Foods that heal, on the menu

When eating right can help you ward off heart disease cancer and other ailments why would you eat anything else anywayu00a0In his kitchen Amit Bhatia incharge of the kitchen at Cafeacute Sundance in Churchgate takes this thought very seriously Bhatia who is planning a menu overhaul over the next months says he plans to give superfoods mdash foods known for their high antioxidant vitamin and omega 3 levels and ideal to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease mdash their longdeserved place in his kitchenu00a0 Cafeacute Sundancersquos Chef Amit Bhatia puts finishing touches tou00a0the Chicken Breast Stuffed with Barley A super menu ldquoI am testing recipes which include black garlic artichoke and hemp seeds Hemp seeds are fantastic for vegetarians They are very rich in omega 3 fatty acids which are alternatively found only in salmon They are also very high in protein and are a great replacement for eggs Irsquom planning to use hemp seeds in breads or serve them in breakfast granola bars with a portion of yoghurtrdquo reveals Bhatia PicsBipin Kokate u00a0 Black garlic he adds is extremely popular overseas ldquoIt is made by fermenting garlic so that it loses its pungent flavour But it retains the cancerfighting qualities that garlic hasrdquo assures Bhatia who plans to serve it with linguine Barley which is already on the menu at Cafe Sundance is served stuffed in a chicken breast Although most patrons arenrsquot aware of superfoods the dish remains very popular ldquoNot many people in the city know of the concept yet but I know that it is the future of the industryrdquo says Bhatia The fact that most superfoods tend to add bursts of flavour to your food is likely to help its popularity over others he believes A growing number of chefs and food experts in Mumbai are taking note of superfoods ldquoNot only do superfoods help preserve your health but also have healing properties against chronic illnessesrdquo informs Dr Nandita Desai a Juhubased trained chef from Cordon Bleu who is currently working on a book on healthy recipes Desai has reserved a spot for superfoods in her book which will be out later this year Testing new waters Bhatia and Desai arenrsquot the only ones who will experiment with superfoods and introduce their patrons to the benefits Chef Vicky Ratnani Aurus says ldquoEveryone wants to eat healthy and going the superfoods way is beneficial because of the emphasis on antioxidants fibre and low caloriesrdquo Ratnani who is trying to look for newer more innovative ways to incorporate superfoods to his menu this year started by serving Cous Cous Crusted Cottage Cheese Risotto with Barley Seeds and Legumes and Sweet Potato Fries replacing regular potatoes with sweet potato a superfood at Aurus since last December ldquoBy midJanuary the menu will include a seven sprouted legume salad sunflower seeds and quinoardquo he says39 Cous Cous Crusted Cottage Cheese served at Aurus in Juhu Eating right mdash out of a packet Health coach Seema Jindal who runs Nourish Organics is also a firm believer in the concept of superfoods ldquoI was first introduced to the concept when my grandmother and her sister were both diagnosed with cancer about five or six years ago The doctor recommended they eat nutritious food but it was my sisterinlaw in the US who told me about superfoodsrdquo says Jindal who was struck by the idea of a single ingredient providing more than one type of nutritionu00a0In 2008 she set up Nourish Organics in New Delhi Her readytoeat product range which includes amaranth cookies onion poha and an omega seed mix only uses superfoods Early last year Jindal introduced her product range at retail outlets in Mumbaiu00a0 To cook or not to cook Ellipsis Chef Kevin Cheung also plans to redesign his menu to introduce pomegranate seeds amaranth fresh berries and cous cous He says the most popular dish on the current menu mdash the Caprese Salad mdash happens to be full of superfoods too ldquoWhile tomatoes can be termed a superfood I use heirloom tomatoes grown without hormones or steroids which make them healthierrdquo says Cheung who studied superfoods ldquoback in culinary school in 2002rdquou00a0Cheung also uses blueberries mdash known for their antioxidant properties ldquoI know that serving them as a dessert in Blueberry Cheesecake takes away all the nutritive qualities So I want to find a way of serving these berries differentlyrdquo he saysu00a0 While most veggies are more nutritious when eaten raw some improve on cooking ldquoEating cooked spinach is far better as it gives you more iron as opposed to when it is eaten raw So if yoursquore eating raw spinach salad it is like consuming waterrdquo laughs Cheungu00a0ldquoTomatoes are also better for the body when they are cookedrdquo adds homeopath Dr Lubina Mohammed who often suggests a combination of superfoods to patients undergoing chemotherapy Catch 22 Mohammed however is wary of using the term superfoods ldquoThe term is a little disturbing because even centuries ago Ayurveda prescribed several of these foods So if yoursquore talking about eating blueberries which arenrsquot locally grown as superfoods it is certainly a marketing gimmickrdquo she says Having said that she agrees that grains vegetables and fruits readily available in the market have therapeutic properties that fit in perfectly with the concept of superfoods ldquoThese antioxidantrich foods help rid the body of toxins that may be the cause of chronic illnessesrdquo she adds ldquoSuperfood grains such as ragi and jowar are easily availablerdquo adds Desai who enjoys eating the superfoodrich Quinoa Burger at Yoga House in Bandra ldquoIt is a myth that superfoods are a foreign concept mdash cheap local and easily accessible food work just as wellrdquo Chef Mayank Tiwari Olive Mahalaxmi seconds these opinions about local produce While he predicts superfoods as being the ldquonext big thingrdquo in the city he prefers to concentrate on procuring ingredients grown within the 50mile radius ldquoIt is a Catch 22 situation These foods are undoubtedly nutritious I cannot call it a marketing gimmick but Irsquom not sure if itrsquos the only food philosophy to followrdquo concludes Tiwariu00a0 What are superfoods There is no official definition of the term but most nutritionists agree that superfoods are rich in antioxidants vitamins and Omega 3 According to Nandita Desai often one superfood can offer the nutritive value of five regular foods and have properties that can reverse lifestyle diseases Cocoa spinach tomatoes garlic and grains like bajra and ragi are perfect examples How it all began Torontobased Superfood Chef Michelle Hunter who has been studying medicinal plants and healing foods since 2007 tells us that the concept was first introduced in Los Angeles California ldquoSuperfoods and the associated raw vegan cuisine became the most popular in Los Angeles and in New York in response to the high quality foods sought after by healthconscious Hollywood starsrdquo she saysu00a0The concept ldquois an offshoot of Gerson therapyrdquo and came about as a ldquoresponse to the resulting ill health of the American population who have lived on the products of large industrialised processed food products for half a centuryrdquo Superfoods are the opposite she says ldquoThey are not processed or high temperature heated nondenatured chemicalfree high in antioxidant ratios and many possess the qualities of medicinal plantsrdquo u00a0