care being put into how beautifully they will be displayed. Once the nerdy wallflower is now the belle-of-the-ball. Carefully selected vases and mason jars are used to create veggie centrepieces with height, drama and a rainbow of colours.”
All this may sound music to the ears of pious Hindus who will soon embark upon a 10-day period of abstinance. This meatless mix and match will only add to the food festival excitement of having all that’s kosher in Navratri.