Go Seasonal -- Chef Kunal Kapur

Go Seasonal -- By Chef Kunal Kapur                       

The free will to choose to eat whatever whenever has become a part of us and it is very hard to move away from the habbit. The new generation is close to loosing the concept of eating as per seasonal availability. But the question that strikes at this point of time is, How Does it Benefit by Going Seasonal?

But before I try and answer this let me ask you a question. What color is a Carrot? You probably would answer it an Orange or a Red, because we tend to see both the carrots in our daily vegetable markets. The orange ones round the year and the red ones between Novembwr till February. But the difference between both the carrots holds the answer to my question. The orange carrots are the non seasonal ones that are dry, hard and almost no flavour of carrots, whereas the Seaconal red Variety is sweet, juicy and has deep carrot flavour. Rest assured if you do not believe me try making gajjar ka halwa at home with both the varieties and the red carrots will win hands down. Or simply munch on the raw ones you will know.

Few weeks back I on my usual visit to the fruit market I saw nice looking oranges. WOW Oranges in the middle of the summer!!!!! It was a jaw drop moment for me as I have fond memories of eating napur oranges basking in the winter sun. the first thought was they must be imported oranges, cannot be the local variety. But they looked like the real “Nagpuri Santara” and upon enquiring the fruit seller proudly said that they are local oranges that are grown in special green houses. The taste was no where close to the seasonal twin and the price was 4 times the normal that I am used to buy. Question is Should I Buy?

The answer is actually quite simple, Every season Nature bestows us with a bounty that is in harmony with the weather and is best suited for the body. A lot of times we fail to understand our allergies and changes in our bidy and we almost fail to connect to the fact that it can be based out of not eating seasonally. Though this might not always hold true but the scientific evidence proves that our bodies benefit most by going eith seasonal produce.

Another benefit of going seasonal is that it brings you out of boredom. Often we visit a fancy restaurant with menu running into pages and yet we fail to decide what to eat. You order, you order is the buzz we encounter. Seasonal availability drives up the want of certain fruit or vegetables that you wait for them to be seen in your market and then at your favourite restaurant. There is no joy of getting exposed to all the produce all the time, there is no fun in it. The joy of waiting for winters to savour sarson da saag is incomparable, or the first sip of Aam Panna on a hot summer day is a pure pleasure.

Going seasonal ensures that you savour maximum taste of the available fruit or vegetable. Taste is guided not only by how strong the recipe is but also when the produce was harvested, which region, how much distance produce travelled, what were the storage conditions and what kind of pesticides or chemicals used for its longevity. All these factors play an important role in getting the taste right out of the simplest of ingredients. Sometimes you might wonder why apples don’t taste like apple anymore, or strawberries are way too sour or the green peas are not sweet anymore. Probably because they are not seasonal.

Going seasonal at same time it is lighter on your wallet. It’s a simple math, the more the supply the cheaper is the price. And then again the produce is cheaper, fresh and wholesome.

I am a die hard foodie and good produce excites me like nothing else. I have deep respect for locally grown organic seasonal produce. Also because purchasing as per season from in and around your locality boosts the local farming and hence gives a push to the local econo,y as well. It is a truth when we see that most of the farmlands are now giving way to swanky offices and malls is because there is a very low demand of seasonal produce. Procuring locally helps in lowering the carbon foot prints and encourages farmers to keep using their farms for agriculture.

An arrival of a season was always best known by the change in the weather and it got even more established by the call of the fruit and vegetable vendor calling out loud on the streets. Summers were calling for “Khatte meeethae Falsae” Indian bseasonal Berry), Closer to monsoons had earthy smell of “Challi” (roasted Corn) and winters about Roasted “Shakarkandi” (Sweet potato). And what really would establish the season are the conversations about whats seasoonally available now. Personally I like t boast about savoring seasons 1st produce of mangoes, I love them!!!!

But all of this is slowly fading away as we get what we want any time of the year, it is finally up to us to decide what to have and excatly when to have.

This summer cool yourself with Kala Khatta made from the abundant and very cheap “Jamuns”

Kala khatta (makes 3 glasses)

Ingredients

Jamuns – 500 gms

Salt – to taste

Black salt – to taste

Roasted cumin crushed – 1 tbl spn

Black pepper pwd – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 3 tbl spn

Sugar – 5 tbl spn

Water – 500ml

Method

Slit the jamuns and put them in a pan. Add water and bring it to a boil. Now simmer and add salt, black salt, crushed roasted cumin, black pepper pwd and sugar. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from fire and allow cooling. Now strain and mash all the pulp. Add the lemon juice. Check again for sweetness and salt and correct accordingly. Refrigerate and drink.