RECIPE - Vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free - A sweet, crunchy salad

Introductory notes
This salad happened completely out of compulsion
I could not find anything I needed in the shops.
And therefore decided to lay my hands on whatever was in the fridge.
Pretty much put things together completely at random.
It is sweet and crunchy and kids love it [only if they love arrots and apples :-) ].
This is packed with nutrition as well and is heavy.

This recipe is inspired by a traditional Indian recipe for Panchaamrutham.
"Panchaamrutham" literally translated - it means 5 items that contribue to making this as sweet as nectar.
Now nectar - Amrutham - is an oft repeated concept in Indian mythology and the Hindu Spriritual practises.
Panchaamrutham is usually a Prasaadam in some Hindu temples.
[Prasaadam is an offering in Hindu temples which is later given to devotees as a blessing]

As this is inspired by Panchaamrutham - I call this Saladaamrutham :)

Ingredients
[there are no specific proportions to this - if you like more of someting add more of it]
[the proportions given below are a guide only - make your own combination and enjoy the unique taste..!]

Apple 1or 2 [finely chopped - or chunky if you like large pieces]
Carrots grated[3]
Unroasted almonds[finely chopped - maybe 2-4 tablespoons]
Finely chopped dates [again a couple of table spoons]
Raisins and sultanas [soaked in water for 30 mintes, drained - 2 tablespoons each of unsoaked]
Unroasted cashew[finely chopped 2 table spoons]
Powdered cardamom..[half a teaspoon of the powdered cardomom.]
Cardamom pods should be opened, skin discarded and the seeds powdered with a mortar and pestle or powdered with a rolling pin on a rough surface

Optional - add finely chopped Sweet pears if you have them in the fridge.

Dressing
Mix honey and lemon/ lime juice according to taste

Procedure
Mix all ingredients in a large salad bowl
Just before serving - drizzle the dressing and toss the salad

Pudding for the soul....

Continuing about food...

We were at friends Jillian and Jonathan's place
for pizza, with salads and coleslaw that Jillian had made.
What I remember from that evening was the salads [the cous cous salad was fantastic; I loved it - hope Jillian will share the recipe ] and conversations and the people.

At the end of the meal, Jillian also parted with the last bit of Chirstmas pudding she had.
[carried all the way from Marks and Spencers, London by her mum...yumm, thank the courier!]

What is most important is - we savoured the pudding in little bits and pieces and finally also managed to share it with friends Augusta and Andrew...
Andrew has scottish roots and his grand mother has lived in Kalimpong in India at the time of the British raj; Augusta - as Italian as Italians come...warm and loving...

Anyway, we decided to share the last of the pudding from Jillian's place,...we were all oohing and aaahing...after just a few bites into it.

and thats when Andrew came up with a remark "hmmmm this is pudding for the soul..".

True, sharing food makes it an enriching experience for the soul....

Two ways to meet, greet and eat...

Christmas and the new year period saw me in Brisbane with my husband.
We had the most enjoyable break and the time we spent with friends was the highlight.
The festive season was reason enough to celebrate - to that add some food and everyone was happy.

The whole process of eating together is probably a very old tradition and I caught myself thinking about contrasts across cultures. 

In India, it would be a sit down meal where the lady of the household would serve everyone [of course helped by assistants if there are many diners].  The courses would be served one after the other and conversation - if at all - is usually restricted to people seated closest to each other.  The seating is in a line so that it is easy for the lady to serve. The focus is on the food in front, eating it and savouring the flavours and enjoying the meal.  Mealtimes are not for conversations.  I remember when my grandfather ate, it was a quiet, quick matter - food was wolfed down and washed down with quick gulps of water.  The only contact made was to ask for seconds or refuse something being offered.  The Buddhist way of life, prescribes the approach of being mindful - savour every morsel of food and be completely in the moment when one is eating.  The traditional Indian way of eating is to eat with one's hands thereby making it a five sensory experience.  Conversations if any - around the food or any other subject - would happen after the meal when every feels like a well fed python :) and everyone is relaxed and ready for a few laughs.  But eating dear friends is serious business...if you know what I mean.

Contrast this with a western setting.  There is conversation, there is laughter, there is sharing of experiences, the food is also commented upon while one is eating.  A sense of community, comraderie, fraternity is openly expressed and in full view.

I suppose both ways of consuming a meal have their strong positives.
So many western movies have scenes of a big family sitting on a table and eating, passing bowls of olives, salads etal around...and there are scenes in my mind of lunches in India seated in a line...

Our Christmas eve meal was with Sonali and Chris - at their home - on a table with their family
The table had 10 people and the courses were so enjoyable as we had breaks between courses and generally talked and laughed.  Must mention the first course of a salad that Chris had made with cucumber...absolutely divine. The dessert was of course christmas pudding, set alight with some brandy poured over it...Wow what a meal... Thank you Chris and Sonali.

On Chirtsmas day we were with friends Margaret and Bill for lunch
And that was an even more elaborate affair - 20 people on a loooooooooooong table
Lots of food and everyone was slow in whatever they ate, lots of time for conversations and laughter.  The whole day was spent in preparing various dishes and then lunch started around 1 ish and we kind of finished around 5..wow what a beautiful day, wonderful conversations and excellent food.  Here also, there were 2 christmas puddings and wow - what a treat to eat it with custard..Thank you Bill and Marg for making us feel at home.

While the taste and flavour of food was appreciated by all diners, people probably remember the day more because of who they met and what they all spoke about...!!!

Contrast this with a lunch we hosted in India a few years ago for around 20 people.
It was everyone seated in a line with somebody serving the food quickly.
Conversations and talk - happened before the meal and after the meal...
The focus on food was complete and some people remember the food to this day.

And I guess I have the benefit of the best of both worlds...
I enjoy the serious approach to food; focussed only on what I am eating and therefore remember what i eat ..yes, food is serious business ...!
I also enjoy the conversational approach to eating together..

Bottom line - food is just a means to the end - a means of getting people together, a means to obtain a sense of community...

The final objective is to anyway meet, greet and eat :)