HT PALATE FEST
Seek inspiration from chefs at the HT Palate Fest on incorporating healthy recipes in life
Get a range of ideas for healthy bingeing at the upcoming edition of the Hindustan Times Palate Fest
When hunger pangs strike, visions of comfort food start dancing in the mind, and we often end up eating junk that induces guilt and higher digits on the weighing scale. But, you can keep all these worries aside when you head to the Hindustan Times Palate Fest 2018, for the theme this year is healthy bingeing.
There will be celebrity chefs interacting with the visitors at the fest and giving them tips on how one can binge in a healthy way. Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, who will conduct one such session on the final day of the fest, says, “I will have a quick session where I will tell those present how they can mix ingredients for a quick finger snack, like a chaat or taco.”
When keeping a check on one’s bingeing, it’s also important to cut down on the sugar and salt intake. Chef Nishant Choubey shares an easy trick to remember whenever in doubt about what to eat. He says, “The formula is to avoid the 3Ws — white flour, white sugar and white salt, and the 3Ps — pickle, papad and pakora. So, first and foremost is to control the salt intake, because we Asians eat six times [the amount of salt] than what we require in our daily life! There are recipes that don’t require salt… ingredients such as garlic, ginger, onion, raw turmeric, and spinach have natural salt. We can substitute salt in pickles with lemon and vinegar, which helps store it longer.”
Chef Sabyasachi says, “When it comes to healthy bingeing, fruits and dry fruits are the best options, eternally. One can also have dehydrated mangoes, but they shouldn’t have any added sugar in them. One should also avoid consuming trans fat, and the best way to do so is by eating something fresh, like a cucumber-tomato salad. You can also pair something healthy with your snack, like an apple salsa dip with chips.”
It’s also important to avoid white flour in one’s diet and chef Nishant advises millet as an easy replacement. “Jowar, ragi and quinoa can be used in our daily diet since they give enough protein. Also, the intake of carbohydrates in the form of potato and bread should be reduced as much as possible. Basically, anything in moderation is good,” adds chef Nishant.
Alongside healthy bingeing options at this festival, there will also be great music to satiate your soul. So, look forward to live performances by popular singers such as Daler Mehndi, Jasmine Sandlas and Tulsi Kumar.
Don’t forget to upload your pictures at the fest using #healthybinging.
When it comes to healthy bingeing, fruits and dry fruits are the best, eternally. SABYASACHI GORAI CHEF