Cooking for Avantika

 What we need  1/2 Cup Basmati Rice, washed 1 Tbsp Coconut oil  1 tsp jeera 1 tsp fennel 1 tsp Ama spice mix 1/2 a tsp homemade Biryani masala (optional)  2 pods of garlic 1 medium onion sliced thinly 1/2 a small capsicum sliced in fine strips A handful of French beans finely cut in tiny discs Less than 1/4 cup shelled fresh green peas or frozen. Paneer cubes.  Salt What we do: Heat coconut oil in a kadai. When it melts, tilt the Kadi to coat it all over. As it settles to the bottom, add jeera. As jeera sizzles and foams, add garlic slices followed by fennel seeds. Mix it then add onions. Let them sweat. Then add French beans and Ama spice mix. Mix it well and when the mixture seems drier and reduced in volume, add capsicum and cook it for some time. Add a pinch of salt followed by biryani masala if using and the washed rice. After mixing it well for some time, add 1 and 1/4 cup of water, salt, green peas. Let it boil on open for some time. Last add paneer piece...

 I know a few people who think French beans are tasty. But then, if your mom or your mom in law or whoever the lady of the household is, insists on cooking it with onions and tomatoes or potatoes or other vegetables like carrots and lots of spices, you can hardly blame people for having negative feelings towards some of the most beautiful green vegetables. Like green beans. I guess Spring must be here for I am psychologically starting my love affair with green vegetables.  This morning, as Avantika enjoyed one of her favorite breakfast items, I boiled a Potato and wondered about the color change in the water. Avantika's favorite breakfast item is a store brought crossaint that is technically not a crossaint but a piece of yeasted bread shaped like a crossaint and though it has the flavor of some fat that imitates butter, it lacks the richness of butter - it is fine, it's convenient and probably tasty too, probably just perfect for the lifestyle and environment she lives in. Bu...

Yesterday was Nirjal Ekadashi. The story of this Ekadashi specifically mentions that the one who is unable to fast on any other Ekadashi that appears throughout the year, should fast on this one. And it's been quite a while since I fasted on Ekadashi. Not because I feel I don't need to, I just find myself physically and mentally unable to observe a complete fast (that is fasting from and focussing on all four aspects that affect the mind - ahar, vihar, achar, vichar). My intelligence and the demands of my karma do not permit me to starve myself and weaken my body, which anyways defeats the purpose of fasting). History has no account of any one who attained God simply by starving or weakening their body. The purpose of observing a fast is to atleast make an effort towards choosing your food, lifestyle, behaviour and thoughts such that a God would. Like Gandhiji said 'be the change you wish to see in the world'. I don't understand any other way of attaining God. ...

I have obviously not been cooking a lot these days. Nothing that I want to talk about. Cooking has gone back to becoming a ritual and I wonder how I can make it interesting again. I do it without much thought nowadays. For my mind has been engaged in so many other things. I try to read the Bhagwad Geeta every now and then when I find time. And I'm happy to say it still makes sense. I do and read other things too and my mind is all over the place. Sometimes its hard to focus it when you are attending to a toddler 24/7 so a good night's sleep is all that really helps me focus my mind. My body has been seeking a break from being with me since a while now. And here I am sitting in the early hours of the morning trying to feed my mind so it would spare my body when the day begins. Before the new moon set in.. I was thinking of Ramadan but somehow I came across the story of Buddha and feel suddenly so interested (no I did not think of following his footsteps, though I'd enjoy ...

Fennel Greens are sweet, bitter and pungent. An awesome combination of tastes. Light, cooling and easy to digest, these greens make a great pair with the heavy, hot and oily pine seeds to form a wonderful pesto.  Here's what you need: A bunch of Fennel Greens Some Pine Nuts (add more or less as per your liking) A pod or two of garlic Some Black Salt Some water And here's what you do: Pulse everything together and add a dash of lemon. Can be stored in the refrigerator. Can be used in many ways but here is the most favorite: Boil farfalle. Add grated cheese (any medium hard variety - processed also works great) in a bowl. Add a spoonful (or more) of the pesto to this along with some walnuts, olives and cherry tomatoes. Drain and add the still hot pasta (mixed with little olive oil on top of the mixture. Mix well and serve. Adding hot pasta ensures cheese is melted and well-blended. This dish covers all six tastes, five of which are allre...

The word Sharad means winter and Purnima is a full moon. So, this is about the first full moon of the winter season which is to arrive soon. The moon on this day is said to be relatively closest to earth and it thus drips Amrit or the nectar of immortality on those whom it touches with its light. This nectar is often described as 16kala or all the 16 attributes of the moon light, but more about that a little later. The day also marks the end of Monsoon season. It is also celebrated as the birth of goddess Lakshmi. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi or Sri-Devi or Param Shakti (translated as The Supreme Power) was born or manifested on this day. She is probably the most sought after goddess who everyone worships most religiously yet few realize. While most associate Lakshmi with only wealth, or more precisely material wealth, she stands for much more. Belief has it that on the night of Sharad Purnima, the mythical goddess mounted atop an owl, Lakshmi, visits every home to see wh...