Late-night pangs

Late-night snacking is just emotional eating, says Dr Shikha Sharma, the “nutritionist” (“weight loss guru” can be so politically incorrect), whose words I pay heed to but do not follow. Sharma is right. Nothing else can explain the quantities of Pringles (and beer) consumed in our house watching the tragi-comic T-20 saga.

Carbs comfort you — and truly, much comfort was gained from the munchies as we watched West Indies and England take on Dhoni & Co in identical fashion. India’s outing against South Africa, on the other hand, made for unadulterated comedy — the fumblings and exchange of glares, one run-out and another almost-run-out, and chuckling commentators wondering which “height” the Indian batsmen could play — enjoyed over popcorn.

 

This is still a food column and cricket finds mention only to highlight the “problem” of late-night binging that many of us have to contend with. Maggi microwaved is the single most popular answer to such hunger pangs — though, of course, the correct way, experts suggest, to deal with them is to keep a bowl of cut-fruit ready in the ref. Then, there are traditional succours: In a poignant story, painting a vivid picture of life in a Pakistani village, author Daniyal Mueenuddin, for instance, evokes the nostalgia of sugar-stuffed paranthas, post-dinner. Various blogs, alternately, advise us on “healthy cures” such as cups of decaf coffee or diet cola — although aspartame in the cola can hardly do anyone good. On the other hand, raiding an ill-stocked kitchen in the middle of the night can inspire much creativity too. A friend recalls boiled eggs and boiled potatoes chaat with great fondness. And in college, in the hostel, our group found a way to dress up Marie biscuits with toothpaste, the colour of jam. After all, we don’t just eat just with our tongues!

Professional chefs have better recipes than these, which is why I asked some to share their favourites with us. You’ll find these absurdly simple, using common ingredients.

Ritu Dalmia: The talented chef-owner of Delhi’s Diva is diabetic. That limits what she can actually eat — and not just taste in the restaurant kitchen. Junk food is naturally out, instead, Ritu keeps carrot and cucumber sticks in her fridge with a bowl of homemade Baba Ghanoush. The dip is simple to make. All you need is a large eggplant, to be roasted on the flame. Take the skin off, de-seed, and mash the “flesh” with a fork, seasoning with salt, lemon juice and garlic paste. Add one big teaspoon of Tahina to this, easily available these days at stores. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and paprika.

Manu Chandra: Delhi-boy Manu looks after Olive Beach, Bangalore, and has lately taken charge of the Olive in Mumbai too. He suggests a recipe which may not look healthy at first — but is (relatively speaking): Take a small bag of potato chips and crunch them into a powder. Take one chicken breast (or fish fillet or paneer, if you are a vegetarian), cut it into strips, season with salt and pepper and any herb you may have (basil, coriander, Tabasco...), roll it in the crumbs. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sear these in it. What you get is a crunchy snack, soft inside. It’s not unhealthy, says Manu, because the chips, already fried, are saturated and do not absorb oil.

Sanjeev Kapoor: The Khana Khazana chef sends me this on Facebook; from his TV Dinners. It’s a rather elaborate sandwich that you can rustle up for a surprise guest.

Brown bread: 8 slices, white bread: 4 slices, potatoes, boiled and grated: 3 medium, salt: to taste, black pepper, chilli flakes, green capsicum, chopped: 1, hung yogurt: 2 tbsp, butter: 2 tbsp, onions, cut into slices: 2, cucumbers, sliced: 2, tomatoes, sliced: 2, pickled gherkins

Take potatoes in a bowl. Add salt, peppers, chilli, and hung yogurt. Mix well. Take a slice of white bread and two of brown bread per sandwich. Spread the mix evenly on one slice of brown bread. Top it with an onion slice, sprinkle salt and pepper and cover with a slice of white bread. Place cucumber and tomato slices over this. Place a few gherkin slices and cover with the second slice of brown bread. Grill, applying butter on the slice.

(anoothi.vishal@bsmail.in)