FOOD SPECIAL...Tofu Treats

Tofu Treats    

Since Burgs, an exclusive burger joint, opened in Bandra in April , its menu has been a hit. Every foodie walking into it has a favourite — be it the Burg with its beef patty or Desi Murg, slathered in a coriander-mint chutney. However, one of the most striking feature of menu is that of the 15 burgers featured on it, almost half of them are vegetarian. While only two of them — Oye Makhni and Smoky Treat — are made of paneer, the entire patty of Tofu Crunch has been fashioned out of ‘silken tofu’, a treat for vegetarians. Tofu’s inclusion in the menu means that a restaurant is finally looking beyond the tried-and-tested options dominated by paneer and potato.

Over the last few years, tofu — the soy-based curd popular in the Oriental and South East Asian fare — has been introduced in several restaurants across the city. Apart from soups, the Mainland China franchise has a Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu cooked in a chilly and bean-based sauce in addition to stir-fry option with vegetables.
Multi-cuisine restaurant 36 Oak & Barley’s Wok Tossed Tofu with Black Bean and Bell Peppers is quite popular with the diners. Pan Asian at ITC Maratha actually serves a Miso Tofu Steak which finds takers among their Indian as well as foreign guests.
It isn’t just restaurants offering Chinese and South East Asian fare that serve the vegetarian option anymore. The Oberoi’s Frangipani has a Cajun-spiced tofu as a topping on their Six Cereal Whole Wheat Pizza while Indigo serves a tofu wrap.
Yet, the bean curd, prepared in a manner similar to the Indian paneer, is struggling to find takers in commercial restaurants despite being a healthier source of protein. This is because many Indians are still hesitant to try it out as a delicacy. “Tofu is a good protein alternative for vegetarians but it will be tough for it to overtake paneer,” says Chef Paul Kini, executive chef of InterContinental Marine Drive. “The texture is very different — it’s soft and can be slimy. You can’t poke a skewer through it and put it in the the tandoor because it will break. Frying it makes it chewy like rubber so using it in different cuisines, especially Indian, can be challenging.”
But city chefs aren’t giving up just yet. With the right treatments, infusions and flavours, tofu might still stand a chance outside of Oriental fare. “There aren’t enough tofu options in restaurants serving international cuisines,” opines Nicole Gonsalves Pereira, Head Chef, Cafe Pilo at Le Mill, which serves a healthy tofu sandwich with carrots, spring onions in a coriander pesto. “In the summer, we plan to add a few more tofu items to the menu, maybe in the form of a dessert, tofu with mango, or a blended drink.”
However, the good news is that cooking enthusiasts are bringing this ingredient into their kitchen. Godrej Nature’s Basket outlets across the city stock an international brand called Silken in different varieties—regular, firm and light—in addition to a local brand called Biopure. “Tofu is very popular among our shoppers not only in Mumbai but also in Delhi,” says Sreejith Mohan, Head—Categories, Godrej Nature’s Basket. “Paneer is still very popular among our shoppers, but our sales figures show that tofu is catching up.”

(Afsha khan : SIE 120415)