When Chef
Vishal Atreya, executive chef, The Imperial New Delhi travelled through Italy
he observed that many Italians use flour from different grains to make pizza
bases. This, plus his prior work experience at Ananda In The Himalayas and his personal preference for healthy
food inspired him to introduce Healthy Pizzas at San Gimignano.
With people becoming increasingly health
conscious there is a growing demand for healthier options even when they eat
out. While the world is going ga-ga over organic produce without knowing for
sure whether the labels are authentic or not, Chef Vishal explains that for
anything to be truly organic the entire chain from the quality of the soil to the
final distribution has to be so, which is very hard to monitor. Although he
would ultimately like to use zero-pesticide produce in the hotel, currently he is content
with offering a healthier alternative that he is sure of. “Grains like
buckwheat and millets have been used in Indian cooking for centuries. The flour
obtained from these grains is healthier than regular flour and the complex
carbohydrates that they provide add natural fibre to our diet,” he says.
But being part of a hotel that has been
known to serve delicious fare in its various restaurants, Chef Vishal was very
clear about one thing – he could not compromise on taste in an attempt to make
something healthier. Since completely eliminating regular flour in a pizza base
is not possible, after months of experimenting, he and his team attained the
perfect proportion of alternate grains to 00 flour (Italian milled flour that
is specifically used for pasta/pizza making) to maintain the crispness of a
good thin crust pizza. They have thus managed to replace flour with healthier
alternatives by almost 60-70% and use a marginal
amount of yeast. The result is the delicious range of healthy pizzas.
Currently the following healthy pizzas are
on offer: Dark Rye base with Gorgonzola, fennel and Parma ham; Buckwheat base with sour cream, rosemary potatoes, rocket and baby
spinach; and, Millet base with cherry tomatoes, spinach and
olives.
![]() |
Top: Dark Rye base with gorgonzola, fennel, Parma ham; Bottom Left: Millet base with cherry tomatoes, spinach, olives Bottom Right: Buckwheat base with sour cream, rosemary potatoes, rocket. |
I tried all three and enjoyed their
rustic appeal and well-balanced flavours. Not only did I not miss the regular
pizzas, but given a choice I would order these kinds of pizzas wherever
possible.
Details:
San Gimignano, The Imperial,
Janpath, New Delhi-110001.
Ph: +91 11
23341234
Timings: 12.30pm-2.45pm; 7.30pm-11.45pm.
Prices: Healthy
Pizzas Rs 1300 onwards.