HYDERABAD: You probably saw vegetables lined in alphabetical order as a child, but have you ever heard of desserts from A-Z? Well, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre has done just that, with 26 desserts on their menu, as part of their Sunday brunch. Experimenting with different vegetables, fruits and herbs, etc., they’ve done a great job at making dessert a healthy affair.
From Avocado dark chocolate mousse (yes, you read that right) to the Zucchini upside down, the spread is more than what comes to the mind when you think ‘healthy dessert’. Satya Oandari, executive chef, at NHCC says, “Desserts are often looked at as an unhealthy indulgence and we wanted to change that. We began experimenting with the letter ‘a’ and came up with a beautiful combination of avocado and chocolate and worked our way to ‘z’.”
Several of their 26 desserts include interesting combinations, such as Iceburg lettuce macaroons, Ginger-infused mango creme brulee, Exotic wildberry pavlova, Carrot verrine with celery cream fraiche, Drumstick berry cremeaux on pressed sable, Mango basil frangipane tart, Lemongrass rasmalai, Sweetcorn sandesh, Oatmeal badam halwa, Rhubarb kalakand and the X-factor millet energy, among many others.
What started as a trial on the occasion of Father’s Day went on to become a crowd favourite. “We hope to keep this going — and it all depends on how much this unique spread is loved by Hyderabadis,” the chef tells CE. Talking about all that went behind curating the perfect alphabet, he shares says, “The entire ideation took us a week and then we set on to experiment with different fruits and veggies.
For example, we tried different ingredients to make the Palak halwa. We kept thinking a lot for the letter ‘z’ and attempted to experiment with the healthy zucchini. It turned out to taste so good! A lot of trial and error led to such a perfect blend of ingredients to ensure nothing seems off-putting.”
While the alphabet dessert spread might not be an everyday delight, the chef says, “We are currently planning to put them up occasionally, because a lot goes into the making of these dishes. NHCC is known for its unique yet yummy desserts and we can’t wait to make it a regular, hopefully soon.”