Cooking for Avantika

Following the verse about Satvik food in the Bhagwat Geeta (that I talked of in the last post) is the following verse about Rajasik food: kaṭv-amla-lavaṇātyuṣṇa -tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ | āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā  duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ Bitter-Sour-Salty Hot excessively so -Spicy-Dry-Sharp to the tongue are foods palatable to (those living in the mode of) passion and they yield sorrow, distress & disillusionment. Its interesting how easily this verse can be interpreted differently by different translators. The purport of this line is obviously that our preference for foods is a reflection of our state of mind and not the other way around. While it is true that the food we eat makes up and fuels our mind and body, the food we eat need not be directly responsible for the state of our mind, unless we have decided to starve ourself or overeat by choice or misinterpret the truth about healthy eating. Rajasik foods surely satisfy our tastebuds and other senses more than foods ...

There is a verse in the Bhagwat Geeta Chpt 17, that talks about sattvik food: äyuù-sattva-balärogya -sukha-préti-vivardhanäù rasyäù snigdhäù sthirä hådyä ähäräù sättvika-priyäù which translates as: Duration of life, existence, strength, freedom from disease, happiness, satisfaction are increased through Juicy, fatty, enduring, hearty foods (dear to one seeking) wellbeing and maintenance. Sattvika is the quality of goodness, righteousneous, pleasantness, balance. Though this is only half the truth about the qualities of good food, its enough to understand that the purpose of food is to maintain our bodies and nourish it. The categorization of certain ingredients as healthy or unhealthy is perhaps a very western idea. I know for one that when we eat traditional food cooked at home with fresh ingredients, everything that is tasty and mouthwatering is always healthy. One such favorite of mine is the Gujarati Undhiyu. I am really fond of Undhiyo but till a cer...