Do the names Devasena paratha, Katappa biryani, Sivagami shahi pakwan and Bhallaladeva patiala lassi intrigue you? They are all part of the Baahubali thali that’s being served at a restaurant in Pune. It’s not just the names that sound interesting, one really has to have a Baahubali-sized appetite to finish the thali!
Similarly, in the suburbs of Mumbai, there’s a huge four-decker sandwich oozing with cheesy goodness called the Baahubali sandwich that’s served to brave eaters.
Closer home, we have our very own MLA dosa and 70mm dosa for foodies. But by offering giant-sized dishes to attract foodies, one is really forgetting the sad reality of leftover food wastage. According to CSR journal, Indians waste as much food as the whole of United Kingdom consumes. In a nation like India where millions still sleep hungry on the streets, that’s not a good statistic.
Elaborating on the huge problem of food wastage, Chef Smita Dugar says, “In their quest to be unique, restaurants offer huge portions of food and forget how much of it is getting wasted. No one can eat such huge amounts of food at one point of time.” She adds, “Nowadays, people want to eat healthy. I keep telling people in restaurants and even at weddings to reduce the amount per portion because no one can eat so much. Most people will taste every item but not complete it.”
Agreeing with her is Chef Ruchika Sharma, who feels that all the enormous portions are a publicity gimmick on the part of the restaurants. “I understand in this era of competition, restaurants want to edge out each other for more footfalls, but that can’t be the sole reason behind wasting so much food. Being unique is fine, but when so many people are starving, it’s a sad reality which needs to change at the earliest,” she says.
The demand and supply rule that one learned in marketing classes prevails here too. Mohd. Zubair Ali, a food photographer, foodie and the founder of Hyderabad food diaries feels the same. Says Ali, “I have been exploring the food scene in Hyderabad for about seven years now but the recent spurt of huge portioned dishes have picked up in the last few years. There’s the chef’s special chocolate explosion dessert at Quattro which fits a five-person meal. Or Ohri’s legendary Titanic ice cream with seven flavours of layered ice cream with fruits and jellies, topped with chocolate sauce, strawberry crush and whipped cream — a perfect way to satisfy your ice cream craving but definitely not alone!”
He adds, “If fruits are your thing, then Nice Juice centre has a fruit mandi full of exotic fruits, fresh cream, honey and dry fruits which needs a minimum of seven people to finish off. Also the lip-smacking combination of three different patties — chicken, lamb and fish, filled with mayonnaise, lettuce, onions, tomatoes , egg and cheese slices of the mix and match meat burger at Burger Stories is another real deal for the true carnivore.” According to Zubair, only few people are up for such food challenges, but the rest go to just try out the latest fad, wasting a great deal of food in the bargain. “Proper awareness is required to bridge the gap between the fantasy giant food and the real human appetite,” he feels.
