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This monsoon season, chefs say go big on stone fruits in desserts, savouries and cocktails
The markets are flooded with stone fruits like plums, cherries, lychees, apricots and more. Use these seasonal fruits in all your culinary creations
As Indians welcome the monsoon, it brings with it a bounty of seasonal goodies, especially stone fruits. From the juicy peaches and tart cherries to the sweet lychees and golden apricots, the markets are abounding in drupes, which are fruits with a pit surrounded by flesh exteriors. While desserts, jams and chutneys might seem like a no-brainer, these fruits can play a dual role in savoury dishes as well. Chefs from all over India share how they use these fruits.
Sweet li’l touch
Whether is it a plum tart, a black forest cake topped with cherries, or a fruity sorbet, there are umpteen ways to use stone fruits in desserts. For Chef Shyam Prasad Pandey at URU Brewpark, Bengaluru, “These fruits not only add a burst of colour and flavour but there is something incredibly refreshing about incorporating stone fruits into desserts. They are vibrant and have a juicy freshness to them that can elevate a simple dessert.”
For Chef Hanoze Shroff, Elephant & Co and Juju, Pune, she likes to simply use nectarines and apricots by poaching them and then serving them with custard and vanilla ice cream. Cherries pair well with chocolate-based desserts, and Sly Granny in Delhi, has a Cocoa Ganache with Sour Cherry Ice Cream and Phalsa Compote, which is a decadent treat.
Serving up the classic, Chef Nishant Diwakar from Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa, has a Peach Cobbler served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the French dessert - cherry Clafoutis - made with cherries baked in a custard-like batter, on his menu. “We make a Litchi Sorbet for those who want a light refreshing dessert. It is made with pureed fresh litchis. We also use Jamuns to make a Jam, which we use to spread on sandwiches, toasts, or as a filling for pastries,” he says.
Savoury-scape
It is not uncommon to use fruits in savoury dishes as they add a natural sweetness to balance out the flavours. Chef Rahul Punjabi at Akina, Mumbai, has married plums with pork belly. “We dry brine the plums with salt and shiso leaves to make a traditional Japanese condiment known as Umeboshi, which has a natural tart, sweet and saline flavour, and is made into a master stock. The Umeboshi pork is paired with housemade beetroot ketchup and beetroot crisps.”
One of the simple yet best way to enjoy the bounty of the seasonal stone fruits is by making a delicious salad like Trattoria Hugo, Hauz Khas, Delhi, who dishes a Ferro Salad featuring cherries on a bed of leafy greens, while the Brûléed Goat cheese well takes centre stage. The entire salad is topped with basil oil to balance out the flavours. Chef Hanoze Shroff from Elephant & Co and Juju in Pune says, “Don’t be afraid of using the slightly unheard of raw green almond fruit in salads”, while Chef Nishant Diwakar from Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa, suggests the classic Grilled Peach Salad that is paired with arugula, goat cheese, and a balsamic glaze. “You can also make apricot chicken to serve at dinner by cooking the chicken thighs with apricots, onions, and spices, creating a sweet and savoury dish,” says Chef Diwakar.
“During the monsoons, stone fruits are in their prime, bursting with flavour and are versatile in their use,” says Pavan Kumar, Executive Chef at Casanoni, Goa, who proposes a sandwich made with Ciabatta bread that’s spread with whipped gorgonzola and herring, watercress leaves and poached Cherries.
Mango fever
With the last of the season’s mangoes, DHABA Estd 1986 in Aerocity, New Delhi, is serving up an Aamras Lassi, where ripe mangoes meet creamy lassi. They also have a mango kheer, which is a cold rice pudding with condensed milk with fresh mango puree mixed into it and topped with more mango chunks. At Mamagoto, Thailand’s popular dessert, Mango Sticky Rice, features on the menu. The creamy coconut-infused sticky rice is topped with juicy mango slices.
Healthy is wealthy
As the season changes, so do the fruits and vegetables that appear in our market. The best way to live a wholesome healthy life is by eating seasonal. After all, there is a reason why certain produce are available at a specific time of the year.
With a focus on wellness and eating right, Aman Islam, Executive Chef, Niraamaya Wellness Retreats, Kovalam, Kerala, says, “I have been incorporating stone fruits into both sweet and savoury dishes in the monsoon season, and one particularly interesting dish on our menu is the Monsoon Plum Chutney. It is served along with Paneer tikka, papad and Bhindi Jaipuri.” Roast the plums, rich in vitamins C and K, potassium, fibre, and copper, in the oven for a smokier flavour.
A salad screams ‘healthy’ with an abundance of leafy, fresh fruits, veggies and proteins. Delighting his patrons with a tasty, Chef Rajesh Roy, Executive Chef, The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru, worked on a grilled nectarine and arugula salad with asparagus, ricotta cheese and pickled shallots. Calling the grilled nectarines “this season’s star”, Chef Roy says, “A vibrant salad with a perfect blend of textures and tastes - sweet, smoky nectarines mingled with crisp asparagus, tangy pickled shallots and the peppery kick of arugula. The salty ricotta adds a touch of creamy richness.”
Cocktail glamour
Cherries are the quintessential garnish for most of the classic cocktails such as bourbon-based Old Fashioned or The Manhattan made with whiskey. Playing on this nostalgia, People of Tomorrow in Vasant Vihar, Delhi, has created The Miraflores named after a district in Lima, Peru. It is a delightful concoction that combines the flavours of Pisco, cream sherry, martini rosso and Luxardo Maraschino cherry with citrusy, sweet and herbal notes. The cherries are packed in a thick sugary sweet syrup and act as a great substitute for simple syrup.
With the hype around K-pop bleeding into every corner of the culinary world, The Squid Tower at Mamagoto is a tantalizing drink with a mix of tequila and rosemary syrup, along with tender plum chunks, perfectly balanced with the tang of pomegranate and lime.
