Green treat to wellness

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THE benefits of a vegetarian meal to the body are undeniable and knowing this, The Banjaran Hotspring Retreat is hosting a one-of-a-kind gourmet event aptly named ‘Some Like It Green’.

Featuring French star chef Lawrence Aboucaya, patrons at The Pomelo Restaurant get to experience a rare treat focusing on revitalising and promoting the body’s well-being.

Veggie variety: (Clockwise from top right) The turnip ravioli with hummus, a combo of greens with broccoli, zucchini, eggplant and quinoa, pomelo jelly with mint leaf, pumpkin tangine with lentils while at the centre is the almond teacake with a raspberry.

A vegetarian since young, Aboucaya said she preferred creating recipes using healthier ingredients.

For example, using avocado to substitute butter in addition to nutritious foods such as sprouts.

“I am a big fan of sprouts as they are known to have high concentrations of vitamins and nutrients.

“Broccoli sprouts are more nutritious than broccoli itself,” she said.

Displaying colourfu l dishes: Aboucaya will be showing her masterpiece vegetarian cuisine at The Banjaran Hotsprings Resort’s ‘Some Like It Green’ gourmet event.

Also a fan of using steam methods, she often prefers slow-cooking over using high temperatures that inevitably destroys the essence and nutrients found inside the ingredients.

Being vegetarian may not be on everyone’s cards but Aboucaya’s offerings are as pleasing to the eyes as they are to the tastebuds.

The range of flavours and colours of her dishes are amazing, captivating the five senses and taking vegetarian cuisine to a totally new level.

The crispy turnip ravioli with hummus, a seemingly simple white appetiser with a sprinkle of sprouts, is a good blend of taste, contrary to the common perception that hummus is bland.

Aboucaya’s version is a different taste altogether, owing to the light sweetness of the turnip.

The vibrant orange colour of the pumpkin tagine with lentil is a stark contrast to the small black claypot-like dish it is served in.

Slow-cooked to perfection, the sweet pumpkin flavours are locked in while the lentil seeds provided a bit of crunch to every spoonful.

A green combination of broccoli, zucchini, eggplant and quinoa flavours cooked in various styles is also on the special menu carefully designed by Aboucaya and for dessert, there is almond teacake with a dainty raspberry and pomelo jelly with mint leaf.

The pomelo jelly is a rather ingenious method of using local produce and giving it a twist.

For snacks, Aboucaya makes Nori seaweed crackers with different types of seeds using a dehydrator machine — a process, that takes up to a day-and-a-half.

“I use a variety of seeds, including sesame, sunflower, mustard and flax seeds for the crackers.

“The seaweed and mustard seed act like natural adhesives to bind the seeds together, forming the crackers,” she explained.

Apart from the dehydrator, Aboucaya also uses the oven steamer, sprouter and slow- juicer to produce her masterpiece creations, which help in detoxification, weight loss and anti-ageing.

The vegetarian and spa cuisine requires reservation and is available from now until Nov 6.