BENGALURU:I have been working in the culinary industry for over 18 years now. My journey took a better turn when I joined The Tamara Hospitality, tamara meaning lotus. When you think of lotus as an ingredient, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is the lotus stem, but lotus has more to offer. Apart from its stem and flower, the lotus leaf is also a great ingredient that can be used in the recipe.
I once created one of my signature dishes using this beautiful ingredient, the lotus leaf, to feature on the menu. The Wild Mushroom Shrimp and Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaf is a favourite among our visitors.
Experimentation with lotus leaf saw a lot of trial and error. The first time I created this dish, the leaves did not offer aroma and flavour as I had expected. After a few alterations to the methods used to create the dish, I found the perfect recipe. The lotus leaves are waterproof and hence, it holds on to other ingredients very well. It is quite big in size as well so it is not a problem putting it all together. It has several health benefits. For example, the lotus leaves are full of antioxidants and they can help increase blood flow to the heart and lower blood pressure. It boosts your metabolism and helps you lose weight.
The best part of this dish is when the excitement and expression of people when they open the lotus leaf pockets. The steam is well preserved within the lotus leaf and hence, when it is opened, it gives a great aroma.
To people who’d like to cook with the lotus leaf, I would suggest to use fresh leaves. If it is not available, you can use dry leaves which are easily available in the market.
– Chef Ranjan Samal, executive chef,The Tamara Kodai