Bring out your inner Master Chef

The second wave of COVID-19 has once again brought home cooking into focus. New food trends are emerging, with the emphasis on healthy eating

Just when we thought the worst was over, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is giving us a feeling of déjà vu. While last year, it was Dalgona Coffee and Banana Bread which went viral among food enthusiasts and home cooks, this year a lot of food items are trending.

MATCHA MAGIC:

For Mumbai-based communication specialist, Ankita Chomal, Matcha is the new Dalgona Coffee. While working from home during the ongoing pandemic, she realized that she was consuming 3-4 cups of coffee every day, which affected her sleep cycle. She says, “I had to find some healthier alternative to coffee. Finally, after a lot of research, I discovered Matcha, a premium green tea powder from Japan, which is also called a healthy espresso of green tea. With Matcha, you consume the full leaf, and thus the full nutritional benefits, in only a few sips.”

Ankita says Matcha is also believed to enhance antioxidant activity, support metabolism, and promote energy and alertness. “It is an extremely versatile ingredient. I loved the traditional process of preparing it in the morning, and more importantly, how it made me feel. My skin was vibrant. My energy levels were more stable,” she says. Sharing that she usually makes a Matcha latte, she says, “next I am going to try some smoothies which are now trending on social media.”

MICRO MEALS:

The idea

of

cooking

fresh food and consuming it immediately is back, as people have ample time to prepare meals during the lockdown. However, small meals instead of elaborate ones is the emerging trend.

“I believe that 2021 will be all about indigenous food and micro cuisines. For example, we will see a trend where eating healthy local food items will be quite popular,” says Sandeep Pande, executive chef at JW Marriott New Delhi. “Easy-to-make and digestible oats in various avatars and immunity boosters are going to be a much bigger trend. Various concoctions of turmeric, giloy, aloe vera, and exciting creations from all these beneficial ingredients are also very popular this time of the year. The good old lemon is going to rule the roost as ever,” he adds.

SUPER SEASONAL FRUITS:

For healthy eaters, the second lockdown has brought some once-popular salad and fruit recipes back into vogue. While cereals with a mix of different berries and coconut water are hugely popular among millennial foodies, fitness enthusiasts are more inclined to salads. Chef Sagar Bajaj shares his take, saying, “When we talk about summer it has to be about fresh fruits and hydrating produce with a mandatory mention of mango — the king of fruits. I am trying immunity-boosting smoothies with superfoods like avocado as they are easy to make and healthy as well. I love to fix a salad of any greens which are available at home and add some nuts and seeds to it with some easy dressing recipes. I have also been experimenting with mango and trying out new recipes like Mango French Toast, mango salads, smoothies, curries, and cheesecakes.”

GOING CONTINENTAL:

Avani Tripathi, a cloud kitchen owner, feels this year the Internet is not raving so much about food and drinks because it’s been a long time under lockdown and the mood is grim. However, she feels home cooking has picked up again, as everyone is being cautious and trying out new recipes with seasonal items.

She says, “This year, a lot of emphasis is on immunity boosting items and herbs that can fight seasonal infections. From turmeric to garlic, ginger and fresh greens like broccoli and spinach – healthy vegetables and spices are a must in all meals these days. On days when we want to cook something fancy, we experiment with pasta and healthy sauces. Recently, we saw the honeycomb pasta as a viral trend online, which is essentially new age lasagne or baked ziti, but with different noodles.”