The well-heeled of the capital are familiar with the benefits of artisanal food offerings, but even they are hard-pressed to find authentic homemade pasta that shuns wheat for healthier varieties of Indian grains. A limited-edition collaboration between popular restaurant Sly Granny in Khan Market and artisanal pasta brand, Casarecce promises to address this issue. Curated by Chef Utkarsh Bhalla who is the Brand Chef of Sly Granny, this limited edition menu is being offered to Sly Granny patrons till 28 August.
Casarecce, co-founded by Chef Sambhavi Joshi, means ‘Homemade’ in Italian and is a nod to the delicious flavour of fresh handcrafted pasta. After several years of working in top-notch restaurants, Chef Joshi decided to pursue her true passion – to make her own artisanal pasta. Using the best of Indian grains and traditional methods of cooking, while incorporating global flavours into the mix, this brand has made a mark for itself in a short span of time.
Casarecce’s philosophy resonates well with that of Sly Granny. Chef Utkarsh explains, “The pasta at Casarecce is locally made, healthy and tasty and it can offer different kinds of flavours depending upon the creator and the chef. We love the diversity and inspiration this provides and have used this quality to create an exciting and exclusive menu.”
Calling itself experiential, Sly Granny is branded as the receiving parlour of a wicked, smart, wise, eccentric, polymath of a Granny. Described as ‘a polyamorous phenom with varied gastronomical interests’, this anonymous granny serves prohibition-era cocktails and select wines to ‘urban dwellers and other creatures of the night’. In keeping with this philosophy, the team at Sly Granny enjoys shining light on the unique aspects of every dish. Artisanal pasta made by hand, therefore, fits well with their overall ethic.
“It is thrilling to see the talent that our country has. India is a country blessed with a rich abundance of quality ingredients. Chef Sambhavi is a whiz at creating beautiful yet healthy artisanal pastas for lovers of Italian food. She uses sustainable methods for preparation, which appeal to a lot of people these days. I wanted to curate a menu for the patrons of Sly Granny to serve them an experience in our signature style. This would keep our regular clientele happy and attract more people interested in artisanal pasta,” says Chef Utkarsh. Adding to this, Chef Sambhavi says, “Sly Granny has been one of my favourite restaurants in the city for quite a while. This limited edition menu highlights our pasta in a way that we couldn’t imagine, these dishes do justice to all the love and effort we put into creating the products of Casarecce.”
Being Indian in the 21st century means having an equal appreciation for tradition and modernity. Through their concepts and approach to business, both Sly Granny and Casarecce, embody this outlook. Sly Granny is also particular about sourcing ingredients locally and putting forward dishes of global standards with unique recipes and stylish preparations. Chef Utkarsh, in fact, takes it as his responsibility to highlight rich and abundant local produce and present it in a way that appeals to globally exposed taste buds.
The specially curated limited-edition menu offers Beetroot Creste de Gallo, in which the shape of the pasta is curved, hollow and ridged. It is made with blue cheese and a liberal addition of arugula, red beet chips and candied walnuts. The Saffron Pappardelle is pasta cut into flat, wide noodles, and is aimed at meat lovers, as it is a preparation of lamb ragu and kalamata olives. Another interesting dish is the Cappellacci Pasta, made with Mushrooms and Mascarpone cappellacci. It also has caramelised leek fondue, truffle oil, leek straws and black olives —an interesting concoction that has been received well by patrons. Another one of their signature dishes is the Sriracha Fusilli with Roasted Shallots. The use of simple and easily available yet exotic ingredients is what sets this selection apart while ensuring it appeals to varied tastes. Discerning foodies of Delhi will appreciate this limited selection and should pay Sly Granny in Khan Market a visit before it is taken off the rolls.
The writer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.