FRESHMENU ~ FOOD FOR THOUGHT (Aug - Sep 2017)

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Food thought aug-sept 2017

a taste for business rashmi daga

Snack, a main dppetizer, FreshM ish... are sup enu salads er vers atile

SE Asia

Cuisines on fleek an explosion of flavours

60

mins only

party-ready in a jiffy

host too enjoys!

taste of health

mr epicure to the rescue

freshmenu everyday

food highs for the week

Food has always been special to me...

02 Contents 15

fm noW

A TASTE FOR BUSINESS: Meet the lady behind FreshMenu, Rashmi Daga

06

cuisines on fleek SOUTHEAST ASIA: Tuck into the know-how on foods from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam

10

chef chat IN COMMAND: Chef Tilak Vel of FreshMenu

says he likes to spoil consumers with choice

12

fooDs in fashion DRAMA ON PLATE: Know your food, order right, and pronounce correctly...

DESIGN & EXECUTION BY Don’t Be Content

august - september 2017

taste of health

MR EPICURE TO THE RESCUE: Common food dilemmas sorted

18

no stress party PARTY-READY IN AN HOUR: An A - Z foolproof plan

22 fm eVeryDay FOOD HIGHS FOR THE WEEK: Add a little feel-good to every day of the week

24 fooD fantasy LOVE IN A JAR: Trending now, cakes in jars. Try it!

When I was editing Good Housekeeping India, it was a dream come true as I got to spend a lot of time experimenting with cuisines, trying out recipes, researching and writing about food.

And, of course, getting to eat it! After we set up our content company, Don’t Be Content, I was delighted when we started working with FreshMenu. Meeting up with its charismatic founder Rashmi Daga, drew me in more.

FreshMenu democratizes global cuisine, decodes the exotic and helps push boundaries of taste opening up Indian palates to a kaleidoscope of flavours. Healthy, hygienic and high on taste – all just a call away. And no hole burnt in your pocket, either.

Hope you enjoy this joyous celebration of foods from FreshMenu as much as we did putting it together!

Till next time...

Manjira Dutta Editor

concept, content & strategy: Don’t Be Content, shveta sahu, Manjira Dutta creatIVe DIrector: renu singla; DesIgn & proDUctIon teaM: syed salahuddin, ashi sinha prInters: printsmith, Faridabad

FreshMenu | Food For ThoughT - AugusT 2017 01

fmnow

A TASTE FOR BUSINESS I M H R AS A DAG

Cajun Spaghetti, Hudson Valley Club, Creole Crockpot, Bulgarian Cottage Cheese Salad... foods packed with exotic flavour, taste & health - at your doorstep in minutes! That’s what FreshMenu serves up. Meet the brain behind this, most successful of start-ups, the lady who is determined to change forever how urban India eats 02 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

Born out of passion, buoyed by delicious ideas & hardwork, FreshMenu flies high

bAckground photo: ibudgetphoto.CoM

The brainchild of the charmingly unassuming Rashmi Daga, 37, an engineering graduate and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus - FreshMenu, the unique online global cuisine delivery company - is testimony to the magic of the coming together of passion and a rare degree of out-of-the-box entrepreneurial skill. We meet Rashmi in her Bengaluru office. Dressed in a casual cotton dress, the entrepreneur is relaxed and smiling - success sits lightly on her petite shoulders.

After tracing a highflying career path from IBM to Ola Cabs, and a stint as an art entrepreneur, Rashmi began what she calls her “passion project”. Says the entrepreneur, “The lack of options to get good food home delivered in the suburbs got me thinking... Meals cooked by professional chefs and delivered at your doorstep in super quick time – that’s what the need was.” Once the idea crystallised, Rashmi went all out and raised her first $5 million (around Rs 33 crore) from Lightspeed Venture Partners. Soon after, a second round of funding followed.

There was to be no looking back.

FreshMenu | Food For thought - Aug-sept 2017 03

Repeat Buyers

60% (And growing everyday!)

FreshMenu does not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach. differing tastes in cities are taken into account and serviced.

FreshMenu scores several firsts. It has a daily changing menu covering salads, appetizers, main courses and desserts at an affordable price. Food is delivered from the nearest FreshMenu kitchen within 45 minutes – dishes are prepared only after the order is placed. the cooking’s done to retain and enhance natural flavours with just the optimum amount of oil and authentic spices. Innovation is the name of the game with the chefs constantly experimenting to cook up new, better dishes. of the 1200 recipes in the repertoire, only about 700-800 are “live” – the rest did not stand the test of consumer taste and were discarded. At FreshMenu, the consumer gets top billing. Always. the success shows in the stats. by March 2016, the company reported revenues of rs 34.4 crore. over 300,000 people have tried FreshMenu and more than 60% are repeat customers. the start-up now has 27

GOURMET ONLINE

ce to a l p n t Bes er in no to ord y meals ile h fuss aten w ... be e orking w

04 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

commercial kitchens in Mumbai, delhi and bengaluru. And is all poised to grow every year.

SPECIAL INGREDIENT

business acumen is what this IIM alumnus brings to the table, yes. but there’s a secret ingredient that the lady adds in dollops: her keen observation and instinctive feel for what consumers are looking for, backed by a sharp eye for research and detail. not for her, theories, books and entrepreneurial discussions. shares rashmi: “I often listen into food conversations and try and pick up insights wherever I go... delhi, for instance, is not fond of rice; delhiites like their food to be spicier and creamier when ordering in. bengaluru may be fine with a gourmet salad or a one-dish professional meal but it must look home cooked, be fresh and low in oil. Mumbai favours a thali concept, so no dry-meal-in-a-bowl here – definitely pan Asian rather than continental.”

Continuous processing of feedback and speedy analysis, possible because of online transactions, are the key tools that give the business an edge over the average restaurant which has to rely on gut to assess consumer reaction.

Says Rashmi, “We didn’t start out targeting officegoers but the overwhelming feedback made us rethink strategy.”

So when professionals wanted non-fussy meals to eat at their desks, was created the Portuguese Chicken Rice Bowl, essentially herb chicken mince cooked in a sauce and served up as a meal-ina-bowl with rice. An instant hit. Then, riding a popular

food wave, steel-cut oats was added to the menu.

Overnight, it catapulted to top of the charts. But equally suddenly, the supply dried up. Another lesson learnt and acted upon. “We are now careful...

So, for example, even if sorghum is the ‘new rice’ for more and more people today, we first ensure a steady supply before putting it out in the menu,” says Rashmi.

Then, 8-inch pizzas gave way to 12-inch packs based on consumer consumption habits. But FreshMenu doesn’t serve up the same old “pizza taste”. Typically, there’s a nuance of sophistication, all within the cost and time parameters.

photo: ibudgetphoto.CoM

ON TABLE

her finger firmly on the pulse of culinary India, rashmi knows that chicken is a “special staple” on most platters across the country.

FreshMenu celebrates this but without veering off the company’s leitmotif of an unwavering focus on global cuisine. so, the 100-plus chicken dishes go beyond chicken curry-rotirice and include slow cooked chicken creole crockpot, chicken steak in bourbon sauce, thai Minced chicken rice bowl & more.

While chicken is a quick-flier off shelves, FreshMenu does good with the more exotic as well. peking duck, norwegian salmon, turkey ham, lamb pepperoni, chicken with walnut pesto and more are all part of the changing menu. says rashmi: “We can’t help you travel the world, but we can bring the world to your table! We are cuisine agnostic – in that we are not claiming to offer 100 % authentic recipes but the food remains true to the country of origin. We tweak tastes to what customers prefer.”

From proteins to veggies and carbs, meals come with holistic appeal

whetheR it’s A MeAl in A Bowl oR A pizzA, quAlity & tAste ARe AssuRed

NEUR E R P E R T N E N A ’ T NOT ‘JUS is a wife and mother to a 6-year-old. Anmde-a

dy undays are ho This business la her off-time. “S ys jo s en e Sh . tly Indian, and ye hands-on cook me kitchen. Mos ho r ou y” el in siv ok es co “obs days where I n, Rashmi is still arwari vegetaria . How is en ch kit u vegetarian!” A M the FreshMen of ct pe as y er , she says: involved in ev to her easy smile in g kin ea Br ? a dish is ok by that managed t I now know if bu ls, ne pa g in “We have tast ok!” its aroma and lo ld it g day, what wou r in on a workin de or to – e s er he w i ndwic So, if Rashm of our heavier sa h for sure! One .” ge ra ve be? “A sandwic ith a be sting variety – w there’s an intere

the wide variety of sandwiches do very well

FReshMenu d hAs RedeFine the concept oF ‘oRdeRing in’ in uRBAn indiA todAy FreshMenu | Food For thought - Aug-sept 05

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SOUTH EAST ASIA

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Tuck into the know-how on foods from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia & Vietnam

ood in the ‘Golden Peninsula’ is a unique delicious medley, a result of singular factors that govern the area. These determining factors are: traditionally, a farming economy; proximity to the sea; tropical weather; an abundance of rivers and forests; and the influences from its bounding countries, India and China.

So it is that there are specific traits to the dishes of the region. Rice, glutinous and non sticky, comes

from farming; fish and seafood from the sea and rivers; mushrooms and bamboo are plentiful, given the tropical weather. The region’s position on the spice trading sea routes added myriad food influences - the Portuguese introduced chilli, tomatoes, papaya, pineapple, corn, potato and sweet potato; the Arabs, kebabs, which became satay.

From China, along with the rice, came the accompanying dishes, as well as noodles. From India came curries redolent with coconut milk.

Food, for the most part is wok tossed, stir fried, steamed or balanced. Veggies & meat are cut into small pieces or strips 06 AuG-SePT 2017 - Food FoR ThouGhT | FreshMenu

TOP NOTES OF THE CUISINES

y and nonRice, both the stick glutinous varieties afood m Fish and se s and bamboo m Mushroom g ces from sea-farin m Food influen centuries: traders down the e rtuguese came th  From the Po ple, ap ne pi , ya pa chilli, tomatoes, pa to ta eet po corn, potato and sw which brought in kebabs  The Arabs became satay cted in e influence is refle  The Chines les the rice and nood rries e Indians, came cu  And from th and coconut milk

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Southeast Asian Grilled Fish

CeLeBRATING FLAVOurs

PhoTo BoTToM LeFT: ibudgetphoto.CoM

Southeast Asian cuisine is an explosion of tastes: a balancing act that combines sweet, salty, sour and spicy but it’s not a static formula. Most Southeast Asian dishes lean towards one or two of these tastes while the rest play supporting roles.

SPICE: from red and green chillies SOUR: from dashes of tamarind, fermented soy or fish sauces SWEET: from a crush of palm sugar or a glug of coconut milk SALT: from soy or fish sauce KNOW WHEN ORDERING IN... m Thai and Indonesian foods are the spiciest m Malaysian foods may have palm sugar—so the sweet overtone m Vietnamese foods may stay close to original native tastes

Try THE NEw! expe rim with tasent te

Peanuts, ginger, galangal, mint, basil and coriander play supporting roles in the medley of tastes

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The raw papaya salad, Som Tam. The hot and sour soup, Tom Yum Goong.

The base of most Thai curries is the chilli paste Namprik, a mix of garlic, chilli, lime & shrimp paste.

The national dish is Pad Thai, stir-fried noodles with tofu, onion, egg, shrimp, topped with bean sprouts and peanuts and flavoured with tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic – to die for!

Thai Raw Papaya Salad Pan Fried Noodles With Golden Tofu

BUT THErE’S MOrE TO THAI...

standouts and Some of the other shes include sour widely available di h and vegetables orange curry of fis or Geng Som Plaa stir fried meat with m Then there’s d served with chillies and basil an odles crispy stir fried no curry elette and peanut m Oyster om with potato beginning...

And this is just the

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The curries - yellow, red, and green - that go in ascending order of spiciness, coloured by their ingredients: mustard, dried red chillies and green chillies.

AM VIEeTaNd winner

The Br

ever since the country opened up to tourism a little over a dozen years ago, Vietnamese food has been on the up and up. The base of food here stays close to original native tastes but is influenced by its colonists China and France.

So there are noodles, sticky rice, bean curd and stir fries alongside butter and baguettes, mayonnaise and pâté!

TOP OF ChArTs m

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Nuoc Mam, a sauce made of fermented fish usually from the anchovy family, is a key ingredient in this cuisine Deconstructed Vietnamese Chicken Roll Salad

gOOD CHOICE Fresh

m en u h a s an a rray!

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Soup is a national pleasure – Pho, a meat broth with rice noodles, is a popular breakfast food but enjoyed at any time of the day as well. other staples are spring rolls and rice paper rolls, which if eating traditionally, one creates individually from a platter topped with a mound of fresh herbs (the Vietnamese enjoy their fresh herbs) that include Thai basil, lemongrass, mint, saw-leaf and Vietnamese coriander.

Banh mi is a sandwich that combines French and Vietnamese nuances – the bread is a baguette, the sauce mayonnaise, the fillings are Vietnamese-style meat and vegetable, with a dash of soy sauce.

Banh Mi Chicken Sandwich

06 02 August FreshMenu 2017AuG-SePT - Food For 2017 thought | FreshMenu

CouNTRY PhoToS: ibudgetphoto.CoM

Thai Red Curry with Basil Rice

TOP OF ChArTs

IA S Y A L MA accenT

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SwEE TOUCHETS a delic

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The cuisine has a strong south Indian Spicy accent and includes rotis (roti Kanai a Laksa sweetish parantha), steamed flour popular in Kerala (Putupiring) and Murtabak, a pan fried bread layered with mincemeat, a dish found among the Muslim communities in south India.

Laksa is probably Malaysia’s most famous export. There are two popular versions: Curry Laksa has a base of coconut milk; and Asam Laksa is tamarind based.

Nasilemak or rice cooked in coconut milk & served with boiled egg, sambal, peanuts, veggies, chicken, lamb or beef curry, and seafood.

Then there’s the blue rice, which gets its hue from crushed telang flowers and is served with Budu, a fermented fish sauce, fried coconut and bean sprouts.

Nasikandar, a buffet type serving of rice with curries, fish, egg and Brinjal too is popular.

Gado Gado is steamed vegetables topped with sweet and sour peanut sauce.

Rendang, slow-cooked chicken or meat in coconut milk and spices.

The sambal, a red chilli sauce, forms the base of many dishes, including noodles

io Fusion ous Flavour F s

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Unique to the country is Kecapmanis (kecap is pronounced ketchup), a sweet thick soy sauce with a hint of sour

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The most famous export, Nasigoreng is literally fried rice, stir fried and served with egg, shrimp or meat.

Gado Gado and satay are served here with a peanut sauce.

Jackfruit finds a place in Indonesia in the royal dish of Gudeg, a sweet stew of the fruit with palm sugar and coconut milk, coloured brown by teak leaves.

Buburayam is breakfast gruel made of rice and served with shallots, chicken, soy sauce and crackers.

Soto is a chicken and coconut milk soup.

Also beloved of the country are Krupuk or crackers of vegetable or prawn; and tempeh, fermented soybeans.

Like in neighbouring Malaysia, sambal sauce is popular here too.

Chicken Gado Gado

rICE rUlES check o

ut the rice dish Indonesian Coconut es in F r e s h m en u Rice Bowl With Chicken

FreshMenu | Food FoR ThouGhT - AuG-SePT 2017 09

chefchat

No frills...A good quality, freshly made solid meal is key here

CHEF IN COMMAND

The Portuguese Chicken Rice Bowl is Chef Tilak Vel’s all-time favourite when it comes to a working meal. ‘I get my rice and meat in a bowl, and don’t have to mess around!’ But when it comes to his customers, he likes to spoil them with choice...

c

hief of product development at FreshMenu, Chef tilak has a challenging job.

With a background in 5 star restaurants and Quick service restaurants (Qsr), he is the best man for the job. For FreshMenu, in his own words, is a ‘fine dining Qsr’. there’s a difference here though. “At FreshMenu in one year,

10 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

we’ve developed over 400 products, against 4-6 products in a year with previous organizations.”

Chef tilak and his four top chefs ensure that the menu changes daily, depending on the produce available; and food is cooked fresh and delivered hot to the consumer. only two batches of the base ingredient (say, rice) are kept ready morning and evening to avoid rollovers to the

next day. No stale food to be reheated and served up here.

And, while good food is always comforting, FreshMenu takes the experience several notches higher to the realm of indulgence. “We try to cater to all type of food lovers; get people to try new foods. We create occasions. But while we innovate (so, rajma-chawal with a veg cutlet) we will, for

instance, not play around with a classic like goshtaba.” the chef is all excited to talk of the concept of the ‘Friendly alien’. “people have heard of global dishes, ingredients but don’t actually know them... FreshMenu makes such dishes accessible. people can browse the site, read about the dishes and order in at a fraction of restaurant prices.”

top rIght photo: ibudgetphoto.CoM

If the chef had to pick a hero dish?

“It would be the spaghetti Charcuterie; it’s repeated on the menu every 10-15 days,” says the chef. the Veg pasta and Burrito Bowl come close seconds. going forward, the variety of daily main dish offers are to go up to 20. “so whatever you like, whether it’s a grain, noodles, pasta, chicken, fish or meat, it’s bound to be in the menu.” Also, plenty of ancient grains - sorghum, foxtail millet, freekeh - that are coming back onto platters for their goodness, are going to be on the menu. “sometimes, we are unable to fathom why a dish succeeds or doesn’t... We had done the Inca roast Chicken, essentially an earthy chicken leg roast. It didn’t work. Yet the same basic dish with slight change called the Mayan Mystique, did very well! Maybe it’s in the name. Whatever it is, we track how the dishes do and follow through with learnings.”

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GeTTInG TO The COre

FreshMenu hires the best talent but hotel chefs need debriefing. say Chef tilak. “We aren’t about fancy looking rice with a bit of meat on an aesthetic platter... It’s global food, it’s quality, it must look and smell good but it also has to be a solid meal!”

Once the new dishes are decided, tried, tested and tasted to ensure all parameters aimed for have been achieved, the products get scheduled for the photo session that happens twice a week.

On an average, the team shoots about 30 new products every week.

‘FreshMenu is all about international dishes but we are careful to ensure that while retaining basic authenticity, these dishes are tweaked to suit Indian tastes.’

}

The big challenge is to keep up the freshness not just in ingredients but also in the menu. So ideating, innovating and creating new dishes are core functions at FreshMenu A typical week starts with an entire day of brainstorming on the product verticals that need to be developed for the fortnight. These products are decided basis customer needs, global trends, occasions and the type of dishes that have outperformed in the past. Once the drawing board is filled with ideas, the chefs give shape to the ideas by creating them in a format that suits the system. These products go through various levels of iterations before getting added to the recipe bank.

New-in-the-menu and innovations are also decided basis feedback from customers. Says Chef Tilak: “Extended breakfast, a new addition to the catalogue, is a good example of how we develop products as per the need in the market....’

rgin “Breakfast is a vi od segment in the fo . We delivery business n to the quickly latched o ped void and develo ould fulfil products that w hour. And the need of the omenal we did see phen nse!” customer-respo

foodsinfashion

DRAMA

ON YOUR PLATE Waldorf Salad

12 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

HautÊ entertainment is no longer on global ramps but on your plate! The mushrooming TV shows, the culinary contests, the superstar chefs are fast eating into conventional lifestyle highs. To be on fleek—know your food, order right, pair to taste and pronounce it like the natives. Watch this space!

These leaves were originally grown and eaten in the Mediterranean

Arugula or Rocket

peppery, nutty with a smokey overtone in taste, these leaves were originally grown and eaten in the Mediterranean regions. the small, frilly leaves pair well with fruits such as watermelon and mango, and juicy vegetables. the mild taste of feta cheese balances the sharpness of arugula. An olive oil and vinegar dressing is fine for this. Aragula is high in fibre, with vitamins and minerals.

Iceberg Lettuce

Leaf Lettuce

this is the dark green or purple, ruffled bundle of leaves your local vegetable-seller will hand you if you ask for salad leaves (salad patta). these large leaves have a somewhat grassy taste and go well with a mildlyflavoured vinaigrette or creamy dressing. scores as a good source of vitamins A and K.

It’s the mildest-tasting of all salad greens. the pale, green leaves add a delicious crunch and freshness to any salad mix. It’s high on water content and pairs well with a lemon-vinaigrette dressing. has fibre and protein.

Dip in ice water and add to salad - great crunch

Romaine Lettuce

Taller cousin of Iceberg with thicker stalks

this is the greener, taller cousin of iceberg with thicker stalks. When the crisp leaves are broken, they give out a small amount of milky liquid—which gives it the herby taste. the green was first used in ancient rome: the name literally translates to ‘roman lettuce’. romaine is the star of the Caesar salad, but it can also become a crisp filling for a sandwich, puréed into a soup, or even grilled and sautéed!

Baby Spinach

It is popeye’s favourite food. It packs in a hefty dose of vitamins, iron and fibre. Baby spinach has a mild herbal taste. genereally eaten raw or cooked; pairs well with a nutty pesto dressing.

Popeye’s favourite food does well in a salad

ALL photos: ibudgetphoto.CoM

Kale

The Green In Your salad These leaves pack in taste and nutrients. here’s must-know

the trendy superfood, Kale, is high in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. the leaves have a mild, somewhat bland taste, and takes to balsamic vinaigrette and pesto-based dressings. to up the nutrient profile, pair with chickpea or chicken, nuts and other colourful vegetables.

Not just a food fad, the kale is full of nutrients

Watercress

Coming to us from europe, these small, round, dark green leaves have a peppery taste. these are packed with vitamins, fibre and protein, and are more nutritious than most varieties of lettuce. Like arugula, watercress pairs well with juicy fruits and vegetables, and takes especially well to a citrusy dressing.

So pretty and so full of nutrients, one of the healthiest

The most common in India, absorbs all flavours

Button Mushrooms

these plump, white-capped mushrooms are ubiquitous. their mild, flavour makes them truly versatile though they shouldn’t be overcooked. sautéed in butter, grilled, cooked with traditional Indian spices, or used in soups, salads, pasta or pizza—they do well in myriad dishes, absorbing the base flavours.

Like button mushroom, only with big brown caps

Portobello

Shiitake

smokey, chewy, the umami-laden flavour of a shiitake mushroom in a noodle broth is delicious. these dark-capped mushrooms grow in Japan, China and Korea. Fresh or dried, diced and cooked, in a broth or stir-fried, grilled or steamed—there’s no wrong way to eat shiitake.

But hardcore vegetarians may need getting used to the strong smokey flavour.

The Good Fungi

portobellos are big and brown-capped—they are the most mature variety of button mushrooms, with the cap fully grown out. their mild, steak-like flavour makes them a great meat substitute, and they are truly divine when grilled.

Enoki

they look like bean sprouts with their small caps and long stems. Native to Japan, enoki are a staple in Japanese and far-eastern cooking. these mildly fruity, pearl-white mushrooms hold their own in both soups and salads.

Truffles

truffles are one of the most expensive edible products in the world, and are truly prized in the culinary world. A kilogram can retail for thousands of dollars in the international market! the reason: they can’t be grown commercially and have to be foraged in the wild from under the ground. truffles have a distinctly pungent, earthy aroma and a complex, delicate taste that is difficult to define clearly. A little goes a long way, which is why a truffle-infused oil is the most common derivative of this mushroom.

Luxury food at its most flavourful

Favourite of Continental cusine, these

Morels

In an exotic aisle is the morel. once you get past its ugly exterior—it looks like a dead honeycomb—you’ll unlock a woodsy, chewy flavour-burst. they are great sautéed with butter and are the stars of Japanese and Continental dishes.

Mushrooms or edible fungi add meaty flavour to any dish. rich Porcini A staple in Italian and French cuisine, they look like in fibre and portobello mushrooms with a longer stem. their vitamins, they lend creamy, slightly nutty taste can elevate the flavour of any sauce. Continental dishes use both fresh and dried heartiness to a dish, porcinis. You’ll find them pureed into sauces; diced in and are delicious! pasta; or shaved slices garnishing roasts.

14 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

Needs an acquired taste—not for all

Goes into several Italian & French dishes

tasteofhealth

Mr EpiCURE

phoTos: ibudgetphoto.CoM

to the rescue!

Mr EpiCURE is here to help you with just that. To begin with, let’s tackle two of the biggest food dilemmas in the life of urban Indians.

Food is a delightful thing.

But it’s also a tricky one. How do you strike a balance between decadence and health? Most of us could use a little help that steers us in the right direction, guides us to make up our mind, answers the hundreds of questions and doubts that flit through our mind about food and nutrition.

Here’s help

FreshMenu | Food For ThoughT - Aug-sepT 2017 15

Situation #1: Your wife’s fed up of your son’s picky eating habits. How do you help her get him to eat healthy home-cooked food? Here are some suggestions

No food oN demaNd

If your child thinks refusing to eat will make you and your wife cave in and give him what he wants, he will never learn healthy eating habits. Let your son know that what your wife has cooked is all that’s on, and he can either eat it or go hungry.

A missed meal will not damage your son in any way, but the lesson is an invaluable one.

THIs Is goIng To be TougH on You As A fATHer, especIALLY If You’re THe InduLgenT TYpe

Three-biTe rule

Imagine how frustrating it must be for your wife to keep cooking new dishes, only to have your son reject them even without trying! Here’s a suggestion, the threebite rule: Your child has to try at least three bites of everything mom cooks.

This is a reasonable quantity to give oneself a chance to properly taste and know if one actually dislikes the dish or it’s just a mind block against trying new food.

ConVERSaTionS aRoUnd Food aRE a good way To gET ThE piCky EaTER To TUnE inTo EaTing

Opt for unusual mixes and educate young palates

Eat togEthEr

When families eat together, everyone benefits. It helps with reducing stress levels for adults, and builds better relationships among each other. In the case of kids, it improves their selfesteem, sharpens their problem-solving ability and even helps them perform better in school. eating together will make your son more open to experiences. he is likely to mimic your behaviour and try foods he may have otherwise rejected. Make it ‘special meals’ at least 2 days a week and order in. No, it need not be greasy restaurant food, nor does it have to be bland health foods. Just log into FreshMenu for healthy and delicious foods for the whole family to indulge in.

Play on curiosity: Order in dishes with some ingredients your child may not have tasted

#1

Smoky Chicken Tomato Soup

VeggIe-HATer cHILd? spend some TIme THInkIng ouT-of-THe-box

Work thE vEggiEs

Falafel Veggie Meal

16 Aug-sepT 2017 - Food For ThoughT | FreshMenu

getting young kids to eat veggies is a cumbersome task for every parent. so help your wife by spicing things up for your son.

Instead of serving veggies as a boring sabzi all the time, every once in a while, get inventive. Mix veggies with pickle and use them as a filling in a toast sandwich. or toss them with a chatpata chutney and serve as a wrap. every once in a while, order an interesting veg dish from FreshMenu - something with exotic ingredients such as a Mini Falafel Veggie Meal or the summer Fruit Cantaloupe salad… take the conversation around to the ingredients, where they originated and new foods to try next.

Situation #2: So you’ve decided to become fitter and healthier? Great! Here’s how you alter your food habits to boost your results at the gym.

Don’t Do anything Drastic

It’s important to assess your diet so that what you eat helps you reach your ideal weight and strength levels, but a word of caution here: don’t overdo anything and send your body into shock or deprivation mode. start slow, gradually cutting down on calories and the kind of foods you’re getting those calories from. An extreme diet is of little use if you’re going to feel so fatigued that you have to pump your system with coffee just to be able to function normally. don’t do it.

Go beyond meats. Try other proteins cooked differently; don’t demonise eggs

#2 don’T keep eATIng THe sAme THIngs, mIx THIngs up, pusH up THe experImenTs

don’t get all your carbs from a few tried and tested sources, keep mixing things up a bit so that your body doesn’t get used to one thing.

Your breakfast and post-workout meal should contain the bulk of your daily carb requirement to replenish depleted stores of energy. order in from freshmenu to break the monotony. The bumper chicken club and the desi french Toast are some options...

ProtEin, ProtEin, ProtEin

protein will help you build muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more effectively you will burn fat because muscles burn calories even when they are inactive.

Active exercisers require roughly two grams of protein per kilo of body weight.

Increase your protein intake through wholesome meals such as the grilled paneer Teriyaki salad, Chicken gado gado, paneer Bhurji rice Bowl, Chicken Fajita salad or similar options available on FreshMenu that are filling, healthy and delicious.

Eggplant Schnitzel Light Meal with Veggies and Mashed potatoes + Bread Roll

be smarT wiTh carbs

when you have some time, check the FreshMenu site. you will undestand how the menu options work. The daily variety is a good way to keep things ‘fresh’, kills the ennui of same-old, same-old

try to Eat six light mEals

get your calories from small frequent meals rather than two or three heavy meals. It is better to eat 1,500 calories over 6 light meals than have 1,200 calories in 3 big meals. It regulates blood sugar levels and improves metabolism, helping your body burn fat more efficiently. so, drop greasy cafeteria lunches and opt for freshly cooked, light meals. FreshMenu has a variety of light and hearty meal options to choose from.

FreshMenu | Food For ThoughT - Aug-sepT 2017 17

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Party-ready in an hour!

Buddies will be buddies. They fall upon you with demands, without giving you notice. You love to have them over but the wife’s working late and the maid is missing. Don’t worry. Here’s how you can set the mood and things right for an impromptu do with friends. And all within an hour!

Bring out all you need from the cupboards. Here is a ready reckoner: 4 4 4 4 4

think through and lay out serving utensils and crockery.

Wipe clean cutlery – make sure there are extras. do not forget the corkscrew or opener for the wine and beer.

A light and ashtrays if smoking is allowed in your house. ensure there are enough paper napkins. Call up your nearby department store and order in. (stock up on trendy party knick knacks for the future.)

18 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

Waste bin/s with garbage bags for the spill should be kept handy.

4 Chill the wine, beer and call for the extra ice that may be needed. 24x7 stores sell ice cubes so you could bring your supply from there. or tap the friendly neighbour.

4 have the glasses out too — this should include glasses for water, tall glasses for juices, beer mugs, whisky glasses, wine glasses - depends on the drinks on offer.

4 Keep your e-wallet charged in case you need to book a radio taxi from your mobile app.

4

Room temperature (5 minutes)

This is critical – good food, great liquor, even engaging conversation can’t make up. In summer, switch on the AC, check fans at least half hour before you expect your guests.

Blowers, heaters or a blazing fireplace (if you have the luxury) is the way to go in winter.

photos: ibudgetphoto.CoM

the ‘starters’ (15 minutes)

Get the basics out of the way (15 minutes)

Don’t bother with fancy settings; just make sure there’s plenty of everything

You may be at the receiving end of your wife’s nagging for the wet-towelon-bed syndrome daily but here’s a 10-minute ‘Cheat’s Clean-up’ plan that’s super easy.

Try it! l Wipe visible dust from all

surfaces.

with tissue, hand towels and hand wash.

l Put away everything

l Arrange for comfortable

strewn around. l If no time to wash piled

up dishes in the kitchen, put them out of sight, maybe in the back verandah. l Clean the loo, stock up

seating as per the number of guests. Strew around cushions – sofa and floor cushions. l On the table or sideboard, stack cutlery, plates to lay out the

appetizers (make sure the plates can be popped in the microwave to heat up the snacks if required). l Tick off the mental list as you lay out things – don’t attempt a fancy sit-down table setting. (For the next party remember to stock up on disposable tableware

– there’s plenty of classy stuff out there.) l On your coffee tables, arrange napkins, toothpicks, bowls to drop used toothpicks in and small plates for the appetizers.

Music to the mood (5 minutes) Choose the music to suit the occasion, it’s a must to set the mood. Peppy if it’s a young group, nostalgic if you guys are college friends, dulcet if the aim is to settle down to after-work de-stress. Download the music, set up your music app, connect your phone to the speakers and just let the music glide from one song to another. You could also ask your musically inclined friend to bring his playlist.

the perfume parameter (5 minutes) ‘Scent of a party’ – not many think of this but it sets the mood right way.

l Use joss sticks but sparingly, if you don’t have scented candles. If using candles, make sure the perfume is subtle - must not overwhelm your guests! Mint, clove and spring blossoms are good options to pick as the citrusy, spicy scents are almost universally appealing. (Shop and stock for next time.)

Get it right: l Light the candles early, blow off and relight them about 10 minutes before guests are due.

FreshMenu | Food For thought - Aug-sept 2017 19

Order in the eats (20 minutes) DeLicious, no-fuss Dinner n so

what do you do about food? Most of your friends would rather avoid the greasy chicken and butter naan type of food – especially not on a weekday, impromptu

get-together. Yet, a party is hardly the place to put out health foods. n this is where FreshMenu comes in as a saviour: the usp is innovative dishes made with fresh produce –

this is what brings in the taste not an overdose of spice and oil. the dishes are likely to please both the connoisseur and the health-conscious. n Feel free to experiment

- FreshMenu dishes are prepared keeping the Indian palate in mind. n the menu changes every day. the country of origin of the dish and food descriptions are detailed clearly.

Honey Chicken Peppers

first, the snacks

Chicken malai tikka and paneer tikka from the nearby takeout is a no-no. Try something different. Pick from these options from FreshMenu: 1. honey Chicken peppers 2. southwestern Fried Chicken strips 3. pan-fried Chilli Fish 4. honey Chilli Veggies 5. Louisiana golden Wings

FreshMenu servings are generous. For snacks, 1 serving is good for 2. If ordering 4-5 snacks & salads, 1 serving is good to go for 3

Southwestern Fried Chicken Strips

Honey Chilli Veggies

Louisiana Golden Wings

Pan-fried Chilli Fish

02 August 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

sweet notes

: Ask for a mix of desserts A medley of chocolaty, fruity, creamy desserts is a good idea. (Keep some bowls & spoons handy for guests who may want to serve themselves small portions.)

Don’t hold back on the desserts. Aim for a lavish sweet end

MUst KeeP in Mind

1

FreshMenu prepares food only after placement of order; no recycled stale food. so order with sufficient time in hand.

2

Innovation is at its best at FreshMenu. Check out all heads: Mains, Combos & specials of the day.

Arrange veg & non veg packs separately.

Best to use handy tablespoons as serving spoons if guests are helping themselves from the pack onto plates.

4

You know what your friends like – so order individually. Let all help themselves to whatever they prefer from the ‘mixed menu’ you’ve ordered. It may be interesting to sample diferent dishes.

5

or, simply pass around your ipad and let everyone make his choice & enter it into your list to be ordered.

Add at least 4 types of salads – 2 veg and 2 non veg. One salad per three persons should be good; set out in 4 large bowls. Works well as appetizers, and may be eaten with the main meal too.

If your snacks tend to be more non veg, balance out with veg salads - or vice versa. FreshMenu salads even make for a full meal with a soup on the side

6

If you want to go with ‘easier’ foods, click the Quick Bites section... Nothing ordinary there too.

2

set out the food after about an hour of guests arriving. don’t keep hungry guests waiting – especially if they are non-drinkers.

Mandarin Chicken Spinach Salad

FreshMenu | Food For ThoughT - AugusT 2017 03

fmeveryday

Food highs

GO EASY POWER UP MIDDLE PATH

for the week

GO FOR TASTE TIME OUT PARTY TIME

Add a little good-feel to every day of the week or simply choose a special day or two to enjoy an exotic meal – and no it need not be sinful or unhealthy or calorie-laden if it’s from FreshMenu

FAMILY BONDING

Indian favourites with a twist— FreshMenu scores on such innovations. Check it out!

POWER UP TUESDAY

Sprouts And Feta Salad

EASE INTO MONDAY

You’ve read the subhead and you know what’s in store today. That’s right – a day of healthy and light eating. You need this today because you’ve just indulged over the weekend! Today is the day for salads. A fresh, light, nutritious salad is a balanced meal with protein and greens – choose a filling one without a creamy dressing and with as many fresh veggies as possible. For dessert, you eat… nothing. Not today.

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Make boring Tuesdays exciting by going for a full power meal. For those of us who eat meat, there is always mutton curry and rice. The vegetarians can go for the old favourite rajma and rice. Today is the day for comfort food and the option may be Indian. Indulge yourself, go for a full flavoured home-style curry with rice or parathas. Follow it up with a nice red velvet cake or an Indian sweet – yes you can have that dessert today! Enjoy.

Rajma Chawal

rEfrESH

NEW FooDS ExpErIm EN & ENjOy T

MIDDLE PATH WEDNESDAY

For some reason, Wednesdays have always been a happy day. You are in the middle of the week, just 2 or 2.5 days to go to rest and relaxation and you’re making some serious headway into the week’s deadlines. There’s a definite midweek rush! Eat a nice and balanced meal which is not too heavy yet is not short on freshness or taste. A nice falafel/chicken wrap or a wholegrain chicken/paneer sandwich will be filling as well as tasty. For dessert, just have a small slice of cake with tea or coffee and get back to work already!

Minty Paneer Sandwich

TIME OUT FRIDAYS

It’s the end of the week and you can’t wait for the weekend so you need something to pick you up and recharge your senses. Think zing. Think fresh, flavourful but also something that gives you that shot of energy. Carbs are definitely in order but attempt a full balanced nutritional meal: carbs, protein, greens, the works. Go for a two-course meal today – with an appetizer and a main course. End with coffee and dessert.

Trifle Pudding (Eggless)

TASTY THURSDAY

Promise yourself that once a week you will try something new.

Today is the day. Never had sushi*? Don’t know what a falafel is? Try it now. Thought Creole was a type of a colour stick? Find out otherwise.

Discover a whole new cuisine every week by following this thrilling Thursday rule of trying out a new type of flavour every week! The same rule goes for dessert – enough of the same old cookies and cakes. Go for a trifle, an ice cream sandwich or a cake jar, something that you have never tried before is the only rule to follow.

a Small pOrTION Of DESSErT (SHarE wITH a frIEND) aND maybE SOmE blaCK COffEE TO GO wITH IT

The pizza at FreshMenu is different from your usual order-in fastfood

FACING PAGE TOP PHOTO: ibudgetphoto.CoM

PARTY TIME SATURDAY *CHECK THE DECODING SuSHI: HaNDmaDE rICE rOllS fIllED wITH fISH Or vEGGIES; falafEl: frIED CHICKpEa & bEaN paTTIES

FAMILY SUNDAY

Finally the weekend is here! Time to save the day by the only thing that matters in this world: good food! Today, go for taste. Choose everyone’s favourite combo: pizza and chocolate cake. Can’t go wrong with that, can we? Yes, it is sinful but it’s party time so no rules today – plus we are working out every day to shed those extra calories.

(AREN’T WE?)

It’s the day you order food for more than one, so combos are the way to go. Order a veg or non-veg combo that comes with an appetizer, mains and a dessert… it’s less fussy and you can get a great deal money-wise too! Some days should have no rules and no boundaries and today is that day – relax and enjoy your weekend because work is just around the corner!

Grilled Veggies N Farfalle Salad

INDULGE ENJoY! OpT fOr yOur favOurIT ES

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foodfantasy

g g e rt noesse d

Love IN A JAR

Trending now the world over, cakes in jars are a throwback to the good old sundae made up of layers of cake, cookies, cream, nuts and fruit This one is heaven on your palate and comes layered with dark chocolate sponge, white chocolate cream and a coffee almond crumble, with a few bits of sweet-and-tangy blueberries thrown in to create a delectable medley of taste.

A generous scattering of dark chocolate sprinkles adds to the richness of taste and completes the canvas of visual delight 24 Aug-sept 2017 - Food For thought | FreshMenu

Around the country with FreshMenu A view on how customers across the country behave on FreshMenu