Mumbai based-chefs share cold dish recipes to cool off the summer heat

While we hope this period will be the last unbearable leg of the scorching summer home chefs and professional chefs feel it is an ideal time to savour dishes that are cooling for the systemChef Bhushan Ganorkar executive chef Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai describes garde manger chefs as culinary artistes as it is important to handle this part of the kitchen where cold dishes are prepared and fresh ingredients are stored ldquoA cold dish can be an avocado on toast milletbased salads fruit salads and a bowlful of greens It can be lettucewrapped tacos wraps pitas or even meat loaves Itrsquos very important to store the cold dishes at zero to five degree Celsius as they have a shelf life of two daysrdquo says GanorkarCold dishes work best when colours and textures are right ldquoThe original flavours of the ingredients should stand out evenly When you pick contrasting flavours for example rucola and balsamic vinegar the rucola leaves are a bit bitter and have a peppery flavour which pairs well with the sweet and sour flavour of balsamic vinaigretterdquo says Ganorkar adding that cold dishes are a treat to the eyes Pick vibrant colours of red and purple cabbage cherry tomatoes and fresh berries and colourful vegetablesAll at homeChef Suresh DC brand chef at HOSA Goa says one doesnrsquot need to look too far when looking for ingredients in the pantry ldquoCucumbers onions tomatoes and leafy greens like baby spinach watermelon and pineapple can be used as main components To add some texture and crunch you can top them with peanuts chana dal and rice puffs For the dressing you can make it spicy or creamy using vinegar chilies cashews and coconut For the final garnish complete it with a tadka Even bottle gourd makes for a great cold saladrdquo says DCCold dishes are meant to be refreshing and light on the tummy ldquoA fish mosaic is an elevated example of a cold dish that can be tried at home We made a curry leaf cured snapper where strips of fillet are rolled in curry leaf podi and cured with sea salt We roll this into a rouladerdquo DC addsHere are a few cool ideas and recipes to execute in the kitchenMango amp avocado Vietnamese rice rollsBhakti MehtaBhakti Mehta chef and founder of Little Food Co says ldquoWhile hosting apart from salads cold dishes work wonderfully on a grazing table A cold appetiser amongst hot grill and fried items is a good break to the palate Use seasonal ingredients and remember to clean out your veggiesrdquoINGREDIENTS 3 rice papers 100 gm boiled vermicelli noodles 100 gm carrot julienned 100 gm cucumber julienned 100 gm purple cabbage julienned frac12 cup or 100 gm avocado sliced add salt and lemon 1 ripe mango sliced 1 sprig of mint and coriander 6 pcs of crisp icebergromaine lettuce 4 tbsp roasted peanuts choppedSpicy peanut sauce frac12 cup peanut butter frac14 cup rice vinegar 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp chopped ginger 1 tsp chopped bird eye chili 2 green onions thinly slicedSoy dipping sauce 5 tbsp light soy 1 tbsp dark soy 2 tbsp rice vinegar frac12 tsp castor sugar 3 tsp chopped coriander 1 tsp chopped bird eye chiliMETHODBlend the peanut butter sauce ingredients in a mixer Set aside Combine the ingredients of soy dipping sauce in a bowl and set aside To assemble brush the Vietnamese rice paper with water until it becomes soft to roll Place the lettuce apply the peanut butter sauce on the lettuce Add the noodles carrot cucumber and cabbage Top it up with avocado and mango slices with coriander mint and spring onions Add chopped roasted peanuts Fold over one side of the rice paper then fold over top and bottom Using a rolling motion continue to seal rice paper into a roll Refrigerate until ready to serve with dipping sauceSasrangaAnuradha Medhora prepares the dish PicsAnurag AhireChef and founder of catering company Charoli Anuradha Medhora says ldquoSasranga is a type of an Indian meat loaf from Sailana Madhya Pradesh At our house we eat them as a teatime snack or when one is going for a picnic or a long drive You can pair it with a refreshing fruit juice or a chilled glass of shandyrdquoINGREDIENTS frac12 kg kheema Salt to taste 2 tbsp ghee frac12 cup almonds chopped frac12 cup raisins 1 large onion julienned 1520 chilies finely chopped 2 inch ginger finely chopped 1 lemon frac12 cup coriander 1 cup malai 2 eggsA closeup shot of sasrangaMETHODIn a heavy bottomed pan add ghee Hot fry the almonds and raisins and remove aside Fry onions in the same ghee and remove Roughly crush them Add the mutton kheema and salt to the remaining ghee and let it cook Bhunao the meat by adding water a few times till it is completely cooked In another bowl add fried almonds raisins onions ginger green chilies and coriander Beat the malai and keep in a separate bowl Now whisk the eggs with the lime juice and store it in another bowl Lightly grease a baking tray and spread half the kheema On top of that add half of the malai followed by the almond mixture To that add half of the egg mixture Repeat the layering again while pressing down gently with fingers Bake for around 30 minutes or till it is firm Let it cool and then cut it into squares The nourishing snack is loved by childrenBeetroot gazpachoAlso known as a vegetable drink gazpacho is a cold soup with its origins in Spain Chef Vansh Khanna of The Indian Project says ldquoA gazpacho is perfect for cooling down the body It is rich in antioxidants and even lowers blood pressure I have created a beetroot gazpacho above with pickled cucumber avocado beetroot and dill sour cream The beetroot is roasted in the oven for a smoky flavour and I have used confit garlic to avoid the raw taste of garlic The sour cream helps give the soup a creamy texturerdquoINGREDIENTS23 beetroots12 red or white onions1 tomato1 green pepper green capsicum2 English cucumbersCrusty bread dayold bread23 garlic cloves2 tsp sherry vinegar or white vinegar10 gm dill leaves50 ml olive oil23 tbsp sour cream1 avocadoSalt to tasteBlack pepper to tasteMETHODRoast the beetroot in an oven with aluminium foil or cut into cubes and boil them for 20 minutes Cool and peel the outer layer of the beetroot Chill in the fridge for an hour Cube the cucumbers avocado and some beetroot for garnish Marinate them with some olive oil salt and pepper Chop dill leaves and mix them with the sour cream Set aside In a blender add the beetroot along with tomato cucumber onion crusty bread green pepper olive oil vinegar and blitz until smooth Pass through a sieve to achieve a smooth consistency Chill it for 1 to 2 hours Pour the gazpacho into chilled bowls Garnish with vegetable cubes set aside and add a dollop of the dill sour creamPS Replace sour cream with cashew paste and skip the breadMango saladRaw mango and papaya saladSaloni Kukreja chef content curator and recipe developer right takes inspiration from Thai raw mango and papaya salad that usually has tamarind and fish sauce ldquoSince tamarind and peanuts are common to both cuisines I wanted to do a more Indian version with just raw mango and easily available ingredients of chilies and coriander for a chatpata chat kick If you want to store it donrsquot mix the dressing already The crunchiness of raw mangoes and peanuts will be lostSalone KukrejaINGREDIENTS1 kachchi kairiraw mangoSalt to taste2 green chillies2 tsp jaggery powder18 inch ginger2 tbsp corianderfrac12 tsp tamarind pulpfrac12 onion finely sliced1 tbsp peanutsMETHODPeel and thinly slice the mango Keep aside To a mortar pestle or a blender add green chillies ginger coriander leaves jaggery powder tamarind pulp and salt to taste Pound or blend into fine paste Add lime juice onion raw mango and roasted peanuts Mix well Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and crushed peanuts Serve