Gwyneth Paltrow does it. Apparently, so does Nicole Kidman, Madonna and Alicia Silverstone. The Indian star contingent is no less impressive: Katrina Kaif, Kabir Bedi and Shekhar Kapur. Still unconvinced? How about the ultimate hipsters, Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon? All fans of the Japanese-influenced macrobiotic diet.
Yet, you’ve probably never heard of it. For, despite all this star power, the macrobiotic diet never did develop the cult-like following of Atkins, Paleo or even Beyonce’s undisputedly ridiculous maple syrup master cleanse. Perhaps because it is more of a lifestyle than a diet, and can seem rather complicated on the surface.
When Chennai-based Nandi Shah first heard about macrobiotics a few years ago, she was intrigued. Intrigued enough to hop on a plane and enrol at the Kushi Institute set in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. The leading macrobiotic educational centre in the world, it was founded in 1978 by Michio and Aveline Kushi. Its influence spreads astonishingly far and wide: from training chefs at the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to teaching Madonna’s private chefs how to make Kushi-approved sushi and tempura.
“The diet originated in Japan more than 100 years ago,” says Nandi, over a freshly-made, crunchy Asian Salad, consisting of finely shredded cabbage, bell peppers and spring onions, all drizzled with a satisfying salty soy-ginger dressing and toasted sesame seeds. In the process of setting up a macrobiotic kitchen in her house, from where she intends to market healthy lunches, Nandi attempts to explain the principles. “It’s mostly vegetarian, though you can eat fish. You consume food that is local. It must be a balance of Yin and Yang.” She elaborates, “Lighter, brighter vegetables tend to be Yin; they have more energy. Like cucumber or chickpeas. Yan is more rooted, more grounded.”
Nandi’s already got loyal clients, thanks to her signature healthy cakes, made with low sugar and no additives. “I’ve always tried to make recipes healthier. I use oat flour for cake, for example. Or jaggery, instead of sugar.” She also focuses on adding a local twist to her cakes. Hence, her gluten-free pistachio tea cake has a saffron accent. The cocoa orange cake is sweetened with jaggery. And the coconut cake is scented with roses.
Experimenting with macrobiotic food, and finding inventive ways to adapt the diet for India, was a logical next step. “I did five months at Kushi because I wanted to bring certain elements of the diet back and blend them with the principals of Ayurveda. In the beginning, I tried the Kushi menu at home, but for how long can you eat miso soup for breakfast in Chennai?” she smiles. “So, I found ways to translate the diet for an Indian context. Americans have quinoa and chia; we have thinnai, barley and wild rice. Miso is great because its fermented food, and then I realised our idly-dosa batter is fermented too. They eat kale; we have a huge variety of greens…”
When Nandi started experimenting with salads for her family, she soon realised that she was having a lot of fun in the process. “I got very excited about it, and would invent a new dressing every day. A splash of this, a pinch of that… I started sending it out to friends, and then the orders started coming in.” So she formally launched Re:Store, a company centred around “conscious, gourmet food choices.”
“I already make about 30 to 50 salads a day for clients. I’m taking it one step at a time. It’s happening organically and naturally. I’m not pushing... which is not to say I’m not ambitious, just that I’m allowing things to happen naturally.”
Salads are Rs. 250 for 250 gm. To order, call 98840 70315 or visit their page, >www.facebook.com/restorebynandi .
