Khursheed Dinshaw and Anandi discover that there are infinite ways of dressing up your meals to increase their eye appeal

From the bhelwala at the corner, who in a final flourish sprinkles finely chopped coriander leaves on your tangy bhel, to the gourmet chef of a fine dining restaurant, who adds slivered almonds and grated lemon zest to make that chicken salad even more delectable - the art of garnishing is a weapon that all chefs use. While taste is only one part of a memorable meal or buffet, attractiveness also counts! After all "the eye eats first!"

With people becoming more interested in all kinds of food and different ways of serving it, there seems no end to the range and imagination when it comes to garnishes. And the best part of it is that one doesn't have to be a master chef to practice the fine art of garnishing. A bit of creativity, some skill, access to some cook books and the correct equipment will help you decorate and present your delicious fare to friends and family in a style uniquely your own.

Most garnishes are chosen specifically for contrast with the main dish - in colour, texture, richness or flavour. For salads one can choose from an array of nuts, dry fruits, boiled eggs, shredded chicken, croutons, sprouts, bamboo shoots, thinly shredded cabbage, celery and other greens. "Side dishes in continental cuisines will look and taste appetizing with fresh herbs like parsley or basil," advises chef Mehernosh Dhanda of AISSMS College of Hotel Management.

No Indian dish is complete without that rich green visual and edible treat of chopped coriander leaves. Other favourites: a sprinkling of ground-nut powder on a salad or sabji, a dash of roasted til or sesame on dhoklas, a smattering of shredded coconut or garlic greens on your dal…you simply can't go wrong. Then there is the all-time favourite: cream. A rich red tomato soup or a deep green palak paneer looks delectable with that single white swirl of unsweetened cream that makes you go Mmmm!

Croutons - diced or other shapes made from bread, toast and puff pastry - are a great favourite, adding their crunch to a soup or a salad. And they don't always have to be fried. You can simply cut bread slices into little squares, grease an oven tray lightly, and bake them till they're a lovely golden brown. They can be made in advance and stored in an air-tight container.

Cheese is another favourite - grated, or in the form of big shavings, it brings its unique richness and tang. If you like a sharp taste and a nice dry texture, you don't have to go in search of the exotic and the expensive. Simply leave a cube of any local cheese uncovered on a plate in your fridge for a couple of days till it dries and hardens. Twirl it with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs in your dry mixer - and you have a handy garnish ready. Yummy over soups, salads and pastas.

Vegetables cut into various shapes such as juliennes; roundels, flower-shapes, etc. liven up any dish. Wafer-thin slices or juliennes of ginger are great too, and also work as a digestive aid.

The ultimate salute to garnishes has got to be Khao Suey - the Burmese dish that uses a basic meat broth with noodles, over which as many as 20 different garnishes are added. You can pile them up all together, or try out a different combination of garnishings with every helping. Fried garlic, thinly sliced fried onions, celery and coriander, bits of steamed shrimp, crushed peanuts, green chillies…all of them add their own visual and tasty appeal.

Desserts too can be garnished beautifully. There's the dish itself, over which you could drizzle a sauce, syrup, honey, whipped cream, and other such sinful offerings. Over this you can add something as simple as the zest of a lime, or an assortment of chopped fruit and nuts, grated chocolate, a powdering of cinnamon or cocoa, or even a fresh green mint leaf. Says artist Vidya Dengle, who's an enthusiastic cook and host too: "However hard I work over a recipe, I make sure that I'm never too tired to add that final touch - the garnish. It's always worth the effort."

Garnishes bring high drama and flair to any food. So do add that little something to anything you serve - from raita to ratatouille!