RECIPE - Vegetarian/ Vegan/ Jain friendly Polenta Savory bake

Introductory notes

Inspired by the original recipe from a South African book of recipes
[apparently a must have for all brides of Indian origin in South Africa]
Name of the cook book not known to me
Contains fibre from corn, iron from spinach and coriander leaves

Yes, I am not a baking person and yet this recipe turns out perfect everytime I make it

Notes on Dietary preference/ requirements
The recipe is vegetarian and suits most dietary requirements
Eggs are optional - I normally make it without eggs because it tastes better without eggs
Remove milk and butter - add instead soy milk and soy cheese and it becomes Vegan
To make it Gluten free - use 1/2 cup each of polenta and besan and omit plain flour
Remove the onion and it becomes suitable for Jains 
( I have made it without onions and it tastes yummy)

Quantity
This recipe will make enough for a meal for 3 people served with a salad
Or for 2 with left overs for a lunch box for one for the next day

Other notes
Refrigerates well for a week - does not freeze very well - avoid freezing
Re-heat in microwave with a cover on top (or it becomes very dry)
Perfect for school lunches - tastes excellent even when it is cold
Excellent as a morning tea snack or for the 4 o'clock afternoon hunger

Ingredients
40 gm butter [I have made this with less butter - just 20 gm]
1 bunch of coriander, washed and finely choppped
[the bunch as sold in supermarkets]
[you an also do half and half of baby spinach and coriander leaves - coriander leaves give it the flavour]
[Frozen spinach also works fine - just thaw, chop and use]
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 can of sweet corn- drained and washed
[for a smoother texture, grate the corn in a blender and use]
[or use fresh corn from one or two cobs, it does  not have to be a perfect measure]
1 grated onion [optional - I dont use onions]
1 1/2 tsp green finely chopped chillies [use less if you want it bland]
3/4 tsp cumin powder or cumin seeds
2 eggs [optional - i dont use eggs]
1/4 cup coarse polenta or mealie/maize meal
1/4 cup chickpea flour(besan)
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup skim milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric

Wash and chop coriander leaves [ and spinach leaves if using any]
Grate onion [if not using onion move on...:) ]
Sift flours with baking powder - rub in butter as you would for a scone
Add corn from the can and mix with a fork
Add the chopped coriander, onion, turmeric, salt and cumin and mix well with a fork
Beat eggs and mix in with the mixture - move to the next step if you are not adding eggs
Mix milk and oil and add to mixture
Combine everything well with a spoon
[make sure there are no lumps from rubbing the butter in]
The texture should be thick but easy to pour - if its too thick, add some milk

Grease baking dish
[any baking dish that can hold 6 cups will work fine for this]

Pour into baking dish and bake at 180 deg celcius for 20 -25 minutes
Check with a toothpick - if its sticky, place it back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes
When its done, it starts to brown on top and edges and a toothpick inserted will come out clean.
Remove just as it starts to brown on top

Serve warm with a salad or yoghurt...or just as it is
YUMMMMMMMMMMMM

You are what you eat, what you think when you eat, and what you think you are eating..

Experiences in life make us who we are.

The good, the bad, the forgettable, the unimaginable, so many experiences shape our learning and we become who we are.  While who we are is defined by current experiences and by our past life vasanas to a great extent; every human being in this life has a choice to redefine who we are and train the body and mind to become who we want to become.

From personal experience - we are also what we eat and what we think when we eat, and what we think we are eating...

Until a few years ago - we spent more money on food and less money on vitamins, supplements and medicines to heal the body.  Today it is the opposite.  Everyone wants a quick fix to health issues like cholestrol, stress related issues and the like.  ...let us take a pill and all will be well....the pharma industry works on people's minds and takes complete advantage of people's insecurities and lack of time.

According to western science and empirical data (I have issues with empirical data which can be interpreted in many ways and which is ever so often based on study of a caucasian population thereby leaving out certain genetic peculiarities of certain ethnicities) - a diet with very little oil and low in carbs is recommended for most health conditions.  I have seen first hand the effects of such a diet - low self esteem, depression, lack of mental alertness, muscle weakness, dry skin, dandruff, ulcers of the mouth and tongue - and many many more issues...

The doctors are often concentrating on playing the number game and lose focus on quality of life.  They constantly tell you what not to eat - thereby creating this intense paranoia which finally leads to a person saying , "...oh thats made of white flour, completeley lacking in nutrition, equal to eating garbage....oh thats made of oil a poison....oh that will add inches to your waist and did you know extra inches to your waist can expose you to a higher risk of heart disease....oh thats all made of carbs, complete garbage......oh i have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and its my yearly check up, I am hoping I do well and get a good score all round....oh she is so fat; i wonder why she does not exercuise...she is killing herself by eating...."  and so many more paranoid outpourings...

Bottom line - if you think food is poison; it is poison.
If you think whatever you eat will kill you; surely it will.
(call it a Self fulfilling prophecy, Neuro linguistic programming or the modern theory of the law of attraction)
I am not advocating eating recklessly - all that I am saying is eating a balanced nutritious meal, eating in moderation and enjoying the occasional treat is ok...

When every nutritious meal is viewed with gratitude and every meal is respectfully eaten with the complete conviction that this food is nurturing and healing - that is exactly what it will do to you.  In the past 7-8 years; I have seen first hand the effects of good food, prepared with love and care and eaten with a welcoming, grateful mind. 

“Food, when eaten, becomes divided into three parts. What is its grossest ingredient, that becomes feces; what is the middling ingredient, that becomes flesh; and what is the subtlest ingredient, that becomes mind.” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.5.1,2)

The upanishad is very clear in the statement that the mind is nothing but the subtlest ingredient of food(based on my understanding)....and the subtlest ingredient is the subtle energies that go into the food.  My husband calls it the intent of the food producer, the state of mind of person who prepares the food and the intent of the person who consumes the food...these are the subtle ingredients of the food...other influencing factors like food contamination, cleanliness of the place where the food is prepared, the cleanliness of the utensils used etc also contribute to subtle energies in the food...

About the prana, Uddalaka says: “Water, when drunk, becomes divided into three parts. What is its grossest ingredient, that becomes urine; what is the middling ingredient, that becomes blood; and what is the subtlest ingredient, that becomes Prana.” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.5.1,2).

“Hence, mind is made up of food, Prana is made up of water.” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.5.4)

Mind and prana (breath force) being two vital ingredients for existence - the food we eat and what we think when we eat and what is on the mind of the person preparing the food - everything matters and contributes to food becoming a healing and nurturing factor.  The purity of water and the nature of all liquids cannot be over-emphasised.

The language of the Upanishads being archaic and cryptic; it is obvious there is a lot more to this than what I have mentioned.  I have only looked at one upanishad and three aspects of food - purity of ingredients, purity of intent and state of mind when consuming the food.
(there are references to food in Taittriya Upanishad and the Bhagwad Geetha as well - and of course there is the nature of foods that contribute to the various gunas which I have not attempted to refer to in this blog post.)

In conclusion - I am not advocating the eating of McDonalds fries every day with good intention and positive thoughts - that will surely poison and kill you, good intentions or not..!
My focus is only on simple, nourishing, day to day meals that heal.  The body needs a bit of everything in the right proportions(yes carbs included) and also some physical activity as opposed to a couch-potato lifestyle.
View nutritious food as a healing nurturing element of life; prepare it with positive state of mind and consume it with gratitude to all the people who have contributed; starting from the food producers to the people who prepared the food..consume the food in a peaceful atmospehere and mindful attitude of gratitude....

In the end you are what you eat, what you think when you eat and what you think you are eating....
....and I have seen first hand the effects (positive and negative) of these subtle (positive and negative) matters concerning food ...

References: Swami Ranganathanda's lectures on the Upanishads and conversations with Dr K Arunachalam, Brisbane.

Dear Sir Paul McCartney & Stella McCartney, pack enough food if you HAVE to fly Qantas...

What's with Qantas and their inability to provide a proper meal for vegetarians?

And Qantas - please understand
vegetarian does not mean "small tummy"
It does not mean "ah yes, just a lettuce wrap and an apple for a snack"
it does not mean "just an apple, orange juice and wheat bix with milk for breakfast"
And I dont even want to go into lunch or dinner...

What makes this so hard for you...?

Vegetarians also need a serving of protein, some carbs and some veggies/ fruit
Exactly the same requirements as a meat eater.
And is it so hard to source this kind of a vegetarian combo..?
Aw Come on Qantas get your act together....

Why is it so hard for you to source a proper vegetarian meal in Australia (and rest of the world) for your vegetarian passengers;
when Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines (from personal experience) and even your closest competitor/ rival Virgin manage to provide excellent vegetarian meals?

The breakfast for a vegetarian was appalling in the recent Qantas link flight - Port Moresby to Cairns.

The vegetarians got
A tiny small apple, 2 small pieces of wheatbix with a 150 ml carton of milk, a quinoa muffin, and a 100 ml of orange juice.  Well you would say it sounds ok.
But trust me it was not filling at all.
And what did the "non vegetarians" get ? - a roll with some meat and veggies, a small snack pack of apricots, a cheese and bikkie,  a tub of yoghurt, juice, milk, i guess i also saw a chocolate bar and a few other things as well.  Now how hard is it to source a tub of yoghurt that does not contain gelatin?
How hard is it to source a proper roll with veggies in it?
How hard is it to throw in a small pack of dried apricots and some biscuits and some gelatin free-yoghurt as well for a vegetarian? And hey vegetarians also love chocolates you know...!

What is wrong with you Qantas?

Two years ago my husband went hungry on a long haul flight from New York to LA
and LA to Sydney , and Sydney to brisbane .
36 hours from door to door and he went starving on Qantas flights.
All he got was an "oops there is no vegetarian meal ordered for you..., here bite on an apple and be silent..."
the tickets were booked 5 months in advance, meal requests were made and qantas was reminded three days before the flight and yet one starves....

And not even an apology.  Just a phone call from a lady who kept saying I understand and parrotted a disclaimer "...ah you know special meals cannot always be guaranteed..."
Well how come Sinapore airlines and Jet Airways never goof up a vegetarian meal request?

Qantas here is a question for you...
What will you tell Paul McCartney or Stella McCartney if you screw up a meal request of theirs...?
You maybe the spirit of Australia - but you starve vegetarian passengers while the others are well looked after.

Airlines need to learn from SINGAPORE AIRLINES and from JET AIRWAYS
on how and what to serve vegetarian passengers.

And Qantas - your troubles started the day you starved my husband for over 36 hours....
Get your act together and learn from other airlines

Contact me - I will put together a few menu options for you that will please any vegetarian.
And dont give me this "ah its hard to source vegetarian food in Aus...and other parts of the world.."
If singapore airlines can do it - so can you...
If Jetairways can do it - so can you....

Meanwhile Sir Paul and Stella McCartney - Please avoid flying Qantas
And a suggestion for you Sir Paul and Stella;
Fly Singapore Airlines from London to Aus and YOU WILL BE FINE. 
Fly jet Airways from Brussels to India or Brussels to NYC...
you will love the flight....just for the food.

And Sir Paul and Stella; if you have no option but to fly Qantas to Aus - pack enough food for yourself and remember to ask around and share with other unlucky vegetarians....!!!

RECIPE - Green Salad with Pachai Kuru Milagu

A green and red salad with yoghurt dressing
MAGIC INGREDIENT Green peppercorns in brine
(Pachai Kuru Milagu)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TVM_Pepper.JPG [ this is what it looks like on the vine]

1 cup of home sprouted mung beans (blanched in salt water)
1 cup of chopped cucumber
1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
1 cup of grated carrots (optional and then it becomes green and red salad!)
1/2 cup of finely chopped green raw mango
Plain Yoghurt - maybe 1 or two cups
Roasted ground cumin seeds
(roast them to a black colour, and grind using a rolling pin on a wooden board)

the magic ingredient - is the green fresh peppercorns in brine
(available in Asian supermarkets - canned )

The pepper corns are fantactic and give the salad the distinct flavour and bite !
(In Madras, India they are available at a particular time of the year in the local markets-
It is called "Pachai Kuru Milagu)
Use as many as you like - adjust according to ability to manage the spicy bite of the green pepper corns

Method

Combine all ingredients with yoghurt and add a few pinches of the roasted ground cumin
Serve chilled.

For a twist; you could add a few pinches of black/pink mineral salt or Jal Jeera mix powder (available in Indian Grocery stores)

Very crunchy, tasty and packs a punch...!

The miracle called Seven cups

For those who love Mysore paagu and the newly invented Mysurpa (copy right owned by Sri Krishna Sweets) - this is one tasty sweet that is a huge challenge for any cook.  The concept of "oru kambi paagu, rendu kambi paagu and moonu kambi paagu" - the definitions of the temperature of the sugar which is heated for making sweets.
This temperature measure has been used for many decades (will it be too much to say many centuries..!)and the western concept of food thermometers for measuring the temperature of the sugar simply does not work.
(maybe it does but its never been documented)

As a result, this is probably one of the most challenging of all sweets that one ever attempts to make.  Many (including yours truly) have given up making sweets due to this very reason.  The temperature of the sugar is the key.  The oru kambi paagu refers to the single string of sugar that shows up when one pulls apart a small drop of sugar syrup using the thumb and pointer finger.  The rendu kambi paagu refers to two strings that come at a certain temperature and moonu kambi paagu refers to three strings.

Coming back to 'mysorepaagu challenged' yours truly - I have learnt to make the idiot proof Seven Cups sweet.  Yes thats the name of the sweet - it has seven cups of ingredients.  All go into the pan, on to the heat and keep stirring until the mixture resembles a porous semi solid structure.  And off the heat into a wide plate, to cool. Make small pieces with a knife dipped in liquid ghee.   Has an almost fudge like taste and texture.

The seven cups are
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of besan
1 cup ghee
1 cup milk
1 cup of grated coconut (ground)
or 1/2 cup ground cashew and 1/2 cup grated ground fresh coconut.

Thats it.....!!!

I have never solved the mystery of who actually invented this ...?