Mumbai's restaurant menus offering quirky dishes with flowers!

While planning a summer brunch with riends Ayushi Shah dessert chef and owner of Icing On Top decided to experiment and added the fragrant dianthus to a cinnamon spritzer and elderflower to a cocktail Adding to the heady experience Shah tried to mix lavender and pansies in butter and geranium in cream cheese Excited with the results the innovative chef will launch a new menu featuring edible flower desserts from next week ldquoWorking with flowers is quite easy once you understand the flavours From sweet and bitter to light peppery and citrusey flowers present a range of tastesrdquo informs ShahLotus On Fire served at Yuuka uses a mix of calendula viola and nasturtium flowersTake the garden routeDid you known that Chartreuse a classic green liqueur developed in France in the seventeenth century boasts of carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients The culinary use of flowers can be traced back to Chinese Greek and Romans who used them in numerous recipes Many traditional Indian recipes have also mentioned the use of tamarind flower and rose petalsDianthus imparts clovelike spiciness to this bubbly Dianthus and Cinnamon Spritzer part of Icing On Toprsquos new edible flower dessert menu PicDatta KumbharHowever itrsquos only of late that wersquove noticed exotic varieties being used in dishes across cuisines reveals chef Ting Yen of Yuuka who uses a mix of marigold viola and nasturtium in salmon and duck dishes served at the Lower Parelbased modern Japanese restaurant ldquoThe use of edible flowers in their current form goes back to the 1990s when a few of my contemporaries were experimenting with it But in recent times you see them being used across restaurant and cuisine styles Itrsquos a promising trend that lends itself to chefs spending time growing their own flowerbeds and even foraging It also suggests that smaller restaurants are paying attention to taste profiles and platingrdquo he believesBlue cornflower petals in Tandoori Paneer Barrels Chilly Pickle Cream Fresh Fenugreek Crisp and Pav Bhaji add to the sensory experience served at Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra PicSatyajit DesaiAt The Taj Mahal Palacersquos Wasabi by Morimoto the violet hanaho and murame make their way from Tokyo into the Assorted Sashimi dish ldquoThe use of flowers is not restricted to garnish as they are also used to influence the aromas and taste of a cuisine For instance the soury undertones of hanaho and murame match up the umami flavour of the sashimirdquo informs chef Amit ChowdhuryNo wonder chef Nidhi Behl actually blends a mix of seasonal flowers into the pesto gravy with gnocci and pasta thatrsquos served at the Mediterraneanthemed Byblos Kitchen Bar ldquoFlowers in a desert cuisine are the ultimate motif of luxury Besides adding colour to a salad or to finish a dish they also have a distinctive pleasurable mouthfeelrdquo she mentionsIxora cream cheese frosting on vanilla cupcakes at Icing On Top PicDatta KumbharNot just a fadFor city chefs itrsquos not just about plucking a petal and adding it to the plate While Behl visited Ayurvedic botanical farms to learn about the medicinal properties of the flowers she was using Yen tasted lots of flowers before figuring out the ones that complement his cooking styleThough the tiny petals of blue cornflower mdash specially imported from Holland mdash only make a stray appearance on Tandoori Paneer Barrels served at Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra it perks up the smoky cottage cheese ldquoWe have done extensive study behind the cuisine that we serve and during the process of developing it we got exposed to numerous edible variety of flowers We introduced flowers in the dishes for holistic sensory experience not as a mere fadrdquo elaborates Chef Saurabh Udinia Chef de Cuisine Modern Indian Cuisine Massive Restaurants Pvt LtdGet it rightWhile flowers lend themselves to most cuisines one needs to be careful about the quantities ldquoNot all flowers are edible and at times even edible flowers may cause indigestion or allergic reactions if eaten in large amounts I always suggest easytomanage varieties like rose marigold and hibiscus to begin withrdquo elaborates Linesh Pillai Managing Director Terra Farms India who provides expertise to farms like The Farmhouse Company from where many eateries including La Folie and Icing On Top source their edible flowersldquoIf the flower is too fragrant it is best to use it in smaller portions Also its coloured bits taste better than the inside whites which are usually bitterrdquo says Shah Yen adds ldquoThe dish cannot be too dense For example using flowers wonrsquot add value to spiced curries and kebabs Instead use them with thinly sliced meatseafood Using edible flowers must accentuate the overall dish They should be used delicately mdash do not overwhelm the plate and get carried away by their beautiful coloursrdquoFor your edible flower fixgtgt Relish nasturtium in Tandoori Guchchi pansies in Besan Cheela Cannelloni marigold in Sarson Ka Saag Galawat Kebab etcAt Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra BKCgtgt Get a taste of marigold viola and nasturtium in dishes like Salmon on Fire Salmon Truffle Moullard Duck Breast Salmon Crudo and Lotus on FireAt Yuuka Lower ParelSalmon on Fire with crispy shallots citrus ponzu and raspberry gastrique along with edible flowers like calendula marigold viola and nasturtium flowersgtgt Taste marigold strawberry blossoms mustard blossoms nasturtium blossoms pansies lavender blue chive flowers in Edible Flower Pesto with Gnocci or Pasta Special Edible Flower Salad Drunken Passion Fruit Iced Tea and Deconstructed Feta CheesecakeAt Byblos Kitchen Bar Lower ParelEdible Fower Salad with Citrus Vinagrette at Byblos Kitchen Bar PicSayed Sameer AbediDrunken Passion Fruit Iced Tea with Edible Flower Garnish PicSayed Sameer Abedigtgt Yum Woon Sen a spicy salad with glass noodleswheat protein chicken and prawn options comes garnished with petunia and passion flower petalsAt Oh Cha Lower ParelYum Woon Sen a spicy salad with glass noodles with wheat protein chicken and prawn options comes garnished with petunia and passion flower petals served at Lower Parelrsquos Oh Chagtgt Choose from Petunia Cream Cheese Ixora Cream Cheese Plum Mango Lemonade and Dianthus and Cinnamon SpritzerFrom June 27At Icing On Top Kemps Corner Call 9867013315order 48 hours in advancePetunia Cream Cheese flavoured with mildlyspicy petunia petals paired with butterflavoured waffle cookies is part of Icing On Toprsquos new edible flower dessert menu PicDatta Kumbhargtgt Experience exotic flavours of hanaho and murame in Assorted Sashimi with Edible FlowersAt Wasabi by Morimoto at The Taj Mahal Palace Colabagtgt Calendula marigold Also known as Poor Manrsquos Saffron the sharp taste of calendula resembles saffron Flavours range from spicy to bitter tangy to peppery Petals also add a yellow tint to the dish Sprinkle them on soups pasta or rice dishes herb butters and salads Rich in vitamin C the flower also aids digestion reduce fevers and stimulate the immune systemgtgtCarnations and Dianthus The sweet petals once trimmed away from the base can be steeped in wine candy or used as cake decoration Dianthus the miniature member of the carnation family has light clovelike or nutmeglike tastegtgtHibiscus With vibrant cranberry flavour it is used in hibiscus tea However avoid using it in large quantities due to its overbearing tartly taste High on antioxidants it helps prevent cholesterol depositsChef Nidhi Behl makes a pesto gravy with edible flowers in centre bowl on black plate for Edible Flower Pesto with Gnocci or Pasta PicSayed Sameer AbedigtgtNasturtium One of the most popular edible flowers and rich in vitamin C nasturtium blossoms start with a burst of sweet floral flavour and a spicy pepper aftertaste Either stuff whole flowers with savoury mousse or add to salads Use entire flowers to garnish platters salads cheese tortas openfaced sandwiches and savoury appetisersgtgtBegonia The blossoms have a citrussour taste and the petals are used in salads and as a garnish Their stems can be used in place of rhubarbgtgtGladiolus With a nondescript flavour vaguely like lettuce it can be added to sweet or savoury spreads or mousses Toss individual petals in salads or cook it like a day lilygtgtChive Blossoms Its florets are used to add light onion flavour and aroma to the dishgtgtGarlic Blossoms With white or pink flowers the blossoms are milder than the bulb yet provide that pungent zing to your saladgtgtChrysanthemums When combined with shiitake and mackerel they help enrich the blood and combat ageing and stress The same when combined with Wakameseaweed or ginger helps combat musclebody swelling and helps lower blood pressuregtgt The Borage flower It adds real cucumber taste to a dish and goes well with fish crab and lobstersmdash Inputs from Linesh Pillai Managing Director Terra Farms India Chef Amit Chowdhury Wasabi by Morimoto and Chef Nidhi Behl Byblos Kitchen Bar