A twist in the strawberry

Regardless of how exotic the afters are in a dessert buffet, it’s the strawberries that are the first to disappear. “That’s because the strawberry is the most attractive fruit available,” says Prashant Sabne, pastry chef at the Renaissance Hotel. “Now that food is as much about the presentation as it is about taste, the eye-appeal in strawberries makes it an attractive and appetising addition to any dessert.”

What makes the bright red fruit more irresistible is the easy availability. With 80-85% of India’s strawberries coming from Mahabaleshwar in a few weeks Mumbai and Pune have easy access to the fruit. You don’t even have to go hunting for them: in another few weeks, vendors will accost you with boxes of fresh strawberries at every major traffic light in the city.

Not only are they pretty and tasty, strawberries also has a range of health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins C, K, B6 and B12, potassium and manganese, the unassuming little fruit boosts energy levels and also has cancer-fighting properties (see box). “Antioxidants help control ageing, and acids in the fruit help remove stains from teeth,” says Sabne. Oh, and (unless you indulge with rich cream) they’re not too fattening either: One cup of strawberries has only 48 calories.

You must see red…
Its benefits are what make it a good way to start your day. Even if it’s a few strawberries before breakfast. “Or, you could chop them up and add them to your breakfast cereal. This will keep you energised,” says Sabne. A strawberry milkshake or yogurt is ideal. And easy to make. Crush fresh strawberries in a blender with milk and sugar and you have a healthy milkshake.

Aside from basic recipes with strawberries — the likes of strawberry milkshake and strawberries with cream — there are the more complex recipes. A preserve is probably the most important strawberry preparation because all you have to do is bottle it and store it in the refrigerator. Take it from someone who knows, a preserve is most handy when you’re having guests over (serve it with vanilla ice cream or make a mousse), or if you suddenly have a craving for strawberries (use the preserve for milkshakes or just dig in with a spoon).

Berry creative
Because of its versatility, the berry can be paired with a whole range of foods. The sweetness of strawberries goes well with the slight sourness in yogurt, the fizz in champagne, the bitterness of chocolate, the saltiness of butter, or — wait for it — the tangy taste of balsamic vinegar too.

Using these couplings, for four months in the year, chefs and enthusiasts enjoy innovating with strawberries. Sabne, who is preparing for a 14-day ‘strawberry fiesta’ at the Renaissance, has created a ‘strawberry balsamic chocolate’, a chocolate shell filled with strawberry cream and balsamic vinegar, and topped with chopped-up bits of strawberry.

Pooja Dhingra, who owns the Le 15 Patisserie, remembers a salad with lettuce, onions, walnuts, balsamic vinegar and strawberries. The combination may sound odd, but tasted “yum”.

“The acidity of vinegar enhances the berries,” she says.
Dhingra finds multiple uses for strawberry butter. “It’s easy to make: Chop up strawberries and put it in the mixer with regular Amul butter,” she says. You can use this for pancakes, toasts, crepes or even icing cupcakes.

But Dhingra’s favourite memory of the fruit is still strawberries and cream that she had in Mahabaleshwar as a child. So she created a strawberry cream tart that, she says, will “connect with anyone who grew up in Mumbai and took annual trips to Mahabaleshwar with their families”.

From jellies and jams to ice-cream and mousse-cakes, the strawberry has a range of uses. And if that’s not enough, it’s used in soaps too. Remember ads for a strawberry facewash?