It’s never been this important to make sure your food looks stunning. After all, it’s got to go up on Instagram and Pinterest and garner a certain number of likes and shares. And that is where waffle trends step in. Honeycomb waffles drizzled with maple syrup and a dollop of cream look appetising, but just don’t cut it when it comes to trends. Step in, bubble waffles and fish-shaped ones. Use them as wraps or ice cream cones, or top them with grilled sausages and caramelised onions for a facelift. Of course, there are also the ever-popular Darth Vader and Captain America moulds to play with, when it comes to giving the otherwise humble breakfast dish a trendier avatar.
Then there are the jet-black carbon casablanca waffles from IceKraft Mumbai, with berry and white chocolate. And that is just one of the many trendy waffles on offer today in the country. In the battle for atypical food, waffles are scoring high. Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside and slathered with creativity, they are taking social media by storm.
The many avatars
Popular folklore has it that grocery stores in the 50s turned their cracked and damaged egg stock into a lip-smacking flour-based pastry snack. As time went by, the mould was designed to give the snack a zingy appearance. This idea gradually spread to London, where it became the toast of the foodie community and is today considered the staple food of Europe.
Today, bubble waffles from London Bubble Company, with crisp edges and soft chewy bubbles, have set the ball rolling for innovation in the country. Saurabh Rathore, founder, says, “The popularity of waffles is at its peak right now, and with the competition increasing, many people recognised that there was a market for unusual waffles. We at London Bubble Company specialise in bubble wrap waffles, which are vegetarian. Not only are these visually enticing, but also have exciting toppings — pick from pizza waffles, savoury ones, non-vegetarian topped waffles, waffle sticks and many more. The USP of these waffles is that it is the same food served in so many different ways.”
Thought to have started off in Hong Kong, bubble waffles are now a hot favourite. And why not, given how versatile they are. Think pairing a warm bubble waffle with a decadent ice cream that perfectly offsets its gooey insides. The batter too can be personalised in any way to suit taste buds. In fact, the recent Superbowl in the US saw bubble waffle makers make a killing.
Many have jumped on the bandwagon in India as well, to include these on their menu. At Wowfillss, soft and fluffy bubble waffles are served up with scoops of ice-cream. Towered up in a cup, these are topped with a variety of colourful toppings.
From the circular to the square, there is a variety in shapes too. Then there are also the fish-shaped waffles which resemble the waffle-like snack, Taiyaki of Japan, usually filled with red bean and custard or chocolate.
Again waffles are cleverly used in ice cream shops as waffle cones, for that extra crunch along with toppings.
Beyond the sweet tooth
If sweet waffles are not your calling, there are savoury options aplenty — perhaps with more variations. Think pocket waffles and towering waffle sandwiches.
For a more portable breakfast dish, a fried chicken and waffle sandwich is served with maple syrup, pickled green tomato and watercress on a buckwheat cheddar waffle. The popular eggs Benedict has strayed away from its traditional plating, swapping toast for waffles instead. The scrumptious-looking poached eggs sit snugly on top of a bed of sautéed mushrooms and pair well with the fluffy waffles.
The Good Galette, a Bengaluru-based café, creperie and waffle house, has recently introduced savoury waffles in a city which only associates these with desserts. Says Sandhya Krishnan, owner and partner, “We have a wide range of savoury waffles — from kung pao chicken to Goan chorizo and char sui. Our Wafflewich — no bread waffle sandwiches, too, are hugely popular among teenagers. We offer variations such as the American classic BLT to tandoori.”
Going desi
Catering to the Indian palate, Stop My Starvation in Delhi offers a sumptuous chicken tikka waffle with typical Indian flavours, apart from their famed magic mushroom and sautéed vegetables waffle. Papacream in Mumbai goes a step further. “We serve a Jain version of our popular cheese waffle,” says owner Tanvi Choudhary.
Waffle quesadillas have been created, giving a spin to the Mexican dish. From peri peri mushroom to chicken keema, Waffle Wallah in Kolkata is serving a variety of toppings on its pizza waffles, where a waffle is used as a pizza base.
Batters for waffles are getting avant garde too. From buttermilk to shredded potato, waffles are made with unusual ingredients. Infused with pandan and matcha, there are green-coloured waffles as well. The Good Galette also serves Eggette, the famous waffles from Hong Kong, made with a variety of flours. There are others who even pack vegetables such as carrots, beetroot and pumpkin into the batter.
Krustys in Pune offers a waffle that has salty cheddar blending into the batter, resulting in a rich, cheesy waffle further topped with a layer of creamy scrambled eggs.
Health first
Waffles need not merely mean indulgence. For the health-conscious, vegetarians or vegan, there are waffle options as well. Pick from buckwheat buttermilk waffles topped with fried chicken, cinnamon butter, and fresh fruit or a whole wheat and sesame seeds waffle at Waffle House, Bengaluru. They also have a range of gluten-free toppings.
Krishnan succinctly sums up the growing popularity of waffles in India, “Waffles are surely up the alley of Indians, given the wide possibility of flavours and tastes that they offer. These are handy, quirky and a relatively easy-on-the-pocket bite.”
