Chef Neeraj Chaudhry’s Buddhist menu is designed to detoxify the body with everything that is either steamed or boiled and has plenty of veggies. By Divya Kaushik
As I stir the chunks of veggies floating on the light broth that is mildly warm, the first thing that comes to mind is that it should be called a ‘detoxifying menu.’ The title would suit the dishes better than the ‘peace menu.’ But chef Neeraj Chaudhry insists this be called the peace menu as “the idea is to introduce the patrons to the simplistic way of living as per the Buddhist philosophy.”
The executive chef of Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon has come up with a special menu, ‘Buddhist peace menu,’ to offer the guests a unique experience. “Not just that, this concept also keeps in mind the stressful times that we are living in today. This food has a soothing effect on our senses and it detoxifies our system. It is a vegetarian menu that boasts of dishes that are either boiled or steamed and come with minimum spices,” says the chef, who has travelled to some Buddhist monasteries in India and was surprised to see the kind of food the monks eat and how it suits their lifestyle.
“Everything is water-based so that the food is filling but not heavy. Even the broths are not cooked till they are thick in consistency, their consistency is just like water. lots of vegetables are added to it to provide the body essential proteins and vitamins. The monks usually have a bao, which is like a steamed bread, with the broth, which is similar to clear soup,” adds the chef.
The table is already laid with the Buddhist specialities. There is steamed spring roll to begin with. It is a shredded mix of vegetables rolled in a paper thin layer of flour and steamed. As the chef says, there are hardly any spices added to it but it is fresh vegetables that lend a flavour and crunch to the rolls. Extremely light, they are just the right appetisers one would expect in such a menu.
The next is the broth with the goodness of broccoli, mushrooms, carrots added in good measure. A full bowl of it with the bao, cooked like a vegetable dumpling, is adequately filling. I do not know how many monks eat noodles as part of their meal but I can see a bowl full of stir-fried noodles on our table. They are served as an accompaniment with a curry prepared with tofu, bok choy and spinach.
There is also steamed rice as part of the main course. “In this kind of the menu it is very difficult to come up with a huge variety. So we have limited dishes in the menu but each is prepared in an authentic style and is perfect for someone who believes in distressing with food. It is said that food is all about indulgence but it is really not the case here. You get a chance to cleanse your system through these dishes,” says the chef.
Rice dumplings in sweetened jasmine consommé are served as a dessert. This is the lightest dessert that one can have. Steamed rice dumplings dipped in consommé, that appears like a chocolate syrup resting on the dumplings, are just about sweet, as if to deceive the palate with something that is not salty. The best part about this menu is that it is perfect for those who want to gorge without caring about calories.