Hyper local ingredients are making a strong statement in menus across restaurants as ethical eating takes center stage especially in a COVID-19 world.
Hyper-local sourcing is gaining a rising popularity as it focuses on the idea of producing the ingredients domestically. It involves growing a plethora of ingredients organically, usually in the backyard or a rooftop garden.
Hyper-local, is exactly what the name implies – extremely local; to the extent that the produce is cultivated or grown on the premises of the restaurant offering hyper-local cuisine. Eating local and hyper-local food is one way to get healthiest dishes while making a small contribution to the welfare of the environment.
Curried Black Carrot Soup (Courtesy Tarun Sibal)
Ingredients (2 large, meal servings):
- 500-600 gm black carrots cleaned and diced in irregular pieces
- 150 gm red shallots or baby onions quartered (use less or skip if you don’t like their sweetness)
- 6-8 pods of garlic chopped roughly
- Few springs of marjoram or any herb you like (celery works or ad coriander greens)
- 2 tsp mustard or olive oil, I have been using more mustard oil lately
- 1 tbsp tahini or roasted sesame paste
- 2-3 tbsp thick cultured yogurt (whisked)
- 10 walnuts halves
- Some feta cheese
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the oil in a pressure cooker pan or a deep pan and tip in the garlic, onion and diced black carrots. Add salt and pepper and toss and stir till it all looks glazed and slightly browned at the edges.
- Add marjoram or whatever herbs you are using, toss a little and add about 100 ml water. Fix the lid and cook till the first whistle blows. Take off the heat and let the cooker cool. I normally do this in the morning when I cook my breakfast and lunch and leave the pressure cooker undisturbed till required for the dinner.
- If coking in a stock pot you need a little more water, cook covered till softened.
- Now blend the contents when the soup needs to be served. Transfer the contents of the cooker to a blender along with tahini, yogurt and a little water if required. Blend till smooth.
- Transfer to the pot and simmer, adjust seasoning and serve topped with broken walnuts and chunks of feta cheese.
Read the story that first appeared in The Tribune dated Sep 6, 2020 here:
