With almost everything else this year having been unprecedented, it’s little wonder that 2020 has introduced a new take on the traditional Indian festive season that kicks off with the onset of winter.
With restaurants still trying every trick in the book, as well as new ones, to entice customers through their doors, this Diwali, restaurants are betting big on unusual twists to classic desserts to offer their guests something familiar and favourite, with a touch of the new.
“At Daryaganj restaurants, we always believe in the spirit of innovation, our founder’s grandfather, the late Kundan Lal Jaggi, having helped invent two of the most popular dishes of Indian cuisine: Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. Taking that legacy we have created the Baileys Kulfi, giving a modern twist to the traditional kulfi. After experimenting with multiple prototypes, and testing the drip tray with actual kulfi on the stick samples we finalised the final product design. The first bite gives the taste of a traditional kulfi and culminates immediately into an after taste of the popular creamy liqueur Baileys,” says Amit Bagga, Co- Founder, Daryaganj, adding, “Apart from the kulfi, we are also launching a classic Indian mithai brand this Diwali which will serve traditional mithais of India, but in a chic and contemporary styling and packaging, while keeping the flavours intact.”
Turning to the more experimental side is Chef Anas Qureshi at Molecule (Green Park and Gurugram) believes that desserts can be lot of fun when featuring an amalgamation of different techniques and ingredients.
“An inter-play of Indian and modern desserts can be delicious, and while being reimagined creatively it can hit the same notes of nostalgia. At Molecule, we are proud of having introduced desserts like Kulfi Panna Cotta Falooda, where two very different cooking techniques are used to turn an Italian classic Panna Cotta into the all-time favourite Indian dessert,” he says, mentioning other interesting desserts like Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, wherein Gulab Jamun is segmented and stuffed in between the cheesecake and baked.
Among the most popular Indian desserts being reimagined is the jalebi.
Chef Rajesh Prasad at Friction the Drinkery, in Gurugram is playing with jalebi and rabri, once again in an Italian setting, with a Jalebi Pizza, wherein Rabri and Jalebi are topped on a toasted dough crust and fired up to make for a modern Indian dessert.
Bhawan, the Indian street food delivery service, launched by Kainaz Contractor and Rahul Dua of Rustom’s fame, meanwhile has an eclectic offering of the traditional and the contemporary, wi th fai thful ly reproduced classics like Motichoor Laddoo and Milk Cake with their own twists and takes like Nutella Peda and Coconut Passion Fruit Barfis.
Dairy and glutenfree as well as keto-friendly options are available on request, as are customised orders. How sweet it is.