Brown and brooding, and probably the most de-glam of all in the dry fruit cornucopia, the anjeer isn’t quite the sour face it appears to be. Fresh figs in their charming green bulbish shapes make for a sweet, juicy bite with the crunchiness of their hidden micro seeds, and even their dehydrated versions—rolled in pies, soaked overnight for the morning munch, tossed in salads—they make for a yummy, nutritious intake. So even if you aren’t quite the fig pig, roll in the ‘foodness’ in these avant-garde forms.
IN ALL FAIRNESS
Dry figs are more beneficial than fresh ones, if you ask Abhishek Basu, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu. “Figs are beautifully versatile as they can be paired with both sweet and savoury foods, with the fresh figs bringing in a sweet, honeyed fragrance and soft texture. There are two seasons: first is usually late summer, and the second begins mid-fall. I find the second crop better-tasting towards the end of the season,” he says. He has come up with a rather glam and delicious version in the bruschetta of Cointreau poached figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto and mustard cress.
Whether Japanese style pancakes, or chicken salad, or even crackers and cheese—the fruit arrives as a compatible companion in many ways. “Dried figs work fabulously in dishes like tagines,” says Rachel Goenka, CEO and Founder of The Chocolate Spoon Company, “Whereas fresh figs are wonderfully chewy, and can be used fresh, caramelised, or baked, to play around with their sweetness. Toss up fresh in salads, or bake in desserts to concentrate the flavour.”
Shilpi Madan for The New Indian Express