Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Hay cooking is an ancient technique that has its origins in the villages of Goa. Primarily an outdoor procedure, it involves wrapping the ingredients in a banana leaf, or silver foil, and putting it under a bundle of hay and setting the bundle on fire. The method is employed especially while cooking sardines, a popular sea food choice in Goa, and mackerel, crab, lobster, prawns and vegetables like cauliflower, mushroom and baby potato. In contemporary times, hay cooking has turned into a fun outdoor activity, typical to hiking camps. But, as chef Rohan D'Souza of Juhu restobar, Estella, says, the method can be tweaked for the indoors as well.