Easy food art guide to cook garden-fresh idlis and uttapam at home

You eat with your eyes first What this implies is that our visual senses play a significant role in how we perceive the idea of food The appearance of a dish can have a substantial impact on our overall dining experience How the chef experiments with colours presentation food arrangement and overall aesthetics of the food is known to trigger excitement making us eager to savour the dishA goodlooking food palette can increase our hunger through a psychological process called the cephalic phase response This process is a series of preparatory reflexes that occur in our body when we see smell or even think about food It begins with the stimulation of appetite followed by anticipation of pleasure that comes from consuming the foodSalivation is the final showdown Just by looking at appetising food our brain signals the salivary glands to produce saliva in preparation for digestion Winning the art of food styling is Surabhi Sehgal ndash the Delhibased food artist who has been dishing exquisite recipes that incite a series of emotions In an exclusive interview Sehgal reveals the inspiration behind her plantforward recipes and a few exotic recipes for you to trySurabhi SehgalThey say that cooking is an art What was your inspiration to combine flora with flavours to create edible food artldquoI grew up in Dehra Dun where fresh local produce is abundantly available My father always grew a small kitchen garden with fresh herbs and vegetables Additionally my mother and grandmother were fabulous cooks who would turn all these vegetables into fingerlicking delicaciesrdquoTaking a cue from her familyrsquos culinary legacy this food blogger has carved a niche genre in food styling skillsGoing by the handle supaintsonplates her heartwinning content is creative clean and has genius combinations for hummus soups Idlis uttapam topped with fresh herbs She continues ldquoIncluding fresh ingredients in my recipes is a way of life for me and it comes to me effortlesslyAlso since my mother is a painter and my dad a poet you will see art and poetry seamlessly entering into my creations which I guess Im genetically blessed withrdquoFresh ingredients are the inspiration behind all her recipes and she wishes everyone to feel compelled to cook with them more and more She has embarked on this journey with the hope to make people see the beauty and vibrance that these ingredients can create on the plateHow has this style of cooking been therapeutic to youSince I work alone I find my work to be deeply meditative I spend hours creating recipes and videos and most often have no recollection of where the time went Whenever I am in a stressful or difficult situation I find that my work helps me tremendously I feel my work is my escape and my safe haven This is the reason why despite being overworked Ive refrained from having a team I wanted my content to be pure unadulterated and connect with the audience at a deeper levelTo those who are trying to experiment with food preparation and presentation what tips do you have to share with themTo everyone trying to experiment with food styling I always say that while you may get inspired by the work of others you should work on developing your own style An important tip that is helpful to create beautiful plates of food is ndash donrsquot overcook your food Vibrant food not only tastes good but it also looks appealing and makes for a beautiful photograph tooUse whitebeige plates as the base of your food Dont use colourful plates with busy designs as your food will get lost Keep your recipes simple and uncomplicated so that its easier to cook and style themUse as much fresh and local produce as possible as itrsquos not only nourishing for your body but also makes transforms your food into colourful and unique dishesIf you wish to photograph your food do not invest in an expensive camera right away First learn to cook and style your food and use a goodquality phone to capture your dishes Do this over a period of months until you feel comfortable with your style and you are also sure this is something you wish to pursue seriouslyOnce you are sure you can invest in more props cameras boards etcRecipe for instant rava idliPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 20 minutesIngredientsRavaSuji 2 CupCurd 2 CupWater 1 cupSalt to tasteBaking soda 12 tspOil 1 tbsp to grease the idli standFor topping1 tbsp Green Pepper finely chopped1 tbsp Red Pepper finely chopped1 tbsp Yellow Pepper finely chopped1 tbsp Purple Cabbage finely choppedMethod1 Whisk the curd in a bowl Add sooji and salt and mix the batter well2 Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes3 Add baking soda and mix well The mixture should be pancake consistency neither too thick nor thin4 Grease idli moulds and pour the idli mix5 Top them with fresh vegetables and get creative with the designs6 Steam for 1215 minutes or until cooked7 Unmould serve and enjoyRecipe for coconut amp cucumber chutneyPrep Time 20 minutesCook Time 10 minutesIngredientsCup fresh coconut12Ginger 12inch pieceSeedless cucumber12Salt to tasteFresh coriander 2 tbspGreen chillies to tasteRoasted chana dal1 tbspWater14 cupJuice of 12 limeBlack peppercorn56Ingredients for temperingGingelly oil 1 tbspRedgreen chilliesMustard seeds 1 tbspCumin seeds 1 tbspCurry leaves 56Method1 Transfer all the ingredients to a power blender Blend to a fine consistency2 Transfer the contents to a bowl3 Now prepare the tempering4 Add oil to the pan5 Once hot add the mustard and cumin seeds6 Once the seeds crackle add the green chillies and curry leaves7 Stir for a few seconds and remove from stove8 Top the chutney with this tempering and leave it to chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to eatRecipe for UttapamPrep Time 8 hoursCook Time 10 minutesIngredientsRagi 14 cupIdli Rice 1 cupUrad Dal white 14 cupPoha 14 cupMethi 1 tspMethod1 Wash rice ragi and urad dal well2 Transfer to a large container with methi seeds and soak in water for 56 hours3 After 6 hours drain the water and add the grains to a blender along with poha and a little water and blend to a paste4 Keep adding water slowly until you have a pancake consistency batter5 Transfer to a container add salt and cover and leave in a warm place overnight6 You can also keep it inside the microwave or oven7 After 78 hours the batter would have fermented and is ready to be used to make idli dosa uttapam etc8 To make uttapam brush a skillet with oil add 2 tbsp of batter and spread a little9 Top with your favourite vegetables in a stylized way and cook on both sides until crispAlso Read Meet Samosa Singh Bengalurursquos culinary spin on Indiarsquos classic triangle snack