Times of India

Mediterranean rules on Delhi’s dinner plates

Kanika Dhawan, TNN 27 September 2009, 11:49pm IST

NEW DELHI: All ye olive oil lovers, hummus has-beens and falafel
fanatics, brace yourself for new Mediterranean cuisines, flavour,
texture
and tastes.

A posh party at a Mehrauli farmhouse is in full swing, Punjabi pop,
Scotch on the rocks et al. Soon the dinner is served. Strangely,
butter chicken, dal makhani and the ubiquitous naan are missing. The
table is loaded with Mediterranean delights of a different kind. Wafts
of steamed kibbeh bat popular in the Syrian city of Aleppo, makloobet
betinjan or eggplant upside down and qoozi or roasted lamb permeate
the air. On the other side of town, a couple enters a European cafi at
the upwardly Khan Market and order an Egyptian pasta-lentil-rice-dish
koshary. Farther away, somewhere in North Delhi, guests at an Indian
wedding sample Syrian kharouf mahshi or stuffed lamb.

Move over Lebanese, Delhi is busy devouring Egyptian, Jordanian,
Moroccan, Turkish and Syrian cuisines. Labneh, taboulleh and the mall
favourite shawarma no longer figure on a Mediterranean must-have
list. Delhi’s belly is changing and so are the taste buds of its
denizens. Initially Lebanese cuisine caught on with Delhiites. The
reason, says half-Syrian, half-Greek chef Dr Raffi Aslanian is that
Lebanese food is sophisticated and lighter because of its European
influence. Syrian and other cuisines are typically traditional and
much richer.

Interestingly, the cuisines culinary cauldron is churning out some
mean curries, cuts and herb-infused delicacies. Raffi who came to
India 18 years back has been catering Mediterranean food ever since he
landed here. He is amazed at the way these distinct cuisines are being
received by Delhiites. Initially, Mediterranean food was only
restricted to Lebanese. "You could pass of anything as an exotic snack
and get away with it. But you cannot cheat them anymore and serve them
a bad kibbeh or lahmajoon (Armenian pizza). Delhiites surely know the
differenc
ke cuisine," he says. And how.

Globe trotting around the world, Delhi’s dudes and divas are the new
well-travelled tribe of food connoisseurs. They, mind you, are no
bobos. Olive’s AD Singh who recently held a progressive Mediterranean
fest at his restaurant affirms, Indians are eating the way the world
does. And they are aware of what is going into their mouths. To the
tee, affirms restaurateur Rajneesh Malik who runs a Moroccan eatery,
Fez Dining. "We decided to experiment and served tajine (a medley of
mutton, veggies, dry fruits and condiments), the traditional way with
a mild sweet base. People loved it and didn’t feel repulsed with the
sweet-in-a-meat dish because they knew it was authentic," he says.

The proof of this changing gastronomy is the fact that so many nouveau
Mediterranean eateries have opened up around Delhi. So, the next time
you go to Lajpat Nagar and spot a chef with azure eyes handing out
menus, don’t dismiss him as a nobody. Walk right into his nondescript
Turkish restaurant and try an urfa kebab. You will not be
disappointed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress