Haute, healthy and cheap

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Five-star meals prepared by New York-based Chef Michel Nischan, in Mumbai to participate in the Grand Chefs on Tour at the Taj, have cost anywhere between Rs 8,000 and Rs 14,000 a couple. But BT took the chef to Crawford Market, to pick out ingredients to prepare an organic meal for a family of four within Rs 200, the chef did it without blinking an eyelid.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Over to the chef </span><br /><br />*Basmati rice (medium quality) and Masur dal cook well together.The rice could be sauteed in cooking oil and spring onions bulbs could be added as seasoning.<br /><br />*Rich Gourd, when opened, diced and treated with a simple saute with very little oil in a covered pan, becomes a soft vegetable. Leftover spring onion bulbs, sliced add flavour.<br /><br />*Season red pumpkin with salt and pepper. Dissolve very little jaggery in water, toss the pumpkin in it and roast it for 15 mins in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven. <br /><br />*For protein, Bombay Duck or the fancier Red Snapper could be seasoned with salt and pepper, crushed and toasted coriander and cumin, and seared in a saute pan or roasted in an oven.<br /><br />*For dessert extravagant fresh pears at Rs 12 a piece with yogurt.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Rice</span><br /><br />100 gms Basmati Rice - Rs 3<br />100 gms Masur Dal - Rs 2, 3 pieces Spring Onions - Rs 2<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Rich Gourd</span><br /><br />3 pieces of Rich Gourd - Rs 6<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Pumpkin</span><br /><br />400 gms Red Pumpkin - Rs 6<br />20 gms Jaggery<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Potatoes</span><br /><br />Potatoes - Rs 4<br /><br />Handful of mungra - Rs 4<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Fish</span><br /><br />1 kilo Bombay Duck - Rs 25<br />or 1 kilo Red Snapper - Rs 50<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Dessert</span><br /><br />4 pears - Rs 48<br /><br />*Pricing has been worked on the assumption that the meal is prepared in a working kitchen with basic ingredients</div> </div>