Seasonal vegetables, grains and spices like cinnamon, clove and turmeric make the menu at The Pavilion, ITC Maurya, healthy and a must-try feast, says Divya Kaushik
little did we know as a kid why our grandmothers insisted on adding few grains of ajwain to the dough during winters, why jaggery replaced sugar in sooji halwa and why a generous dose of ginger was essentially added to most curries. All these ingredients are known for their health properties and they keep the body warm during winters. Taking a hint from this are various outlets across the city who are working out special preparations with the traditional spices and ingredients known for their warming properties. ‘Winter feast for the soul’ is an annual affair at The Pavilion, ITC Maurya. Chefs come up with an array of delicacies with the use of seasonal vegetables, grains and spices that are healthy during winters. This year the menu features dishes like paneer kali mirch, kunni daal, garam masale ki machli, raan haleem and kali mirch chappein. “There is also sarson ka saag, aaloo methi, chholia and kali gajar on our menu. The focus has been on the use of seasonal, fresh produce. Vegetables like chholia, kali gajar andkamal kakdi are used at homes, so the idea is to bring to light the traditional recipes which most of us know of but we do not commonly find at our favourite restaurants,” said Yash Rajpal, junior sous chef of The Pavilion.
Winter is an excellent time to incorporate whole grain cereals like wheat and rice, pulses, including bajra, oats, maize or corn and also ingredients like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, cumin, coriander, fennel, dill seed and anise seed, mustard seeds and peppercorn. These cereals and spices not only keep your body warm but can also help in keeping the digestive track in good condition.
A glance at the menu will reveal that spices are the main highlight of the preparations and it is well reflected in the names itself —laung ka parantha, garam masale ki machli for instance. “We all know that our traditional spices are known for their warming properties, so we have used those spices in a different way to offer something special. For example, we have tandoori bater, wherein the meat is marinated in ginger garlic paste and then the second marination is ofgaram masala and yogurt. The meat is kept overnight for the flavours to seep in and is then cooked for long hours on the low flame so that spices like garam masala can add strong flavour to the meat. Other meat preparations that we have in our menu are haleem and shalgam gosht where the traditional spices are used generously to make them perfect as a winter dish,” explained the chef.
Another interesting feature in the menu is the bread section. It is not everyday that you will get to taste haldi parantha orlaung ka parantha. “Adding green, leafy vegetables to the dough to make paranthas is a common thing at homes. Apart from methi and palak parantha, which we know of, we can add spices to the dough to make them more healthy for winters. Our haldi parantha and laung parantha is quite a hit with the guests,” shared chef Yash.
The traditional winter meal will be incomplete without desserts, but expect a few surprises here as well. Chef has come up with adrak halwa and doodh khurchan, which are again the most popular on the list. Adrak halwa is the best in case you are battling cold and cough. The use of ginger in right proportion does not take away the original taste of the halwa and the presence of nuts makes it too tempting to avoid. You might put on some extra calories while feasting on this winter special menu but it is worth a try.