Molecular cuisine exits to make way for Indian cuisine in 2017

While the food industry never ceased to make use of technology to improvise, chefs feel that it is the rapidly growing number of health-conscious consumers that has resulted in a visible decrease in the number of takers for molecular cuisine that uses chemical transformation of ingredients to create the necessary visual effects.

Chef Akshay Nayyar of 'Tourist' that recently opened, feels the recent culinary trends show a shift back to a dining culture where the taste of food is supreme.

"Molecular gastronomy came with a big bang in the last 5 years but is now fading out as people these days are moving back to dining concepts where food and its taste is prima facie.

"The epicentre of dining for guests is its ultimate taste for which they could crave and return back. Simple white and black plate with natural garnishing, has taken the main stage today," Nayyar told PTI.

He says molecular gastronomy was like a temporary movement that caught up only to predictably wane away, unlike the quintessential Indian food that has survived the test of time.

"Molecular Chaat is a one-time experience but now people prefer eating authentic chaat to get that real flavour. Likewise, spheres filled with various liquids ranging from Mojitos to Lassi could not excite diners to an extent that they forget their usual drinks," Nayyar says.

With a diverse experience of over three decades in the industry, Sanjay Chowdhary of World Art Dining, notes that the fruit and vegetable caviars that used calcium bath in molecular preparation can be made healthier with the organic process using extra virgin olive oil.

"Same goes with making fruit spaghettis. Through the dropper, we use same olive oil bath. And then to make the froths with cream chargers using nitrogen cylinder, we use regular cream whisks and a bit of natural jello and get the same results, minus the chemical treatment," Chowdhary explains.

To fill in the gap, dishes offering authentic flavours from different regions of the country are likely to come back in both traditional and innovated forms. 

Prithipal Singh, who is the Food and Beverage Manager with the Pride Plaza Hotel, says the younger generation has not had the opportunity of tasting Indian food in its classic form, owing to all the experimentation, and hints that the demand might now herald the return of the "lost Indian recipes".

"Younger generations haven't tasted or experienced the classic Indian taste. The mutton rogan josh that they have tasted are usually infused with pomegranate syrup, and it is likely that they have not tasted the dorra kebabs which originally use sugarcane sticks," says Singh.

The hotel will "bring back the essence of authentic Indian cuisine" with the re-introduction of dishes like Butter Chicken, Dorra kebab, Mutton Galouti kebab, Patthar ka Gosht, Mutton Rogan Josh, in their menus.

While Chef Inderdev of Fortune Select Excalibiur feels improper representation and use of Molecular gastronomy is responsible for the fading interest in the cuisine, he agreed to an existing demand for "healthy Indian food with a twist".

He experiments with the ingredients to maintain a balance between the taste and health quotient in dishes like 'Missi Roti Chaat', 'Ras Malai Velvet Pastry' and 'Mascarpone Chhena Kebab' among others.