The bane of childhood mealtimes was always the dreaded phrase ‘Not until you eat your vegetables.’ Even as adults, most devoted carnivores will turn their nose up at the mere suggestion of an entirely vegetarian meal and therein lies the tragedy. For so long vegetables have been relegated to the role of sidekick to meat, even in the world’s most luxurious restaurants you’ll find that this formula is a staple. Perhaps the vegetable will be exotic, alluring, drizzled with truffle oil but it’s always playing second fiddle to a hunk of meat.
The last decade has however seen a gradual shift with chefs across the world sitting up and taking notice of the cornucopia of natural produce they have right on their doorsteps. The Washington Post has even featured a list from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and EAT Foundation (EAT) documenting the ‘50 Plant Forward Chefs To Watch’ from restaurants across the world and one of our local favourites has made the cut. Chef Cardoz and Chef Zacharias from The Bombay Canteen in Lower Parel have long been committed to using the best of local produce to create exciting and innovative dishes with humble ingredients and their inclusion as the only Indian restaurant on this list stands testament to their dedication.
Their blog, ‘The Unglamourous Series’ is the perfect example of how they like to do things differently. The collaboration with OML showcases a set of video-recipes for some of India’s most often ignored dishes. They take the most prosaic vegetables like lauki (bottle gourd), petha (ash gourd), pumpkin and lotus root, things that can be found in most Indian kitchens but have been lost in a haze of lacklustre preparations. They use these same ingredients as the foundation for gourmet recipes which also appear on their menu, something no other restaurant has ever dared to do.
The offerings in the country’s most well-respected restaurants tend to fall on two ends of a spectrum, either they offer up fine-dining in the extreme with foams and flounces or you settle in for a typical Indian affair - not necessarily a bad thing, simply...underwhelming. In this environment, Bombay Canteen’s utilisation of India’s culinary wealth to its best potential as well as their modern take on traditional vegetables is a breath of fresh air. For vegetarians and meat-lovers alike, their creations are sure to be a life-changing experience.
Check out their video below as they transform the humble pumpkin into a gourmet delight