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 :)

RECIPE - Vegan, Lactose free, Gluten free - Excited about Brussels Sprout...!!!

Yes, the title of this post sounds like an Oxymoron

I ate this vegetable for the first time just ten years ago and let us say I was not impressed.
It was boiled and had a sulphurous odour and taste.
Since then I have devised a wonderful way of cooking and eating Brussels Sprout
Most people who have eaten this at home - dont even know its this...!

Bottom line, if you are not particularly fond of brussels sprout - this recipe is for you :)

Some information
Does not freeze well, best eaten freshly cooked
This recipe is good with other vegetables as this by itself is not very filling
The vegetable once cooked has many uses
- use a sandwich maker and stuff this inside bread slices to make a very sumptous toasted sandwich
- add some yoghurt and convert this into a cold salad

Ingredients
500 gm Brussels sprouts
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
A pinch of turmeric
a few green chilles or 1/4 teaspoon chilly powder [optional]
a few teaspoons cooking oil
salt to taste
1 teaspoon of besan[chick pea flour] or Rice flour [optional]

Method
Preparing the brussels sprout is the key to this recipe
Wash and dry well - there should not be any moisture left.
Cut each sprout in half along the thick stem.
Use a small knife and wedge out the stem from each side and discard
Grate finely - it should resemble finely grated cabbage like you would grate for a coleslaw or sauerkraut
[a sharp kitchen knife will do and you dont really need a grater]
The fry pan should be a wide one - the larger the surface area, the faster this gets cooked

Heat oil in a fry pan and add cumin seeds
When they crackle, turn up the heat, add chillies, and throw in the brussels sprouts
Stir in salt and turmeric and keep stirring
DO NOT COVER
It should wilt and cook within 2-3 minutes
The consistency should be flaky and crumbly
If its sticky, sprinkle a teaspoon of chick pea flour and stir again while still on the stove
rice flour will also do the trick.

Thats it...serve hot

Embelishments
If you have curry leaves - chop and add them when you thrown in cumin seeds
If you have any generic curry powder [from a super market shelf] sprinkle a teaspoon of that with the turmeric as you cook
Garnishing with fresh coriander leaves also gives a good flavour

FAQs about Indian Vegetarian food

I am often asked these questions
Let me attempt to demystify and remove certain misconceptions about Indian food.

Remember, India is a subcontinent - just as In Europe; French cuisine is different from Greek Cuisine
So also cuisine of the south is very diferent from the cuisine in the north or western parts of India.

1. Indian food is spicy - MYTH
Often spicy is the term given to food that has a lot of heat by way of chillies/ pepper.
I simply abhor the rampant usage of the word spicy as a synonym for high in chillies.
To be very precise - Indian food need not be spicy to be tasty
Spicy and tasty are again not synonyms in the Indian gourmet's palate
And yes all Indian food is not spicy
And yes all of India does not eat chillies or food high in chillies.

2. Indian food is greasy, creamy and everything is rich and heavy - MYTH
The food that one eats in Indian restaurants outside of India IS NOT COMPLETELY REPRESENTATIVE of all food from India. 
For every greasy, creamy Indian preparation [that you eat in an Indian restaurant]; there are at least half a dozen without the grease/ cream or heaviness

3. The spices drown the flavour of Indian food and so everything tastes the same - MYTH
Spices are used only to supplement/ compliment and bring out the actual taste of the primary ingredient, the vegetable. 
If all you can taste is the spice in the food that you eat - there is something fundamentally wrong with the preparation.

4. One needs a whole shelf of spices to make tasty Indian food - MYTH
Indian food - especially vegetables can be made with minimum or no spices
The key is to bring out the actual taste of the vegetable that is being cooked

5. One curry powder is all I need in the pantry to make Indian food - MYTH again
Simply because - there is nothing called as curry powder and there is no one way of making a curry powder. 
Yes, one curry powder will make all the food you cook taste the same
However; a curry powder is not mandatory to make you an Indian cook :)

6. Indian vegetarian food does not provide a balanced meal - MYTH
Did you know that every possible bean/ lentil/ legume can be used/ cooked as a snack and/or added to a vegetable dish to make it fortified in nutrition? 
Not to mention complete main meals like Rajma and Chana and Dal which contain protein and fibre

7. Cooking vegetables Indian style is too complicated and not as easy as throwing a piece of meat on the barbie and opening a can of peas and boiling some potatoes to go with it - YES AND NO.
Yes, the preparation of vegetables takes time - and yes there are a few more steps than the one step of throwing the meat on the barbie
However; making a simple vegetable, a lentil/ bean dish and some rice or a bread does not take a whole lot of time when one gets used to the routine. 
It is like everything else in life - takes time to get into the groove....!

8. Indian food has complicated recipes and a million ingredients - well, YES AND NO again.
There are complicated preparaions that call for complicated recipes
And yes, the ingredients that go well with a certain vegetable are needed to make the vegetable taste excellent.
However; there are simple, uncomplicated methods of preparing the same vegetable.

9. One sauce is all I need to make a curry - MYTH
There is nothing called as curry in India. 
In any restaurant in India ask for a curry and you will get blank looks. 
Curry is the anglicised inheritance from the British raj in India. 
And no I dont use any sauce in my cooking, I dont even make a sauce unless I am making a dish with chick peas or red kidney beans. 
And yes, a sauce is not mandatory [pre packaged or made from scratch] to cook a vegetarian meal Indian style.

10. There is only one way of making a vegetable - Example, the best way to make spinach is Palak Paneer - MYTH
The same vegetable is treated and prepared differently in different parts of India.
Remember, India is a subcontinent
Just as French cuisine is different from Greek Cuisine[in the continent of Europe]
So also Cuisine of the south is very dfferent to cuisine of the north of India
and even within cuisine from Southern India - the food made in a Tamil home is very different from food made in the kicthen of a person from Andhra Pradesh or Kerala. 
And even within Tamil Nadu, the food in the kitchens of homes in the north of the state is very different from other places in Tamil Nadu. 
So there are at least 100 ways of preparing the same vegetable and more and more methods are being invented every day.

Dont hesitate to contact me if you have some more questions - happy to answer them all.

RECIPE - Vegan, Gluten free, Lactose free - Simple Potatoes and Peas/ Kumara and Peas/ Aloo Mutter subji

Aloo [potatoes], Mutter[peas]
Suits dietary preferences - vegetarian, vegan, lactose free and gluten free

General notes
An all time favourite and extremely simple and easy to make.
And yes, this is not greasy, not creamy, there is no need for a sauce
Freezes well.
To make it low GI and high in fibre - substitute potatoes with Kumara [sweet potatoes]
This preparation is gluten free [powdered asafoetida might contain wheat flour - check the container when you buy asafoetida]
Serves 2-3 people with roti/ rice
A Vegetable cooked this way would be called a Subji

Information about ingredients
A small amount of sugar always helps manage the acidity of tomatoes.
Ginger and asafoetida help with managing flatulence
What is asafoetida ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
Cumin and Fennel seeds have carminative properties and add a distinct flavour
What is Fennel ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennel

Ingredients [ Grouped ]
Vegetables
6-8 medium sized Potatoes chopped into quarters [chop again in half if you need smaller pieces]
OR - Kumara - perhaps 600 - 700 gm
1 cup of frozen peas or fresh peas when they are in season
1 medium sized onion
4-5 medium sized tomatoes [canned tomatoes are fine too]

Spices
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspon of asafoetida[available in most Indian grocery stores]

Other flavouring agents
1 inch size of fresh ginger, finely grated[dry ginger powder will work - 1 teaspoon]
1-2 green chillies [add more if you like it hot]
2 pods of garlic [optional]

Basic cooking needs
3/4 tablespoon of oil [ yes thats all that is required]
1 tsp of sugar
salt to taste

Cooking process

Heat oil in a saucepan [use a saucepan that can hold all the potatoes/ kumara, peas and water]
When the oil is hot, add cumin.
Once cumin crackles, add fennel seeds, onions, green chillies, garlic.  Stir until onion becomes transclucent

Add tomatoes, peas and the potatoes.
Add enough water [water level one inch above the potatoes]
Add salt, turmeric, asafoetida, sugar and salt
Cover and cook - stir occasionally.
Simmer as soon as it starts to boil - and cook until potatoes are done.
If the cooked vegetable is too think, add some water and simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve  hot with rotis/ naan or rice

Improvisations on the basic recipe

Add chopped carrots as well if you have just one or two in the fridge
A few slices of capsicum add a beautiful colour
[just remember to cook capsicum for the least amount of time - ie, add chopped capsicum after the potatoes are three fourths cooked]
Throw in some baby spinach if you have some left over [same as capsicum, dont over cook this]
[actually you can also thrown in the left over salad itself]

In Papua New guinea where I live now - I use sweet potatoes[kumara] instead of potatoe
Makes it very healthy, low GI and high in fibre
If you have access to fresh coriander leaves, add fresh chopped coriander as garnish just before serving.

Shelf shelf on the kitchen wall, which is the greatest spice of them all..?

I am often asked what my most favourite spice is...

I am usually silent when this question is asked.
Or I duck the question and change the subject...
This is akin to asking a mother who her favourite child is..!

However; one day I decided to sit down and think and think and think some more until I had a definite answer to this question.

To arrive at a decision I made two major assumptions.

1. Chillies are fruit/ vegetable
2. Turmeric is more a herb than a spice and I add turmeric to all the food anyway [more for medicinal reasons]

So yes, to answer the question :

The two most favourite of all spices in my pantry are Cumin [Jeera] and Coriander.
But the top one is Cumin - for its carminative properties, special aroma and the flavour it imparts to the vegetable that is being cooked.

Yes I can cook many things which taste absolutely different by just using Cumin and Coriander seeds [in combination and separately].

Simple recipe using Cumin seeds

Finely shredded cabbage [can be English or Chinese cabbage] 2 cups
1 small finely chopped onion
1 or 2 chillies [optional]
2 tsp cooking oil
2 tsp cumin
a pinch or two of turmeric
salt to taste

heat oil in a pan, add cumin and wait for it to crackle
As soon as it crackles add chillies and onion and stir until onion turns transclucent.
add the finely shredded cabbage, salt and turmeric
give it a stir, cover and cook for 2 minutes
stir again cover and cook
and remove when the cabbage is wilted.

Tastes great with rice and or Rotis

This is only one of the many simple stir fries that get the taste and flavour of cumin.
Anyone who eats this - will love cabbage [some how cumin masks the sulphurous taste of cabbage]
What you have made now is a simple vegetable cooked Indian way
[non greasy,no cream, no sauce]

The same recipe works for a stir fry of grated carrots
Or finely shredded brussel sprouts - yes this is a fantastic way of cooking brussel sprouts and no one who has eaten burssel sprouts cooked this way can ever guess what it is.
[trust me I am one of those who are not particularly fond of boiled/steamed brussel sprouts but i can eat it if its cooked this way]
or a stir fry of french beans cut into small pieces
even potatoes can be cooked this way - aloo jeera is a fantastic dish
[potatoes to be cut into small cubes, with or without skin as per your taste preference]

So the recipe sheet should read
Finely shredded cabbage [can be English or Chinese cabbage] 2 cups
OR Finely shredded brussel sprouts - do not cover while cooking
OR finely Grated carrots - do not cover while cooking
OR small cubes of potaoes
OR French beans - cut in small pieces

1 small finely chopped onion
1 or 2 chillies [optional]
2 tsp cooking oil
2 tsp cumin
a pinch or two of turmeric
salt to taste
Procedure is the same as explained above

Do please tell me how the brussel sprouts tasted when cooked this way.  I look forward to your feedback :)

So there you go everyone - my most favourite spice is cumin aka Jeera  :)

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.