Chef Aditi Dixit, CYK Hospitality’s culinary mastermind, is known for her innovative approach to gastronomy. Passionate about creating exquisite dishes that tantalize the taste buds, Chef Dixit takes the dining experience to new heights. Chef Aditi Dixit talks about Navaratra’s cuisine.excerpt
What trends have you seen in Navratri cuisine in recent years, especially in response to increased health consciousness and desire for innovative cuisine?
Several notable trends have emerged in Navratri cuisine in recent years, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. These trends are primarily driven by increased awareness of health considerations and a desire for culinary innovation.
One key trend concerns the use of healthier ingredients, with a marked shift from refined wheat flour to alternatives such as buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, kuttu flour, and water chestnut flour. These alternatives are gluten-free and often considered a healthier option, making them popular among health-conscious people.
Additionally, there is increasing adoption of low-oil cooking techniques to reduce overall calorie intake and create lighter meals. Techniques like baking, steaming and air frying have become the preferred methods during Navratri to suit health conscious dietary preferences.
What are the benefits of Navratri cuisine and what challenges do you face in creating a healthy and delicious menu within the limits of ingredients?
Navratri fasting has several benefits if approached carefully. Encourage the intake of a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dairy products to promote absorption of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, Navratri fasting emphasizes fluid intake such as water, coconut water, and herbal teas, which aid in hydration and overall health. For many people, Navratri fasting can also help with weight management by emphasizing light, plant-based foods and avoiding processed and high-calorie foods.
However, creating a healthy and flavorful Navratri menu comes with its challenges. Fasting during Navratri imposes restrictions on certain ingredients such as grains, pulses, onions, garlic and common spices, requiring creativity in utilizing alternative ingredients without compromising taste or nutrition. Additionally, traditional protein sources such as lentils and beans have limitations, so maintaining a balanced nutritional profile, especially protein intake, can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to increase your intake of dairy products, nuts, seeds, and plant proteins. Additionally, accommodating individual allergies, intolerances, and dietary preferences adds an additional layer of complexity when designing menus to accommodate the diverse population practicing Navratri fasting.
Can you share with us one of the most unique and popular Navratri dishes you have cooked recently?
surely! We recently introduced an extensive Navratri menu featuring innovative dishes such as Sweet Potato and Amaranth Kebabs, Vegan Millet Tikki, Arbithuk Chaat, Hasselback Aloo Chaat, Paan Rose Lassi, and Kesar Pista Lassi. Among these products, sweet potato and amaranth kebabs stand out for their unique and versatile flavor. It’s a big hit among our regular customers and a personal favorite of mine as well.
What are the most versatile ingredients in Navratri cuisine?
For me personally, sabudana, also known as tapioca pearls or sago, is an incredibly versatile ingredient commonly used during Navratri fasting. Its adaptability makes it suitable for a myriad of popular dishes such as sabudana khichdi, thalipeeth, kheer, vada, salads, chiuda, papad, etc., making it an essential part of Navratri cuisine.
