Dressing it right

Going Green seems to have become a part of the new age lingo,with environment-friendly cars and gadgets,ever-increasing greenhouse gases and organic living making waves the world round.

Whether as a means to escape the heat,or a healthy option,salads are becoming a staple addition to meals for the urban population

Going Green seems to have become a part of the new age lingo,with environment-friendly cars and gadgets,ever-increasing greenhouse gases and organic living making waves the world round. In such a day,though an ancient part of our diet,the original greens- salads- are still going strong.

May,being the national salad month,is another reason to celebrate the various benefits of salads and start eating healthy if the idea hasn’t appealed to people already. Traditionally prepared with crisp green vegetables,today salad recipes include yogurt,fresh fruits,pasta and even seafood. Satyen Tajne,Executive Chef at Not Just Jazz By The Bay,says,”The salad bar is extremely popular amongst our patrons. We have both vegetarian salads like the Russian and American corn salad as well as the non-vegetarian varieties like tuna,salami and chicken.” Tajne thinks that rising health-consciousness and the non-fussy recipes for preparing salads are a few reasons why it is gaining popularity.

A salad comprises of leafy vegetables such as lettuce varieties (which are low in calories),fresh and raw vegetables,dressings (which gives the salad moistness and taste),and garnishing (to increase appeal). Apart from being easy on the stomach,salads also provide myriad other health benefits by providing the body with much needed fibre which assists effortless digestion,and a high level of antioxidants as well. Aarati Pillai,a clinical nutritionalist,says,”Uncooked vegetables in salads provide us with most of the required nutrients like vitamins and minerals and are beneficial for people with diabetes as it lowers the blood sugar after every meal. Salads should preferably be consumed at the beginning of the meal as it gives a feeling of satiety which helps people that are trying to lose weight.”

Eating salads is especially important during the summer months to help keep the heat at bay and remain cool. Salads act as an appetizer,are healthy and nearly fat free. Nikheel Shirodkar,executive chef at the Ibis Hotel,swears by the health benefits of salads and says,” Eating salads has become the latest diet fad,especially amongst youngsters who want something light and easy to prepare but filling at the same time.”

While some restaurants have an open salad bar,there are only a handful of places where fresh salad leaves are available for sale. Green Tokri is one such farm located in the south of Pune at Saswad. Marie Cabanis who in charge of the marketing,sales and communication at Green Tokri says,”We specialise in growing different types of lettuce like Iceberg and Romana as well as fresh herbs like Basil,Parsley,Thyme and Rosemary.” The Green Tokri also organises several salad making and salad and wine tasting events across the city.

Sweet Lemon dressing

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar powder

Pinch of crushed black pepper

Pinch of salt

A little fresh basil

Mint leaves,finely chopped

Method: Mix thoroughly. This dressing contains no oil,so it’s healthy.

Salad Cream

Ingredients:

200 g fresh cream