The Imperial Culinary Club celebrated women’s day with chef Parul Pratap's healthy recipes & tea sommelier Anamika Singh's tea infusions

CELEBRATING THE power of women, The Imperial Culinary Club organised a session dedicated to superfoods with Chef Parul Pratap and Tea Sommelier Anamika Singh- Founder of Anandini Himalaya Tea. The duo led their expertise to the club with a live culinary session on superfood recipes and tea infusions. The session focused on every common house kitchens where women can bring the best use of superfoods.

Turmeric, Spinach, cumin, pomegranate, beetroot, walnuts and more. The smorgasbord of these superfoods and spices is actually hidden in a woman’s kitchens. The concept of superfoods has been trending for a while and has gained recognition, both nationally and internationally.

‘Superfoods’ worldwide are mostly international foods such as kale, chia seeds, and quinoa and have come into India at the cost of the rich variety of Indian foods that have existed for centuries. The term has started gaining popularity among Indians because of their rich omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and dietary fibre.

In India, the label superfood is being associated with the forgotten foods like millets, amaranth, basil seeds and the likes. Expressing her views, Chef Parul stated, "Food heals. Food is the medicine for not just the soul but several ailments as well, by including certain ingredients in our everyday meals and snacks, we can aid healing and enhance the nutritive value of what we eat. By using superfoods in our daily meals, we can make every dish delicious and healthy without compromising on indulgence or taste."

Chef Parul, in her interactive master class, demonstrated the recipe of Pumpkin Risotto with Basil Butter and Oats Apple Crumble in details which can simply be made by easily accessible ingredients. Apple Crumble originated during World War II food rationing. The topping is made of butter, flour, and brown sugar rolled together so that it resembles breadcrumbs. The major objective was to discover the relevance and the secret health benefits of our very own spice box, herbs and vegetables.

Complementing Chef Parul’s culinary tribute to women was Anamika’s all new tea blends. Born into a family of tea makers and drinkers, Anamika carries an ocean full of knowledge on tea. While introducing two new lovely flavours, ‘Humming Homeward’ and ‘Bronze’, Anamika shared the grasp of ‘How to Make a Perfect Cup of Tea’. “One should be very careful while choosing the type of tea to use. It is important to know the source of the tea leaves. Create an experience with a cup of tea. Eventually what you sip is what affects your body. Hence be mindful about what you sip,” she says. 

The session was a 38th remarkable addition to the tradition of The Imperial culinary club. “The Imperial culinary club has a huge following in creating unforgettable learning experiences for our discerning guests. We have taught global recipes, tried to impart culinary skills in the simplest manner with interactive sessions on a live station and solved all home cooking queries for them,” Vijay Wanchoo, Senior Executive Vice President & General Manager, the Imperial, New Delhi added.

Speaking about his future plans with the club, Wanchoo expressed his desire to launch a special coffee table book showcasing The Imperial’s cuisine.