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Your kitchen is a place of frenetic activity at most times – but the cooking pots themselves are full of silent, deep mystery. Aromatic vapours sift over delicious gravies, tangy fragrances rise out of vats of cooked vegetables and meat, and a hush falls on the kitchen as you masterfully plate up salad alongside a bowl of hearty soup for your next order.

Most of the speed and deliciousness associated with your cooking comes from a secret ingredient that you use liberally in your preparations every day – Aromat powder. For chefs in India and around the world, this powder is the elixir of great taste with every dish.

Aromat and why it matters

For the uninitiated, aromat powder is a patented seasoning that blends a range of spices, condiments and herbs to enhance and underline the ingredients’ flavour without an overpowering presence.

• Aromat is a flavouring powder with Swiss origins. That is not to say that it can be used only in European or Continental cooking – far from it! Aromat lends itself beautifully to a variety of cuisines, from Italian to Indian, and from Swiss to Chinese. As a chef, you can use it as deftly in Chinese Manchurian gravy as you would in a typical sambhar preparation.
• In India, most chefs prefer to use aromat in Chinese cooking due to its subtle taste and high flavour enhancing properties. It functions as a seasoning as well as a base for vegetable stock. This second property is useful when you are whipping up a delicious Chinese-style sauce. Globally, Aromat is used even to flavour buttered bread, or cut and steamed vegetables. It is used as a flavouring agent when crafting healthy food like salads and whole wheat pasta, and it is a must-have for vegan kitchens that cannot use dairy or meat-based stock for flavouring.
• Meanwhile, Aromat is increasingly being used in Indian-style gravies, in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations. Scores of chefs have discovered the benefits of using Aromat in their daily Indian preparations – have you?

Some details about Aromat

If you haven’t already used Aromat in your kitchen, it is time to make the switch now. Here are some technical details that might interest you:

• It lends a perfect Umami taste that is ideal for Chinese and Indian cooking. It is only used in savoury dishes.
• You only need a pinch of the powder for Indian preparations, from biryani to dal tadka.
• The package is available in 5 separate packs of 100 gm each.
• The packets can be stored in cool and airtight jars for up to 7 months.
• This is how you can use it in your kitchen: dissolve about 55 gm of the powder in 1 litre boiling water. Add chopped and cooked vegetables to this water. Simmer till the dish is ready.
• The powder contains celery, wheat, soya, mustard and milk in traces. Do note this allergen information especially if you are crafting an anti-allergen or kids’ menu.

Get started on the Aromat journey

Now that you are sufficiently up to speed on what this wonderful powder is and what it can do, it is time to start cooking with it. We recommend three excellent dishes to try out Aromat with:

1. Mushroom Risotto: This classic, hearty dish appears deceptively simple but is a real challenge to make. Still, a chef like yourself will find making mushroom risotto right up your alley, especially when you use Aromat to balance the flavours. A little Aromat goes a long way with this dish, and you will find that the powder makes a big difference to the final product. You will never again make risotto without Aromat to assist you.
2. Vegetable Fried Rice: One of the most-ordered rice preparations in India, vegetarian fried rice combines the lip smacking goodness of ‘desi’ Chinese with the heart-warming flavour of rice and a range of vegetables. You’ve got vegetable fried rice down pat, so much so that you can probably cook it in your sleep. But have you tried enhancing its taste profile up a notch? Do so with a bit of Aromat powder, and indulge your taste buds – and those of your patrons – in a sinfully decadent, highly aromatic rice dish that will have people lining up outside your restaurant every day.

3. Vegetable dumplings: Dumplings are always a popular favourite, but the best ones are non-doughy and high on aroma and flavour. It’s not just about the basic ingredients you use, whether they are vegetable or chicken dumplings. It’s about balancing the textures, aromas and flavours amongst all the ingredients, and serving the dumplings in a wholesome sauce or gravy that makes the taste buds sing. Try a pinch of Aromat in your dumpling recipe and watch each plate fly off the serving station in double time.

Aromat is truly one of the most versatile, time-saving flavouring powders in your cooking arsenal. Have you made the switch to using it yet?

Mumbaikar, MBA Student, Traveler, Foodie, & all I need is Coffee and Mascara.