28 April,2011 08:00 AM IST | | Aviva Dharmaraj
Come May, and you can get the flavours of masala chai, green chilli, malai kulfi, kacchi keri and paan inside the French macaroon, courtesy pastry chef Pooja Dhingra of Le 15
It's not unusual for chefs to seek (and find) inspiration from the cities they were born and live in. Mumbai-born and 'Paris-return' pastry chef Pooja Dhingra has had the good fortune to experience living in two of the cities considered to be among the most inspiring in the world. This might explain why Pooja has chosen to distill the flavours of a childhood spent in Mumbai, and sandwich them inside the French macaroon, which she learnt during her training in Paris.
"I'd always wanted to take Indian flavours and do something with them," says Pooja, who was consumed by the idea even before she opened her 14-month-old patisserie, Le 15. Pooja noticed that several chefs used the City of Love as inspiration to showcase flavours from their own country, during her stint in Paris. "The Japanese, for example, experimented with wasabi macaroons," she shares.
Ready to roll
The culinary experiments inside the Le 15 kitchen began several months ago with 15 flavours that included kala khatta, ginger and khus. The 24-year-old pastry chef and her team would eventually narrow those flavours down to five: masala chai, green chilli, malai kulfi, kachhi keri and paan. The result is the Made In India macaroon range: Distinctively Indian flavours ensconced in the trademark squidgy cookies made with egg white, sugar and almond meal."It's not like we've Indianised the macaroon. What we've done instead, is to take the French technique, and use flavours that we don't associate with dessert, except for the malai kulfi of course," says Pooja, adding, "If you feel like a cutting chai, you can now have a macaroon."
For Rs 50 each
Call 9820487727 to place an order
Available At Le 15 counters from May 5 onwards
At Shama Hair and Skin Boutique, Krishna Building,u00a0 Worli and Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
