The evolution of our most popular dishes during harsh times- 2020

Times of crisis or harsh times are also times for some great inventions. Whether it be your favourite food or some other commodities. The world over, some of the most iconic dishes have been the outcome of innovation during troublesome times. I assume everyone here has tasted Nutella, at least I am a huge fan of its mouth-watering taste and amazing texture. Nutella, the world’s most popular/favourite chocolate spread was invented in Italy during World War II when chocolate was tough to come by but Hazelnuts were abundant in Piedmont and the farmers did not even know what to prepare with them. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry chef mix the ingredients together perfected his recipe and this is how the tale of the iconic Nutella started.

“Originally, Nutella® was a smart solution to a tricky problem: the shortage of cocoa supplies following World War II”.

In India, Rava Idli invented at Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) at the time of World War II. Due to the shortage of rice, the cooks at MTR replaced it with semolina and served to the customers which came to be a huge hit. Rava Idli also came out to be the healthier version of the normal kind ( one made from rice )  with added veggies in the batter.

 Talking about food invention how we can miss, all-time favorite the legendary butter chicken… I don’t know about you but I am already hungry and the history of butter chicken is as amazing as its taste. The dish was introduced in 1947 by the owners of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India. Post-partition, the dish was made “by chance” by combining leftover, dried out chunks of tandoori chicken in tomato curry, rich in butter and cream to feed the refugees. Also, in 1974 a recipe was issued for “Murgh Makhani (Tandoori chicken cooked in butter and tomato sauce)”.

The pandemic too is witnessing chefs revolving out clever flavors and reinventing classics as well as street dishes to reduce the tedium of dining at home. During the pandemic, some of the most ordered food dishes in India are obviously the chicken biryani, Chinese food which is not so Chinese ( desi) and rolls whether it is the iconic Kathi rolls or one those rapped in Rumali roti (flatbread).

How some food is customized to be delivery friendly

Tandoori Roti (Indian bread)

Have you ever ordered a tandoori roti at home and got a chewy not so tasty rubbery bread instead. Many of us have faced this extremely disgusting situation when you are so ready to eat your ordered meal but your bread turns out to be rubber. Parat, a restaurant situated in Gurugram India had found a perfect solution for the same. They introduced sourdough which stops the delicious tandoori rotis’ to get chewy while delivering.

Rumali roti rolls (Stuffed Flare Bread)

Rumali roti is immensely popular in India. There is a variety of ways to have it, eat it with curry, I love to have it with chaap and tandoori mushrooms, and nowadays Rumali roti is being used as the main cover of your favourite rolls. Rumali roti is generally made up of all-purpose flour and cooked on the high flame on an inverted kadhai ( huge pan ) problem with Rumali Rotis is also the same as tandoori ones, they got soggy and tasteless during deliveries but as we know every problem has a solution restaurant start grilling the whole roll on open coals in order to make them crispier so that the most loved rolls don’t lose its taste.

Must Eat 

There is a restaurant in CP named Veda Dhaba who prepares its food in Vedic style. There are not many restaurants you’ll hear about using Vedic methods and ingredients to cook food and that too 100% veg. Most of the food is prepared in handi (clay pots) with khada masalas ( roasted in-house ) and prepared in desi ghee ( clarified butter ). They make their own white butter and ice cream kulfi too. Extensive use of herbs and herbal plant-based dishes are their specialty. Keeping in mind the recent pandemic, they have started using UV sanitization boxes indigenously made by the students of IIT-Ropar to sanitize their cutlery. They also strictly follow all the safety protocols. The main attraction of the restaurant which came out in the pandemic is that the herb-rich food they serve actually acts as an immunity booster and so is not only good for your taste buds but for your health too. Chyavanprash ice-cream, Bajra naan, and Herb Raita are some of the dishes to look for.

All of us are familiar with Barbeque-Nation. The tandoor rich barbeque, a variety of sweet dishes, and a great dining experience. The main attraction we Indians go there after fasting the whole day is unlimited food. Now, who would have thought that they would bring the barbeque experience to our doorstep in the corona times? But here they come with their boxes, BARBEQUE IN A BOX available both in veg and non-veg. 

Access to food is a fundamental human right, vital for high-grade health, and ultimately for life itself. We should always value food and never waste it. Fact 1 of every 20 children sleeps hungry on our planet at least save valuable food for them. 

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