Summer Vine

There is reason to cheer,even though the mercury is steadily climbing and the heat wave is driving you insane. An instant perk up could be a bowlful of jumbo prawns curled in a tangy mango curry,or chicken spiked with sweet melons. Popular fruits in Delhi every summer like mangoes,lychees and melons are being given a makeover. Some chefs are stirring them into your main course,to come up with unusual and sumptuous dishes.

“Fruits make a good base for dishes as they are naturally sweet and sour,” says Chef Aditya Jaimini of Fire,the restaurant at The Park,New Delhi. “Fruits with firm textures,like mangoes and apples are easy to work on. While chicken gels with mango and orange,pork goes best with apples and pineapple.” Fire has a long list of summer specials: if you’re feeling adventurous try the Mango and Banana Stem salad and Mango Rasam. At The Yum Yum Tree in New Friends Colony Community Centre,nature’s bounty has a special place in the kitchen. For the summer,the restaurant is infusing fruits into its curries and grills. On offer is a tangy bowl of Mango Chicken with Chillies and the Green Thai Curry makes an appearance on the table decorated with cherry tomatoes and green grapes. For those who love lychees,there is crispy fried pork served with a sweet and sour sauce made with pineapples and lychees. “For Mango Chicken,we are using Safeda mango which is available at every fruit shop in the city. People are enjoying these fruit-based dishes,” says Yum Yum Tree owner Varun Tuli.

The ongoing Summer Food Festival at The Baywatch at Sheraton Hotel in Saket is abuzz with some curious combinations of meats and fruits. There is Phalse ka Murg with a sour flavour and a visually appealing red-hued curry and there is Jamun Gosht which is sprinkled with fresh slivers of the fruit. “Sometimes it gets tedious to pair fruits with main course Indian dishes. We have to be careful because fruit are fragile and can go bad easily,” says Chef Anuj Sood of The Sheraton. “We experimented with Kharbooza ka Meat recently. To bring out the subtle flavour of the fruit,we added a scoop of fresh fruit puree just before serving it. It added a subtle yet distinctive flavour to the dish.”

It certainly isn’t the right weather to venture out for brunch,but the spread at Ai in MGF Mall almost makes it worth it. Their Table Brunch menu offers an eight course meal at Rs 999 (plus taxes) and the menu lists a selection of light summery recipes. There is Jasmine and tomato tea consommé and Chilled melon soup to begin your meal,and the restaurant will also wheel in a fresh fruit cart with sorbets flavoured with

Japanese lemon,mango and orange. Similarly,at Chutney and Patio at Metropolitan Hotel,the menu has its own variety of seasonal bounty like a kebab platter with smoked pears,plums and pineapples,and prawns in mango curry.

For details,call:
The Yum Yum Tree: 42602020
Ai: 40654567
Fire,The Park: 23743000
Chutney,The Metropolitan Hotel: 42500300
Baywatch,Sheraton Hotel: 011-42661122