Honest review of vegan food served by this plant-based food venture

Wersquove been sceptical of packaged vegan foods At best theyrsquove left us disappointed at worst they have gone straight to the bin the one with the dry waste because they tasted like plastic Invited to a tasting challenge by hotelier and restaurateur Romil Ratra we headed to the InterContinental at Marine Drive to try a spread made with his plantbased food venture Plantaway set up along with Graviss Good Foods There is a broad spectrum of products across three categories meat alternatives dairy alternatives and plantbased dips and dressings Prices range from Rs 200 to Rs 399Romil Ratra and Chaitanya WaghmareWe started with a cheddar cheese toast that was grilled to perfection in plantbased butter It was hard to tell the difference The croquettes and spaghetti norsquolognese were both made using the brandrsquos Muttrsquon Keema Masala and it was hard to tell that it was plantbased The chickrsquon nuggets and the dum biryani were flavourful as well Being a restaurateur for three decades means the stakes are high ldquoWe made people from FampB and also vegans try our food and give feedbackrdquo he says ldquoAt times we had to go back and start again but we werenrsquot going to do things halfheartedly These are not just for vegans but also meateatersrdquoKnowing that a long list of additives on the pack of vegan foods repels clients Ratra says he ensured that he creates what his children will also eat ldquoTheyrsquove also been a part of the test runsrdquo he admits We shared the food with a vegan reader Chaitanya Waghmare The 18yearold student from Thane has recently turned vegan motivated by the desire to improve animal coexistence and reduce carbon footprint He tried the almond milk which he found rich and great tasting but it costs R50 higher than the brand he currently usesldquoThe kebabs were aromatic and came close in texture to a nonveg kebab but slightly on the dry sidemdashit lacked the succulence of a meat versionrdquo says Waghmare ldquoAlso they are slightly overpriced compared to my current preference The kheema was an absolute 1010 in every aspectmdashthe mock mutton is the best I have tasted to date The flavour taste and texture were just right and not too chewy Thatrsquos one dish that justified the pricerdquoWe asked Plantawayrsquos chefs Pranali Bhimanpalli and Prashant Choir to share two recipes with usAlmond milk and saffron phirniIngredients1 litre almond drinkmilk12 cup basmati rice34 cup sugar14 tsp cardamom powder2 tbsp saffron waterDry fruits chopped for garnishMethodSoak basmati rice for 15 minutes Discard the water and blend the rice into a coarse paste Keep aside Soak a few saffron strands in warm wateralmond milk and keep aside Heat the milk in a pan till it comes to a boil then simmer Add coarse rice paste stirring continuously to prevent lumps Mix well till the milk thickens and turns creamy Add soaked saffron water Add cardamom powder and mix well Pour the mixture into serving bowls and garnish with chopped dry fruits Refrigerate for two to three hours and serve coldSpaghetti norsquologneseIngredients200 gm vegan kheema2 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp chopped onion1 tbsp chopped garlic12 celery sprigs chopped1 carrot diced1 tsp thyme chopped1 cup tomato puree1 tsp salt and pepper1 tsp chilli flakes1 cup spaghetti cookedRosemary for garnishMethodHeat olive oil in a large deep pan Add onions garlic celery and carrot and season with crushed red pepper and thyme Sauteacute for about a minute until they soften Add Plantaway Muttrsquon Keema Masala and sauteacute for a minute Add tomato puree and stock water Mix to combine bring the mixture to a boil and then cook for three to four minutes until semidry Toss the pasta in olive oil and add chilli flakes and black pepper Place the spaghetti in a serving bowl add norsquolognese on top and garnish with rosemary