Nutrition From Chile To India!

A country of Latin American origin spanning three continents - South America, Oceania, and Antarctica - phytosanitary island, protected by natural barriers - the Pacific Ocean, the Andes Mountains and the Atacama desert - and a global leader in exports - CHILE has come to India with the proposition to enhance exports of kiwifruit native to Chile to various marketplaces in the India.

Chile has a distinction of being the longest country in the world and also the southern hemisphere's largest exporter of fresh fruits because as many as hundred countries receive thirty different species of Chilean fruit grown across a variety of climates and regions.

Apples, berries, citrus fruits, peaches, plums, and grapes are cultivated across the varied demographic of Chile all year round. During the last season Chile exported close to thirty thousand tonnes of fresh fruit to India, thus positioning it among the Top 5 countries in Asia for Chilean exports.

India's growing love for fruits like Kiwi stems from the fact that we've developed a liking towards tropical produce that enables us to savor the best from the global platter whilst keeping our health in check.

To facilitate the presence of Chilean Kiwi in India, the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association has joined hands with the Chilean Fruit Growers Federation (FEDEFRUTA) further cemented by the the financing by Ministry of Agriculture of Chile and support from the commercial trade wing - ProChile.

Apart from dignitaries representing the above alliance, also present at the occasion were Padma Shri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and nutritionist Kavita Devgan who were quick to point out that fruit can be equated to snack, and a healthy one at that.

Kavita also added that kiwifruit is a berry good fruit for us, as it is a powerhouse of essential vitamins, anti-oxidants, and folate, added to the fact that as a fruit, kiwi is alkaline in nature, thus balancing our intestinal pH.

Additionally, Chef Sanjeev also took to whipping up a refreshing concoction of kiwi, mango and honey - a kiwi fruit smoothie - to exhibit the culinary versatility of the fruit.

On the whole, the Chile-India association is a pleasant one and shall be a well-received one too.

Food Review: Dubliin Square

Dubliin Square is a classy, unexplored gem in the heart of North West Delhi i.e. Rohini. Located in the Mangalam Paradise Mall in Sector 3, it is a restaurant that has a diverse food and brewery section incorporated into it on two separate floors of the mall.

While the brewery also houses a DJ for those dance-it-away nights, the food place is essentially a fine-dine concept for calmer, food-centric evenings. Finely done ambiance with spacious seating and well-lit interiors is what scores a point in their tally.

They have a vast and varied menu spanning across a spiral-binded booklet of about 30 pages or so, it was overwhelming at first sight to realize that Dubliin Square boasts of three kitchens and a team of ten chefs each catering to Indian, Chinese and Italian cuisines.

The fact that the owners and managing directors here have a food industry and business-oriented acumen to their credit works in their favor. The stewards are well versed with the nuances of the dishes and most of them are flavorful and presented nicely.

I would be listing my favorites from each course of the three-course meal I relished at a Blogger's Table held here last week.

From the appetizers, loved the start and the end in particular - namely the Paneer Multani Tikka (Chef's Special) - huge cottage cheese chunks marinated in hung curd, and Bhuttey De Kebab - shaped like corn on the cob - sweet corn and potato mash fried to perfection.

Apart from these, do try their Chicken White Sauce - not Fish, mind you, and it is a pleasant changeover from the classic - and Vegetable Spring Roll - crispy and flavorful.

In the Main Course, liked their Subz Biryani that was plated quite aesthetically and the Murgh Methi Malai that was a thick, creamy gravy with large chicken pieces.

You could also opt for their Chinese Fried Rice, though the Mushroom and Thai Green Curries are a bit high on their spice.

Also loved the presentation of their Fruit Punch with a lime slice on top in a thick, shake-like mocktail.

The dessert namely Shahi Tukda and Moong Dal Halwa were to die for! Not your usual heavily oiled preparation but very light and smooth on the palate.

Wishing the Team luck with their venture to impress patrons at Dubliin Square in the future as it is a relatively newer kid on the block. 

Tea, The Elixir of Life...

The world has forever been divided - over the love of beverages - Tea and Coffee. While Tea is sourced from a plant and Coffee from a bean, both being natural powerhouses in their own right, this week, an invite was extended to me on behalf of the former.

Tea is known as the elixir of life, to the extent that they say, 'Every time is Tea Time'. Some of us associate fond memories to Tea, coupled with Rain, while I, as a kid, used to play with biscuits as a tea dip! :)

Typhoo, one of UK’s finest tea brand invited me to a panel discussion focusing on Tea as a timeless beverage and its various advantages. A three-member panel, consisting of noted Journalist Sharmila Chand, who has authored "Cheers :365 Cocktails and Mocktails", Nutritionist Dr. Neelanjana Singh of "Our Kids Eat Everything" fame, and Mr. Subrata Mukherjee, representing Typhoo India. The talk revolved around the 'miracle beverage', with its multiple benefits across numerous fields of application.

Mr. Mukherjee, spoke on how Typhoo's teas and infusions were suited to the millenial generation, while breaking the news that Typhoo had come up with an innovative caffeine-free organic range, consisting of Chamomile and Peppermint variants.

While Dr. Neelanjana made known to us that Tea was indeed a stronger contender over Coffee as it worked as a calmer rather than an energizer, Sharmila Chand moderated the panel discussion. Also, Dr. Singh was of the view that homemade remedies involving Tea were preferred as opposed to their pre-processed or ready made counterparts.

Concluding this terrific Tea Tale, we had a variety of Tea mocktails from Ms. Chand's book "Cheers: 365 Cocktails and Mocktails" coupled with Typhoo's fruit and herb based Fruit Infusions.

My personal favorite was Crimson Glow, that was based on Typhoo's Orange Spicer Infusion.