Recall the usual routine at a restaurant – scanning through main course meals, drinks, and deserts, and we are done. With our quintessential Indian food habits which are driven by complex flavours and spices, a humble salad might not seem to be a great idea.
However, lately, there has been a wave of change. Many of us are inching towards healthier options. Most of the restaurants today do serve salads but not as main course meals. And this gap was tapped by Hitesh Keswani. He opened his exclusive salad bar called ‘Ministry of Salads’ in the Breach-Candy area of South Bombay. The idea was to provide a wholesome meal with fresh ingredients to those health conscious food fanatics who did not want to compromise on the flavours, yet were searching for a healthier option. From fresh vegetable and fruit salads to wholesome smoothies and juices, you will get everything that can help you run an extra mile.
As we get chatty with Hitesh Keswani, he tell us about the idea behind MOS (Ministry of Salads) and gives us some quick salad recommendations too.
Why salads? With the world going healthy, Mumbai desperately needed a place dedicated to salads. Guests today demand fresh food preferably made with organic vegetables & are extremely conscious of what they consume. All over the world, there are salad bars today – whether its an airport, a mall or restaurants. Mumbai was lacking this & we tapped into an unexplored but highly needed space – the demand was high & it was time to strike. We noticed that each time guests went to a restaurant they looked for salads on the menu, not just as one of the components of the meal but as the main course itself. Sadly they had few options. Ministry of Salads caters to South Bombay, mainly the Breach-Candy area which is upmarket & very conscious of nutrition & lifestyle. When talking about salad bars, there are some more pluses we can think of! It is food one can eat all day & anytime, it is affordable, health never goes out of style & it’s highly Insta-worthy!
What’s on the menu? The Thai Crunch is the best seller – hands down! We also love & recommend some seasonals like Watermelon with Feta & ripe Mango with Coconut, Radish & Tomatoes. The other signature salads one can have daily are Beat the heat & Grains in a bowl – all very wholesome & loaded with fiber. The best part is, you can see the calories you consume – each salad on the menu mentions the calories next to it.
Salads made easy: The make your own salad is quick and easy – no surprises here. When talking about signature salads at MOS, we would say ‘Beat the Heat’ is one of the easiest salads to assemble! Mixed salad leaves, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, olives, sliced onions, cucumber, burnt garlic & buffalo mozzarella with a lemon herbed dressing makes this one more than delicious. We also love how easy it is to prep the very famous ‘Lentil Mental salad. It has lentils, baby spinach, pomegranate seeds, grilled spinach, roasted pumpkin with roasted & coarsely crushed almonds with a simple honey mustard dressing.
It’s not all about salads: Other than salads, MOS specializes in wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, juices & vitamin boosters. An ideal meal for two is a sandwich, a signature salad & one refreshing drink each!
Smoothies for summers: Summers in Mumbai are too hot to handle. Keeping this in mind MOS has come up with some coolers that are not only refreshing but also specials for the summer season. To name a few – Lemongrass Spinach Ginger & Apple, Carrot with Orange and Mango Smoothie with Flax Seeds
