Gluten Free Dal Bati

Ingredients

- Makka atta - 2 cups (Makes approx. 10 medium sized batis)

- Buckwheat (kuttu) atta - 1 cup

- Jowar atta -  1.5 cup

- Tapioca atta - 1/2 cup 

- Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

- Salt - 1/2 tsp

- Ajwain 1/2 tsp

 - Ghee

Instruction

- Mix all flours together, keep adding ghee to make it crumbly. 

- Slowly add warm water and keep kneading to make a tight dough. 

- Put water to boil in a big pot 

- Take one fistful at a time, and knead with some ghee to make the batis

- Preheat oven to 250 degC

- Drop in boiling water until they start floating a bit / look fluffy

- Bake in oven at 250 degC for 20 min

- Transfer to a pot/bhagona vessel, with a small bowl containing a fuming coal piece. Let it rest for 10 min.

- One by one, dip batis in a bowl with melted ghee, press slightly to crack open so ghee soaks a little in the core as well. 

Enjoy with hot 5 mel dal and gatte ki sabzi!

Recipe courtesy : Dr. Anisha Goel

Eat Your Dals without Bloating and Belching

 Being trained in the allopathic system, I was always uncomfortable with the fact that allopathy doesn’t address the cause of a disease and correct it, instead,  symptomatic treatment is given. This type of treatment maintains the diseased state, and brings in side effects of the medicines that have to be taken for long time.

The Biological doshas

The ancient science of Ayurveda recognised the existence of three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) that determine the process of life, growth, and decay. Each dosha is derived from a different natural element. Vata corresponds to air, Pitta to fire, and Kapha to water. These Doshas are the three primary life forces in the human body, and every deficiency, disease, or disorder is primarily caused due to a shift in the optimum levels of these Doshas.

Vata dosha

Vata is the air or wind Dosha. It is responsible for movement in the human body, making it a very important Dosha since the other two Doshas are found to be incapable without the presence of movement. So in effect, it regulates the functions of Pitta and Kapha as well.

Common vata disorders include flatulence, tics, twitches, aching joints, dry skin and hair, nerve disorders, constipation, and mental confusion. The Vata Dosha is manifest primarily in the abdominal cavity below the navel – colon, pelvis, pelvic organs, as well as the thighs, skin, ears and brain.

Lentils and stomach problems

Consumption of  pulses, like beans, lentils, and peas can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. That's because pulses contain large amounts of indigestible carbohydrates (fibers) that are fermented in the GI tract resulting in the formation of gas.

It is better to consume dals during daytime , but moong dal is light and easily digestible, so it is okay to have it at night. Actually moong dal helps balance the digestion process. Soaking or spouting the lentils  make them much easier on the digestive system. Soak them overnight or at least for 4 hours. Throw away the water in which it is soaked and give the beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates.

While cooking

When using the pressure cooker, do not close the cooker straightaway. Put the water and beans/lentils in the cooker, put on flame and let it boil. You will see the surface being filled with froth. 

Remove this froth with a ladle.

 Then you can add salt and other condiments, close it and pressure cook.

Apart from alleviating the stomach discomfort on eating the preparation, I have even found an improvement in the taste.

What is your bitter today?

The Ayurvedic diet is based on the principles of Ayurvedic medicine and focuses on balancing different types of energy within your body, which is said to improve health. It is an eating pattern that's been around for thousands of years. In Ayurveda, there are six tastes that can be found in our diet: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent (spicy), Bitter, Astringent. To maintain proper health it is necessary to consume food with all these tastes. I have found that bitter is one taste that is commonly missing from daily diet.

Bitter taste?

To encourage my kids to eat bitter foods like bitter gourd, I would ask them, “What do you feel like on putting a bitter item into your mouth?”

“Feel like spitting it out.”

“Right, so when this reaches the cells of your body, that is what they would do. They spit out all the toxins inside and your body remains healthy.”

This approach, along with giving Reiki to the food made sure they developed healthy eating habit.

A leaf a day

When I had sciatica type pain years back, I started eating parijat leaves, which gives relief. Later I made it a habit to eat one parijat leaf every day in the morning. It makes sure I have my bitter taste for the day. The leaves juice is bitter and works as a tonic. Its decoction is excellent for arthritis, constipation, and worm infestation. The beautiful parijat flowers are steeped in boiled water to make tea for drinking.

 

 

Iron For Your Body and cast iron utensils

Hemoglobin in the red blood cells carries oxygen from your lungs to transport it throughout your body and iron is an important component of haemoglobin. So the major reason why our body needs iron is because it helps to transport oxygen in the body. It has other functions like maintaining healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails.

Foods containing iron and its deficiency

Foods that contain iron are spinach, legumes, pumpkin seeds, quinova, red meat, poultry, liver and organ meats. Low iron levels are common and can, if left untreated, progress into iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This can cause tiredness, shortness of breath, difficulty in concentrating, frequent bouts of illness, difficulty in regulating body temperature or often feeling cold, pale skin, heart palpitations, and headaches.

Iron supplements

Taking iron supplements in the absence of iron depletion is dangerous. Unlike other supplements or vitamins, the body does not regulate iron homeostasis well and the excess iron cannot be excreted from the body. Excess iron can lead to damage to a range of organs including the liver, skin and pancreas, and it may also be related to cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Side effects of iron supplements are constipation, dark stools, stomach pain, nausea, and, vomiting. It seems confusing that absorbing more iron could lead to fatigue. For children, iron overdose can be toxic. Symptoms of iron poisoning include severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration, and bloody stool. Simply put, Iron supplements should only be taken under medical supervision and when a diagnosis of iron deficiency has been made.

A simple way to maintain iron levels

Cooking in a cast iron vessel once a week and consuming that food will maintain the body’s iron requirement. There are two things to be taken care of. One is, make sure there is no rust in the vessel. If you see rust, scrub and wash thoroughly before cooking. Secondly, after you cook (especially if the dish contains acidic components like tomatoes), transfer it to another vessel immediately. 

These are the beauties in my kitchen, which I use routinely. 

 

References:

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/features/iron-supplements#1

https://healthybutsmart.com/iron-supplements/ 

Making Raw Cashews Edible

 

Truly raw cashews contain a substance known as urushiol, found in poison ivy. So they are not safe to eat. Cashew kernels sold as “raw’ in stores have been steamed, which removed the toxins.  

Cashew nuts have several health benefits. They contain antioxidants, which combat free radicals that build up in our bodies and cause cellular damage, which are partly responsible for the visible signs of aging. Evidence shows that eating nuts regularly can help prevent painful gallstones from forming because they work to lower bad cholesterol and they lower triglycerides, both factors in gallstone formation.

The brain needs a steady supply of healthy fatty acids in order to function. The good fat that we get from cashews, along with zinc, iron, copper and manganese, help support cognitive function and mood regulation, and can alleviate mental disorders such as ADHD, depression and anxiety. Copper deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition where a person’s red blood cell count is too low. One serving of cashews contains a lot of copper and some iron, which together help in the formation and utilization of red blood cells.

Cashews are full of monounsaturated fats, which are needed to lower LDL cholesterol (AKA the bad kind) and raise HDL cholesterol (AKA the good kind). They also help lower blood pressure, combat against the formation of plaque buildup in artery walls, and help to lower triglyceride levels, which all works together to fight against heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Raw cashews, a delicacy

During the season when the trees used to be laden with cashew fruits, as kids we used to pick them up and the ladies of the house used to make the Kerala preparation ‘Theeyal”, which all used to relish. In Karnataka, I found that raw cashews are available in the market during season and the price is to be paid per piece, because it is a skilled job to take out the kernels without breaking.

Cashew nuts from the tree

When the cashew tree that we had planted years ago started giving yield and it became a frustrating trial and error methods for years to take out the cashew nut. But finally, my husband arrived at a workable solution and I thought of sharing it here.

The steps

1.       The first step is to pressure cook the cashew nuts in water with 1 teaspoon of oil for 7 minutes. Allow it to cool and open. Drain and keep aside, do the next step after at least four hours.

2.       Cut them open and gently pry out the nuts from inside the two halves.

3.       Boil them in salted water with one teaspoon oil for ten to fifteen minutes depending on the variety. Pour off the water, wash once in cold water, and drain.

4.       Take off the thin skin from each and now they are ready to be consumed as they are, or to make any preparation you like.

References:

https://spreademkitchen.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-cashews-11-reasons-to-eat-these-delicious-tree-nuts

Making butter and ghee at home

 It is believed that ancient nomadic people first discovered the miracle of butter. While travelling long distances, nomads would attach sacks containing milk to their pack animals and the cream was eventually churned into butter.

 Letting the cream ferment with live bacteria before churning creates a tangy version called cultured butter. Cultured butter is creamy, more buttery in flavour. Cultured or fermented dairy products contain lactic acid-producing bacteria that begin to break down both lactose (milk sugars) and casein (milk proteins), which aids in digestion. These helpful bacteria strengthen our immune system, checks pathogenic bacteria from multiplying and helps digest our food. 

In Indian culture, the cow is considered sacred; cow represents the soul, and it is gentle and generous. The butter it gives is a sacred offering, fuel for lamps, and treasured food. Krishna worshippers have special love for cows. The Hindu god's role as a cowherd, and stories about his love of butter are legendary. He is lovingly called "Makhan chor." This means, "butter thief."

Ingredients

4 cups Milk cream

1 tbsp yoghurt

Method of preparation

-         To get good amount of thick cream and later butter, full fat, unhomogenized (pasteurized is ok), non UHT milk should be used.   I boil full cream milk in the morning, cool and keep in the refrigerator uncovered till evening. Then a thick layer of milk cream will be formed on the surface. This I carefully remove and keep in the freezer.

-          In 15 days I get about 4 cups of cream. Then I take it out of the freezer in the morning and leave outside to bring it to room temperature.

-          In the evening I add 1 tablespoon of yoghurt and mix well, close and leave till next day morning.

-          In the morning I use the churner or wooden hand blender and move it clockwise in the vessel containing the milk cream. In just about 8 to 10 rotations, the butter will form in lumps. You can do this in a blender also. I find using blender  and cleaning it later cumbersome.

                                                                 Wooden hand blender

-         Now I add cold water from the refrigerator and use the churner for just about 5 seconds. The butter forms huge lumps, which is taken out and is ready for use.

-          For making ghee, the butter is kept in a thick bottomed pan on low fire. 

It should be stirred in between and when the light brown colored milk solids settle down, and the surface is filled with bubbles, remove from fire.

-          The ghee is strained, cooled and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It should not be refrigerated. The separated solid can be eaten as such (I love it), or after adding sugar, or used to make sweets.

Cooking jackfruit seeds

Removing the skin and cutting of jackfruit seeds is a tricky and time consuming job if you don’t know the trick.

One method, when they are fresh, is to pressure cook it for 5 to 7 minutes, drain and spread on a plate to dry. If they are wet, you won’t be able to remove skin as the seed will be very slippery. After some time, cover with another plate and invert the whole thing so that the lower wet sides are now on top and let it dry again. Now it is easy to remove the outer skin with a knife and then they are cut.

Second method: If you can dry the seeds for a couple of days, the outer skin will become loose and can be easily removed using a knife. Now pressure cook them for about 8 minutes. Cool, open the pressure cooker, drain the seed and cut.

Thirdly, you can roast the seeds on a thava or thick bottomed pan for sometime and then on cooling the skin can come off easily.

Keep using all your vessels

I was visiting a friend, when she brought tea and biscuits. The tray in which she brought was looking dirty, there were ants crawling in its corners and the handles of the cups also had dust on them. Would you feel like drinking that tea? But I had to; we have to do certain things for social reasons.

This is the reason that I keep using all my trays, tea cups, glasses, plates etc., in rotation. Otherwise dust will settle and invariably, when guests arrive, you are not going to give too much attention to the cleaning of the vessels in which you are going to serve, at least the tray..  My principle is, if you have things, enjoy them yourselves too. Why should we think that the nice things should be used only for the guess?

Starting to cook in your own kitchen

I remember the days when I started managing the kitchen. I used to cook from early days since I had a working mother. But it used to be shared work with my sister. After marriage I became the queen of my kitchen. But it was a gradual process because we were living in a hostel as a couple (doing post graduation) and I had to cook breakfast and Saturday dinners when the cook took time off.

It was a challenging period for me. Being a Malayali, I couldn’t think of gravy without ground coconut in it. Added to that, my North Indian husband is a vegetarian and he had extracted a promise from me before marriage that I wouldn't cook non veg at home. I got panicky thinking what I would serve him day after day with only vegetables to rely on!

Before moving into the hostel we had stayed for six months at his mamiji’s house and she taught me the basic North Indian cooking. Ok, that was a revelation to me. Only vegetables and without coconut- there are hundreds of lip smacking dishes!

The problems in the early days of cooking are many. One common thing that I have found is under-cooked dal. It helps to soak the dal for a few hours and pressure cook it for the specified time.. and don’t open the cooker immediately. Let the pressure cooker cool down and then only open.

For a working wife who is hard pressed for time, it is a common occurrence that the sabzi is kept on the stove and she thinks in five minutes she will check it, and starts some other work like sitting on the computer. Then it is the burnt smell that distracts her from the work she is attending. So, the first and foremost requirement in a kitchen is a timer. When you are leaving anything on the stove and going to do another chore, just wind your timer and take it with you. 

Food for the soul

Being a spiritual healer, I am aware of the tremendous impact of food on one’s physical and mental health. Hailing from Kerala, I am a non vegetarian by birth. When I married a staunch vegetarian, we made a pact. He told me never to compel him to eat non veg, in turn, he wouldn’t ask me to stop. But I shouldn’t cook non veg at home. He would take me out to restaurants to satisfy my cravings. It sounded ok to me and we have stuck to this for many decades.

Initially, every week end we used to go out and I used to have chicken, mutton or fish. As time went by and I learned Reiki, I became more aware of the vibrations each type of food was causing in my body. My body started revolting every time I took chicken or mutton. Gradually the craving itself subsided. Once in a while if I have chicken, I can feel the heat and the waves of anger that it produces in the body.

I still feel like having fish and do have it once in a week or two weeks. It seems to go well with my body constitution.

Ok, I don’t cook non vegetarian dishes at home, but routine cooking is totally my responsibility. When life used to be too busy with my college job, managing the house and two small kids, my husband told me I could keep a cook. But the thought of my kids eating food prepared by a maid was too much for me to digest and I declined the offer. Our thought waves emanate from the food we eat. A cook’s job cannot match the love and concern with which I would cook for my kids.

On moving abroad for sometime, my workload just doubled. I had to find ways and means to compress the time in kitchen by adopting shortcuts, without compromising the results. And I saw that we can do a wonderful job of culinary creations, without taking off the fun in cooking. 

In this blog I want to share my many years of cooking experience. If I can take away the aversion to cooking, and turn it around to a fun filled job for even a few people, my efforts will be amply rewarded!