Don’t know what to do with leftover food? Mumbai chefs share easy ways to convert it into innovative dishes

It can especially happen when there is a party or gathering of people that results in a lot of food being consumed but at the same time a lot of excess food that remains. Now, many of us don't like to eat leftover food because it may seem stale or very soggy. This leads us to throw it all away.

It is not new to take leftover food for granted. If you really don't know what to do with the food and throw it out, then you may just be wrong because Mumbai chefs say otherwise. There is a lot that can be done with leftover food and there are not only easy ways to do it but also innovative ways to enjoy them. They may just make you rethink your relationship with leftovers.

Niyati Rao, head chef and partner at Ekaa explains, "It's all about perspective and effort. It comes from a deeper understanding of not throwing good food away and somewhere it also fuels imagination. Sometimes we have to take inspiration from our mothers as they do it best. Somewhere adapting that in the restaurant becomes easy."

The city chef reminds us that the Goan dish ross omelette is in fact made from leftovers. "For breakfast, the leftover curry is generously poured over the eggs and enjoyed with bread," she explains. Rao is one who puts theory to practise at the restaurant itself because when the team is in the kitchen and making chicken wing tapas, they simply take the end bone leftovers and make a quick saucy friend wingtip. It becomes a quick snack during the hustle and bustle in the kitchen.

On the other hand, Aditi Handa, head chef and co-founder of The Baker's Dozen, says while she tries to eliminate the possibility of excess food by estimation in the first place, it may not always be possible, and that's why she has a practice for such times. "I am a big fan of freezing and in my opinion most food items can be frozen. If I have leftovers, whether savoury or sweet, I tend to freeze and then one day of the week, I take the frozen leftovers and make a meal of it," she explains.

While cuisines may vary around the world and in India, there are some food items that always tend to remain. Leftover rice, dal, gravies or simply stir-fried vegetables feature among these and are mostly left sitting at the back of the fridge. Many may even wonder whether they can do anything with it. The sheer thought of eating leftover food may also disgust people. However, if you move over that and sort out everything that can be used, then one can not only make other Indian dishes but also those from other cuisines and they could be nothing like you imagined or simply quick and easy, as it brings down the cooking time.

Innovating with dals and gravies
In fact, even though chefs are constantly experimenting with food, they go back to the basics for a lot of the food they consume on a daily basis, when it remains. Chef Sharif Qureshi with ITC Grand Central, shares, "It's all about your palate and the choice you make. I believe innovation can happen if we really want to. Often, important regular dishes such as dal, sabzi or salads might get left out. In our home, we mix the leftover dal and rolled oats with some ghee and spices to make some nice masala oats for breakfast. It is definitely a must try."

But masala oats isn't the only option to explore because Handa says one can simply use the leftover dal to also make parathas. "Leftover dal makes the best dal parathas ever. You can make them more interesting by adding some vegetables if required," she adds. Yes, dal features regularly in many Indian homes but Indian food is much more diverse than that. If you are worried how to use other gravies, then Handa says fresh lettuce can come to the rescue. Leftover curries can be rolled into a lettuce leaf and become an on-the-go meal. While the lettuce adds freshness and crunchiness to the wrap, adding some peri peri sauce will give it an extra zing.

It is no different for Kishore Arde, head chef with Sushi & More, which serves Japanese cuisine. He says gravies, rice and vegetables can be converted into a wide variety of dishes that can appeal to every palate. "Leftover gravies can be used for soups to enhance the flavour and give them a base. We can also make dipping sauces, and they can also be used for pizzas, pasta, and wraps," he shares. However, there are other uses of gravies. Chef Vinayak Patil, associated with Butterfly High, which has outlets in Thane and Bandra Kurla Complex, shares, "Gravies often taste better the next day!". It is also the reason why he says they can be used to make dressings for fries and stews, apart from soups, wraps and Italian specialities.

Find versatility in rice
While one may find it difficult to imagine making a dipping sauce out of gravy, Arde, talks from personal experience and vouches for its flavour and ability to combine and make unique dishes. "I used leftover makhani gravy and mayonnaise to make a dipping sauce for rice korokke (cutlets) made from leftover rice with some seasoning and panko crumbs," says the city chef, highlighting how they are a perfect pairing. Interestingly, korokke isn't the only dish Arde suggests making from rice. Making a few additions and subtractions, he says, "The leftover rice, gravy, and vegetables can be assembled together to create an interesting new Donburi (rice bowl) by adding a fresh salad to it."

Elsewhere in the city, chef Freny Fernandes, who is the founder of Moner Bistro & Dessert Bar in Bandra, says people can also use the rice to make another Italian delicacy. "Use leftover rice by turning it into these delicious cheesy balls called Arancini. Cook the rice with some cream, mozzarella and any kind of ham or meat if you like. Let it cool. Shape into balls. Coat in breadcrumbs and fry. Serve hot," she shares. Chef Amit Shetty with Café Noir in Lower Parel tells you to take experimenting a little further and try making a herb pilaf. "It is an accompaniment with Au gratin. Sauté the rice in melted butter with some finely chopped parsley and herbs. This is a winter dish and best enjoyed on Thanksgiving or for Christmas," he shares in time as Mumbaikars get ready to welcome the winter season.

Arde and Patil remind that if anything else seems difficult then going back to the basics by turning old rice into idli, dosa, fried rice, schezwan rice, lemon rice or pulao too can always be made. Ask Handa how rice can be made and her options are plenty. She says one can simply add some vegetables, herbs to rice and make it into a stuffing and bake in red capsicum, which can be topped with some chilli sauce before it's served. She also suggests using it for a snack that almost every Indian loves - bhajiyas. Like we have mentioned in many previous recipes, one can make bhajiyas out of anything. And it is no surprise when she tells us that leftover rice can also be used to make rice bhajiyas coated in besan. "You can also add coarse wheat flour, spices and make it into muhtiyas. If you add some salt and jeera, mashed and make into small balls, then sun dry them, they can be added to different curries. Last but not the least, the rice can be used to make rice chilla using suji and curd."

While we think only of savoury items, Patil convinces you that one shouldn't limit using rice to make only savoury items. Given India's rich history with desserts, he says leftover rice can also be used to make a delicious rice pudding for dessert too.

Fruits and desserts
Rice has many different uses but so do rotis. When we talk about rice in India, it is also important to talk about leftover rotis, which are commonly found in homes, and they definitely aren't anybody's favourite. In such cases, Handa recommends cooking them on a tawa until they are hard enough to make them like khakras. This can be a good snack for children or mid-meal options, and even for food to carry while travelling. They can also be cut into smaller discs on triangles to make homemade chips to have with a dip of your choice. "Leftover rotis can be crumbled and can add sugar, jaggery or ghee to it to make a roti bowl. You can put fresh cinnamon or elaichi for added flavour," she adds.
 
While rotis and rice can be converted into desserts, so can leftover fruits. Soaking them in an alcohol spice base for months, after adding to it little by little, can help it become a soaker for fruit plum cake. It seems like the right time because Christmas is only three months away and what better time to enjoy it than during the winter and festive season. The fruits can be sauteed in butter with cinnamon and served as topping with ice cream or baked into a pie. In fact, they can also be combined with leftover cakes to make assorted fruit cakes. In fact, Patil says they can also be deconstructed into cheesecake and custard. On the other hand, Fernandes uses them to make cake pops by simply mixing the cake, dipping them in chocolate before serving them.

In case there, you have batter from eclairs remaining, she has a solution for that too. "I always use leftover batter from my eclairs to quickly whip up some delicious homemade churros. Just deep fry the same batter in some oil and dust with some cinnamon sugar for some delicious churros," she concludes.

Leftover food recipes by Chef Ameya Mahajani, executive chef at Balsa

Leftover biryani arancini with green chutney mayo dip

Ingredients
Leftover veg biryani 500 gm
Potato 200 gm
Garam masala 15 gm
Salt to taste
Green chillies 2 nos
Coriander 1 small bunch
Mozzarella cheese 50 gm
Processed cheese 50 gm
Refined flour 50 gm
Panko bread crumbs 100 gm
Oil to fry
Ginger 20 gm
Garlic 30 gm
Mint 1 small bunch
Mayonnaise 100 grams

Method
1. Peel and boil the potatoes. Once cooked, mash them and keep aside.
2. Finely chop the green chillies, coriander, ginger, garlic, mint and keep aside.
3. In a bowl, mix the leftover cold biryani, boiled potatoes, garam masala, salt to taste, half of the green chilli, half of the coriander, half of the ginger and garlic, half of the mint, mozzarella, processed cheese and mix well until like a stick dough.
4.Make a slurry of refined flour and water and keep aside.
5. Make small small balls of the biryani arancini mixture, dip it in the slurry, and then coat it with the panko bread crumbs. Keep in the fridge aside to fry later.
6. In a mixer grinder, add in the remaining coriander, green chilli, mint, ginger, garlic, salt and mayonnaise and blend till a smooth chutney mayo dip is formed.
7. In a kadhai, heat oil to moderate and then fry the biryani arancini balls till golden brown.
8. Serve piping hot with the luscious green chutney mayo dip.

Leftover gulab jamun with assorted mithai parfait

Ingredients
Gulab jamun 6 pieces
Assorted mithai 6 pieces
Apples 1 nos
Grapes 20 nos
Vanilla ice cream 3 scoops
Hersheys chocolate syrup 50 ml
Almonds 5 nos
Cashews 10 nos

Method
1. Finely chop the gulab jamuns, assorted leftover mithai into cubes and keep aside.
2. Finely chop apples, grapes and keep aside.
3. In a hot pan, roast the almonds cashews and cool them down. Once cool, coarsely chop and keep aside.
4. In an old fashioned glass, first layer the vanilla ice cream, then the gulab jamun and assorted mithai, then the chopped fruits, then one more layer of the vanilla ice cream.
5. Then pour some chocolate sauce and finish with sprinkling the toasted almonds and cashews.

Also Read: Pizza party: Tips and tricks to make the best pizza at home