Cooking for Avantika

Ivygourd (Tindi) is a wonderful vegetable that has its own unique taste that comes alive when cooked with minimum flavor enhancing spices. And the best preparations are made from the unripe pods (the ones not red from the inside). And for those times when the pods ripen before you've had a chance to cook with them there are interesting recipes like the Dondakaya Chutney or Pachhadi. There are many ways in which it is made heres how I made it to go with dosas. Heres what you need: 1 Cup Ivy gourd (Tindi), chopped into thin slices 3/4 Cup Tomatoes chopped  1 tsp tamrind juice 3 Tbsp Coconut Powder  1 tsp grated ginger garlic 1 + 1 tsp oil  1/2 tsp Ama Spice Mix  and Sendha Namak Mustard Urad Dal Jeera Asefotida  Curry leaves for the tempering Heres what you do: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add ginger garlic and Ama Spice Mix. Stir to coat oil and to it add the gourd and tomatoes and sendha namak togea...

There are many dishes which taste good in all seasons, its not always the ingredients but the way they are cooked that makes them suitable for all seasons, all bodytypes and all times of the day. Because they are balanced in taste and attributes or gunas. We are in the midst of January and though Spring is said to be next in line, the short winters we experience in this part of the earth are at their peak, it still gets a little too cold everynow and then. I have been living on simple meals like dal chawal, khichadi since a few days and now as the air gets heavier with more moisture I feel the need to eat something more earthy yet warming not heating yet certainly not drying nor moist soupy. This recipe is a very common and flavorful one I prepare often combining the channa with sweet potato or pindalu instead of white potatoes. It just needs a small tweak in the method of preparation to get the right flavor off the ingredients. This is the way I prepare channa bateta: Heres ...

The more I fast, the more I realize how feasting and fasting are the same thing when the knowledge dawns upon you.  You will see me talking a lot about the Bhagwat Geeta in most recipes. The reason why I connect cooking with the teachings of the Geeta is because both are essentially united in their purpose.  Cooking or eating with a feeling of compassion, food that is cooked and served with love is equivalent to Devotional service to the supreme. For those who can not love and respect the food they eat will not find love and respect in the world either. Those that respect all food despite the opinions of the mind, find respect in the world. If the meal you consume doesnot satisfy you completely, or makes you feel miserable, life too will have many moments of dissatisfaction and miseries. Taste is just one way to experience the life that is merging into yours, yet it is something most people can connect to. I already spoke of the verses in the Geeta that describe how one'...

There are some things in life, which you just do without any reason. Observing a fast during the Ekadashi Tithi, reading the Bhagawat Geeta are just one of those things I do because I have to. My mind sometimes tries to reason with me and compels me to dwell in the why questions of everything I do. Sometimes I find reasons that are reasonable but sometimes I just have to do so I go about it anyways and so far I have never been disappointed with my decisions for long. The mind or manas is the reflection of what we call atma which is nothing but ata mana, so listen to it we must but condition it too when required. Here's how it is explained in the 6th Chapter Dhyana Yoga of the Bhagwat Geeta: uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ which translates to: One should deliver the soul by the mind,  not degrade it  Mind is the friend of the soul  and its enemy as well So, the Ekadashi Tithi is here ag...

This Ekadashi is called Ramaa Ekadashi. Ramaa in Sanskrit is the name of the goddess of fortune. This Ekadashi is also considered the beginning of Diwali and is meant to make you aware of all those things in your life that make you feel fortunate. And fortune is not merely material wealth. The Ekadashi Vrat Katha emphasizes on a very timeless message along similar lines. Its a message we all hear of but often forget as we go on with life. Here's the katha before I go on talking about the message.     Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "O Janardana, O protector of all beings, what is the name of the Ekadasi that comes during the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha) of the month of Karttika (October - November)? Please impart this sacred knowledge to me."    The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna then spoke as follows, "O lion among kings, please listen as I narrate to you. The Ekadasi that occurs during the dark part of the month of Karttika is called Ramaa Ekadasi. It is most auspi...

This sweet has been one of my favorites since childhood. I first tried making these at home on Sat Tilla Ekadashi and after a few trials managed to get them to be perfect. Just the way I like them. I like them broken in uneven pieces rather than straight edged perfect squares. Heres what you need: 3/4th Cup white Sesame seeds (140g) 1/2 Cup Jaggery (140g) 2 Tbsp Peanuts + 2 Tbsp Almonds (dryroasted peeled and roughly chopped) (total 50g) Heres what you do: In a wide straight bottom nonstick pan, first dry roast the peanuts and almonds, get them ready as suggested above. Keep aside and dryroast the sesame seeds till it looks oily and coloured. You want them to be browned and shiny like so: Remove & keep aside. Both need continuous stirring to make sure they are evenly roasted. Then in the hot pan add the block of jaggery (you may chop it). Toss it around a bit to enable faster melting. Keep mixing it as it melts and bubbles, this ensures that it is cooked evenl...

There are two ways to live your life, one as though everything is a miracle and the other as though nothing is a miracle. The biggest miracle that manifests in front of our eyes everyday is the Sun. The stories about the Sun are enchanting, beautiful and absolutely heartwarming. But being a believer is important when you listen to these stories. However, belief or devotion is not something to be experienced through pretence or practice. If you can't believe, you have to dissect it. The sun rises and sets every single day, days change into weeks, weeks into months, months to years and seasons change, time flies by while we go on with what we call life. And while we contemplate this life and its material experiences, it is easy to take for granted the power of what initiates all these changes. Every changing day is Special but some days are more special than others. Magha Shukla Saptami is celebrated as Surya Jayanti or the birth of the Sun. The whole month of Magha is sa...

Navagraha litterally means Nine Graha. The number 9 has interesting significance in the Vedic stories. There are Nine grahas which are said to influence all life. These so called graha (literally meaning that which influences) together explain every aspect of human possibility and behavior. In the vedic stories the nine grahas are Surya, Chandra, Mangal,  Buddha, Guru, Shukra,  Shani, Rahu, Ketu. Seven of these have a physical form which can be sensed by human capabilities; two have no physical form yet they have a presence which can be felt though not completely understood. Seven are referred to as the Devas or demigods who are said to be devotees of the supreme lord. These are the devas to whom each day of the week is dedicated: Ravi, Surya or Sun God (whose name itself means Supreme power or light or knowledge) is the provider of light to all other grahas within the solar system. Surya represents the soul that resides within the physical body in all creatures. The ...