Monday, March 16, 2015

Trendy Microgreens

New things on my plate eliminate the mundanity of table regulars. Stuff, that we eat daily. As a child I often used to wonder if our life would ever move ahead of the normal dal, roti, peas, carrots, rajma, aloo and so on. Will there ever be born again vegetables? My wishes were heard, a little late in life, but they were. Growing up I discovered foods that I had not eaten earlier. And as late as now, I also discovered microgreens. 
Let me begin from the beginning. A few years ago, I was introduced to exotic salad leaves like Rocket and Arugula, which are now quite common at Delhi dining tables. Recently, I discovered many chefs were using mini greens or micro greens to enhance the flavour of their dishes as well as add a charming visual appeal. Mostly, I've seen chefs using microgreens to add a curious, visual factor while plating their food. And very often, I find myself being 'educated' that I have microgreens on my plate. So, it would only be apt to talk about them on the blog. 
Microgreens are nutrient dense and are typically sown and harvested within 7 to 14 days. There are quite a few of them available on supermarket sheleves. They come in varied colours and flavours like Radish cress, Cilantro cress, Arugula cress, Mustard cress, Lolo Rosso, Beet cress and so on. Microgreens are grown in plastic trays and need good monitoring, the right amount of sun, shade, air and basically quite a lot of care. Some, use sprouting pads to grow them (mostly outside India) and others use cocopeat. I've got some Red Cabbage Cress Microgreens to showcase. They have a red stem and green leaves and could make for many a pretty plates. They taste like well, cabbage, and are as crunchy. I planted them in my hummus pot to up the visual factor. Have a look and stay tuned for much more, pretty soon! 




4 comments:

Anita said...

I have been meaning to try some - methi and mustard seeds are always at hand! That is looking very pretty indeed!

Reeta Skeeter said...

Hi shwets_24..you can look for Arugula and Kale at Foodhall or Godrej nature's basket...you are from Delhi?

shwets_24 said...

Hey...thanks for quick reply. Yes, I am from Delhi and work in gurgaon. Both foodhall and natures basket are quite accessible. Will def give it a shot. Thanks a ton!

shwets_24 said...

Hey...thanks for quick reply. Yes, I am from Delhi and work in gurgaon. Both foodhall and natures basket are quite accessible. Will def give it a shot. Thanks a ton!