Rawism new mantra for healthy eaters

Meher Chand Market also has three organic food stores,one of which is Nourish Organic Deli. It is for those foxed by newfangled and puzzling concepts such as raw foodism,also called rawism,organic food plans,vegan or detox diets. In a nutshell,they’re pretty much the same thing,which is eating pesticide-free and largely unprocessed foods. Rawism takes it a step further: most of the meals are uncooked plant foods that rawists claim lead to a leaner body and higher energy. It’s important to state that the raw food diet is a lifestyle choice and not a weight-loss plan. And living the raw food life is painstaking work,involving a lot of time in peeling,chopping and blending. Also,it is almost impossible to sustain because of the restrictions: staples include seaweed,sprouts,wholegrains,beans,dry fruits and nuts. Most of us don’t need to try anything so extreme but even if you do it a day a month,you feel like you’ve achieved something. Consider it a fast. Twenty four hours without cooked food shouldn’t be so hard,but it is.

The rather unpretentious Nourish Organic Deli might just be Delhi’s first raw food eatery. The whole concept seems faddist and gimmicky,but rawism isn’t as rare as it sounds. There is a niche and growing audience to appreciate a place like this. A tiny space,not much attention has been paid to the decor. One wall is crammed with products such as date bars,garlic masala chana and brown rice cookies and a variety of other interesting and healthy snacks. But the fresh food menu is surprisingly imaginative. They make a pizza with buckwheat cracker,cashew cheese,sundried tomatoes and alfafel sprouts,topped with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes,and it’s delicious. They have a mean sushi,made with cauliflower rice,and a zucchini pepper wrap filled with avocado and guacamole. None of this is probably low in calories but it definitely qualifies as guilt-free eating.

The brainchild of Seema Jindal Jajodia,44,Nourish Deli has had a slow start — it opened in June 2012 as an extension to Nourish Organics,packaged health foods that have been around since 2008. Jajodia,also MP Naveen Jindal’s sister,has always been a health food enthusiast and a runner. Some years ago,she wanted to open an organic cafe and a yoga studio with popular instructor Mini Shastri,but the MCD sealings in Delhi made the project unviable. “I participated in the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh four years ago,and we were completely sold out. I know health food is going to be big in the years to come,” says Jajodia,whose own diet involves 70 per cent raw food besides an hour of exercise everyday.

Will rawism catch on? “When we started out,it was mostly diplomats and foreigners who came to the Deli,” says Jajodia,adding,“But now that the market is generating more footfall,we have a few walk-ins and most people are interested in trying it at least once.” If you’re already on a diet like half the world,Nourish Deli provides a nice change. The food is definitely tastier than anything you can come up with at home. Jajodia is making a sincere effort to keep the menu exciting — she has a chef coming in from Hong Kong to introduce new recipes. Compared to the West where raw food restaurants are exorbitantly priced,the Deli is reasonable. Nourish packaged products are available across India at Nature’s Basket and as for the Deli,Jajodia is considering opening next in Goa.

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