It’s the season of all things sweet and savoury as most people not only celebrate with their families but also host house parties – both cosy and elaborate. Christmas and New Year are going to be busy times and while planning the menu may be difficult, it is easiest to use seasonal produce as it is readily available. Among the many ingredients, strawberries are a favourite. But if you aren’t someone who experiments in the kitchen, can you imagine using strawberries in a savoury dish? Neither could we but city chefs say there is more to the fruit than we know. 

The recipes they shared go beyond the usual use of the juicy sweet and sour fruit in ice creams, desserts or milkshakes. They employ the fruit to add some zing to a regular salad, soup, stuffed chicken and even bhel – all of which can be made while you are indoors, in the safety and comfort of your house.  

Chef Hiren Kumar uses strawberries to make a delicious salad with crumb-fried goat cheese balls. Photo: Saltt Coffee House

Goat cheese ball and strawberry salad by Chef Hiren Kumar at Saltt Coffee House, Oleander Farms, Karjat
If experimenting with difficult dishes sounds overwhelming, there’s no harm in starting simple. Kumar, the executive chef at Salt Coffee House, suggests trying to make a fresh and delicious salad with the seasonal ingredient, which also acts as a healthy option. “They are rich in iron and vitamins such as B6 which helps maintain your blood level,” he says, adding, “This vinaigrette enhances the strawberry flavour and it kind of distributes it throughout the salad, so you taste it in every bite and not only when you eat the strawberries.  I hope you like it as much as I do.”