Do you know how nutritious olive oil really is? Olive oil, which is often referred to by gourmands as 'liquid gold' got all the attention it deserved and more at the DNA Healthy Cooking workshop on Saturday evening at the Oasis restaurant of hotel Park Prime. And the participants lapped it all up!  

Organised by DNA and Leonardo Olive Oil in association with hotel Park Prime, the workshop gave insight into how so many Indian oil-saturated savouries could actually be made healthier... with olive oil.

The idea behind the workshop was to enhance the culinary skills of Jaipur women.

The session went on for over two hours and participants learnt Indian as well as Italian cooking with some valuable tips under the expert guidance of executive chef Anil Goyal and chef Sadhuram. Peas and potato samosa, aloo-heeng-kachori, jalebi, along with pasta aribiyatta, vinaigrettes and corn and bean salad... the ladies learnt them all under the chefs' tutelage even as the delicious aroma tickled their tastebuds.

And, with its high content of superior antioxidants, olive oil was the hot topic of discussion, with some valuable insights on its nutritious value coming in from Archana Dalmia, marketing manager, Leonardo.

“A bit of olive oil added to the food will add taste and good antioxidants,” she said, adding that its great use in the Mediterranean region was the reason for the low incidence of coronary disease there. And that's not all, olive oil has many other health benefits, she said. After the workshop, women thronged the counter to pick up some Leonardo olive oil to make some healthy food at home.

College student and passionate cook Ankita Bilala said, “I love to experiment in the kitchen and it was nice to learn something about healthy cooking with olive oil. I am looking forward to making some delighful dishes with it.”

Corn and bean salad

Ingredients
Kidney beans-2 cups (cooked)
Sweet corn- 2 cups (cooked)
Onion-1 small (chopped)
Salt- ½ tsp
Pepper-1tsp
Olive oil-¾ cup
Vinegar-¼ cup
Mustard powder- ¼ tsp
Sugar-½ tsp

Method
Pour vinegar, oil, ¼ tsp salt, pepper and sugar in a saucepan. Blend it well and store in a cool place. Now mix kidney beans, sweet corn, chopped onions and remaining salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the mixture over it and toss well. Now cover and cool it for 4 hours. It's ready to be served.  
The workshop was a fun way to enhance my cooking skills. I didn't know that olive was so rich in antioxidants or that it could be used to cook Indian food as well- Meenal Khandelwal, workshop participant.

 

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