Parenting Fundas: Traditional Knowledge Natural Growth

Child is the father of man. And this child will determine the direction that mankind takes in the years to come. Hence it is very important that children should be given the right kind of nourishment.

Ayurveda or the accumulated 'life-knowledge' has been doing it right since ages. Maybe even before Charaka set about to document it. Our grandparents have relied on it to bring up our parents and in turn most of them (hopefully) have done the same. But it was the invasion of the West (sometime in the late 70's) that weaned away people from this traditional source of knowledge. The warmth of a mother's breast got replaced by a cold bottle. The customary massage and haldi-ubtan routine that was administered to babies was deemed uncool. Sweet smelling baby oils & shampoos became the rage of the day. Pictures of plump babies smiling enticingly on the cartons/tins of baby food seduced the eager parents who would willing give a hand and a leg to ensure that the apple of their eye turns out the same way. Instead of turning to home remedies, parents started turning to medication whenever their little had cold/tummy ache/fever.

While an ill child is every parents' nightmare we need to exercise caution while giving medication to children. The Allopathy system of medicines that most of us rely on only ensures that our little one is back on his/her feet at the earliest but it does not do any good for his/her immune system. Ayurveda or Homeopathy ensures that the root cause of the illness is identified and treated. While it may take a longer time, this not only prevents recurrence of the illness but also builds up a child's natural immunity.

I remember my mom giving with a concoction of  basil juice and honey to soothe my sore throat and it worked like magic. Similarly she used to give me 'Trikatu' or 'Triphala' powders depending on the time of the year and my health in general. The insistence of Ayurveda to balance all the three 'dosas', namely, 'vata', 'pita' & 'kaptha' to gain sound health holds true even today.

Being a mother to a 20 month old son, I have always relied on the knowledge handed down by elders.Soon after my son was born( normal delivery without epidural...I think I can give myself a pat on the back ) I started with the traditional oil massage with Gingelly oil that was further fortified with herbs. Elders say that this massage release the tension in the limbs of the newborn who had been living in cramped quarters (i.e., Mother's womb ) for nine months. I immediately saw its benefits as it helped my baby to sleep better. In due course of time it also helps strengthen their tender bodies and build immunity.

As is the normal practice in Orissa, I switched over to mustard oil (boiled with garlic & nigella seeds) during the cold winter months. This ensured that my little one did not catch cold as frequently as some of my neighbor's kids. While I had opted for exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months, I made sure that the first solid food that enters my little one's mouth had no preservatives or artificial agents in it. A home made mix of roasted and powdered channa dal, wheat, ragi and beaten rice became his staple. Mashed bananas or some light khichidi was next on the menu. Slowly, one at a time, I introduced boiled & mashed vegetables in his meals. This ensured that he got accustomed to variations in taste and started enjoying his meals. I am sure most babies would prefer this to the bland packaged baby foods.

As we already know packaged foods have their own pitfalls. The synthetic substances present in them lead to hormonal imbalance especially in kids. This results in disorders like onset of early puberty, attention deficiency, childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes to name a few. While the fast paced lifestyle leaves us with few choices, we must stick to wholesome and unprocessed foods whenever possible.

Most of our elders would frown at what we eat these days. They were used to eating fresh food with all its nutrition intact. No refrigerators or microwaves for them. Slow cooked food made on charcoal/wooden stoves that did not heat up to very high temperatures was not only appealing to eat but also high on nutrients.

But the tide is once again turning in favor of traditional knowledge. Most of us new-age mommies are armed with a load of information freely available thanks to internet. We are fully aware of the risks associated with this consumerist lifestyle and are gladly turning to more traditional ways of child rearing.

Hence the importance of Ayurveda with its holistic view/treatment of the human body. It not only helps us in developing a better understanding of the human body but also makes us refrain from the abuse that we are putting ourselves through.

This post is written for Dabur Lal Tail. Contest open on Indiblogger till 10th November.

Methi Poori

This is a delicious flavoured poori I prepared last Monday. I have paired it with a yellow peas curry (ghuguni) that i made without onion & garlic. An ideal dinner option for Kartika masa somabar. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup maida, 1 cup atta, 3 tsp oil, fistful of kasuri methi leaves, 1/4 tsp salt, water to make into a stiff dough.

Preparation - Take the maida & atta in a plate with vessel. Rub in the salt and oil in to the flour. Sprinkle kasuri methi.

Add water little by little and knead into a smooth yet stiff dough.

Keep it covered for 1-2 hours.

Divide into small lemon sized balls. Take a little atta and roll out into medium thickness rounds (not to thin thin nor thick).

Cooking - Heat oil in a deep wok.

Take a pinch of the dough and add it to the hot oil. If it sizzles and rises to top, oil is hot enough.

Slide the puris into the oil one at a time. Pour little oil with the help of the ladle over each one and allow to them puff up. Flip over and allow to cook on the other side as well.

Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Repeat with the remaining rounds.

Serve hot with Ghuguni.

Mahalabia

Happy Diwali to All.

The blogosphere has been bombarded with traditional Diwali recipes. While I do not hold anything against following our customs, I simply did not want to ruin my vacation slaving over those laddoos/kalakand or even kheer. That is when I zeroed in on Mahalabia. Also known as Muhellabia, this is one light milk and easy pudding recipe from the Middle East . The first time I read about it in a travel magazine, I was bowled over by the ease and simplicity of this dish. While it does remind me of another Indian dessert (Phirni), this one makes use of cornflour rather than rice flour. It has a light custard or thick yogurt like texture.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-10 mins

Ingredients - 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup milk powder, 3 tbs corn flour, 1/2 cup sugar ( or less as per preference ), 3 tbs rose water, 2 whole cardamoms, nuts for garnishing.

Cooking - Bring the milk & milk powder to a boil. Allow to boil for 7-8 minutes. Dissolve in the sugar.

Dissolve the corn flour in a little milk. Add slowly to the boiling milk and stir continuously till it thickens to a custard consistency. Add the rose water and cardamon at this point and mix in.

Pour in glasses & put into the refrigerator.

Garnish with chopped pistachios & almonds. Serve chilled.

How to make Ragi flour from germinated grains ?

Ragi or Finger millet is a very nutritious whole grain. However if it is germinated before consumption, the nutrition contents increases manifold. Soaking the grains overnight and then allowing it to stand in a warm place with sufficient ventilation is no big task and even a novice can manage it.

I have detailed out the process for germinating Ragi grains at home and turning it into a vitamin and enzyme rich flour. Read on to get the steps right:

1. Wash and soak the Ragi grains overnight.

2. Drain all the water and spread the Ragi on a thin cloth put over a colander or any other vessel which allows excess water to escape.

3. Keep it in a warn place for 10-15 hours. Sprouts will show up.

4. Spread the germinated grains on a plate and allow to dry in the shade or diffused sunlight.

5. Once all the moisture evaporates, transfer the grains to a food processor. Grind it for a few seconds at a time while allowing sufficient standby time. The processor ( and the flour in turn) should not heat up as it destroys the vitamins and enzymes in the Ragi flour. ( If you have access to a flour mill, get it done there.)

6. Store the flour in a airtight container and use within 1 week. Refrigerate and use within 1 month.

Cabbage Poriyal

'Poriyal' or vegetables lightly stir fried with a generous amount of freshly grated coconut is one of my favorites. I call it the south indian version of the oriya 'bhajja'. It is light and healthy. And takes minimum amount of time and effort. While one can make it with various vegetables (especially gourd), Cabbage poriyal is the diah that one encounters most frequently at the South indian restaurants serving thali meals. It is also called 'Thoran' in Kerala.

Last time I made this recipe without using onions ( it was a Monday ) and it turned out pretty well. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients - 1 small cabbage (shredded into small pieces), 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut, 2 green chillis, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 4 tbs split urad/channa dal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add channa dal/urad dal and fry for 2 minutes till they turn a few shades darker.

Make slits in the green chillis and add them to the wok. Follow with the curry leaves.
Finally add the asafoetida and then the cabbage. Mix in.

Sprinkle salt and turmeric. Mix and cover with lid for 3 minutes.

Remove lid and stir lightly at regular intervals till done.

Enjoy with piping hot rice and sambhar.

Chinese Samosa

These days I am happily vacationing in Orissa (Bhubaneshwar to be precise). While the last few days rain had been playing truant ( and forcing us indoors ), the clouds have cleared up this morning and we have been treated to a gorgeous blue sky. It is the right time ( of the year ) for a foodie like me to give in to my weakness(ES) and indulge my taste buds.

While in Orissa I prefer to avoid fried stuff and relish simple meals. I do this in order to save on the calories which I later splurge on the amazing variety of sweets available here. But I could not resist myself from sampling these delicious Chinese samosas from Chappan Bhog . Yeah, you heard it right. It is named 'Chinese samosa'. (Well that's a term coined by the fast food industry that thrives on innovation and the first mover always gets to grab the lion's share of the market pie). Chappan Bhog is a restaurant that serves  'no onion no garlic' fare and is famous for the amazing repertorie of sweets that it stocks.

More on the samosas. It is clearly a case of the packaging being better than the product. These are samosas that have noodles (or chowmein as it is called here ) as the stuffing. While the outer layer was nice and crispy, the noodles were a little too sweet for my taste. I think they would do good to add more chillis to the stuffing. And pairing it up with a nice chutney would really raise the bar.

Have a sneak peek at the stuffing inside these beauties. Guess it looks a little dry ( I would prefer bigger chunks of the vegetables & paneer ):

I will be trying the ones available on the street sides 'thelas' or joints next. Have heard nice things about them. Hope they are better.

Besara ( Vegetables in a light mustard gravy )

Besara is an authentic oriya dish that is light and spicy, all at the same time. It is part of the abhada or the prasad offered to Lord Jaganaath during midday. While the former does not make use of any onion or garlic, I have been generous with garlic in my version.

Also i have skipped ambula in favour of tamarind as the latter adds a lovely color to the dish. This is one recipe which my South Indian friends would really enjoy (Most of them find the Oriya vegetarian fare stuff a little bland). Read on:

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup diced pumpkin, 1 cup diced eggplant, 1 cup sliced potato, 1/2 cup diced pointed gourd,1/2 cup chopped okra, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 4 slit green chillis, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 4 tsp oil, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 dried mangoes slices ( ambula ) or 1 tsp tamarind paste.

For the mustard paste - 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 7 garlic flakes, 1 red chilli.

Preparation - Dry grind the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chilli. Add the garlic flakes and a little water at a time. Grind into a smooth paste.

Add 1/2 cup of water and allow to stand.

Soak the ambula in 1/2 cup water . Or if using tamarind paste dilute it with 1/2 cup water.

Cooking - Heat 3 tsp of oil in a wok. Add the chopped okra and fry on a high flame for 2-3 mins. Add pumpkin, potato, eggplant and pointed gourd. Fry on medium to high flame for 3 minutes. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add 1 tsp of oil to the wok and add the tomatoes. Fry for 2-3 minutes till soft. Remove and keep aside.

Add 4-5 cups of water to the wok. Add the mustard paste ( drain the cup slowly into the wok so that the sediments settle down in the bottom of the wok. This removes the bitterness of the mustard seeds. ), salt and turmeric.

Bring the water to a boil and then add the fried vegetables. Once the vegetables are almost done, add the fried tomatoes. Boil for 8-10 minutes or till veggies are a little mushy.

Add the ambula/tamarind and slit green chillis. Boil for 3-4 minutes.

Remove from wok and serve hot with white rice . ( Garnish with coriander leaves/fried boris if desired )

Sagaa Bhajja ( Osa Bara Randha )

Sagaa Bhajja or fried Amaranthus leaves is one of the regular items in a oriya meal. It is a simple and yet flavorful dish. The wide variety of green leafy vegetables available in Orissa add a lot of versatility to this recipe. Kosala sagaa , Leutiya sagga, Khada sagaa, Kalama sagaa, Pita sagaa and Sunisuni sagaa are some of the commonly available ones.

As my grandma said the ideal sagaa bhajja is one in which the leaves should not be bunched together and it should be cooked just right (with a little bite left in it....somewhat like pasta ) and not mushy. She made sure that I perfected this recipe. She is no more but i think about her every time i make this dish.

Usually onions and garlic are added to this recipe but when cooking on a fasting day (osa bara) we rely only on pancha phutana, red chillis and freshly grated coconut to bring alive the flavours of this dish. One has to sure that the oil is heated to the right temperature so that the spices release all their flavours.

During the ongoing Kartika Masa, this is a must have on the Mondays along with a Habisa Dalma and Oou khatta. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients - 4 cups of shredded ( finely cut ) sagaa ( I have used Khada sagaa), 2/3 tsp pancha phutana, 2 red chillis, 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Heat the oil in a wok. One has to sure that the oil is heated to the right temperature so that the spices release all their flavours. Too cold a temperature will not allow the phutana to splutter while too hot will burn it and ruin the taste.

Add broken red chilli and pancha phutana. Allow the spluttering to start.

Add the shredded sagaa in small batches and mix with the spices.

Cover and cook for 1 minute on medium to high flame. Remove the cover and stir gently to prevent leaves from bunching/sticking together.

Repeat the above step alternately till saga is done and excess water evaporates. Add the salt and mix in. Switch off the flame and sprinkle freshly grated coconut. Mix thoroughly.

Serve hot with arwa anna, Habisa Dalma and Ouu khatta.

Aau (Oou) Khatta

Ouu or Dillenia indica is an exotic looking fruit that is found in Asia ( Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh). Even in India it grows only in the states of Orissa, Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. It bears fruit in the winter months.

Oou khatta is a very integral part of the Habisa ( Kartika Masa Sombar ) meals. It is added to the Habisa dalma and also made into a khatta ( sweet-sour gravy ). This fruit is said to possess medicinal properties and is touted to be good for diabetics. It is rich in phytochemicals and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Preparation Time - 30-35 mins

Ingredients - 1 Oou/Aau (elephant apple), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillis, salt to taste, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/3 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp roasted cumin-chilli powder, 1 tsp pancha phutana, 3 tsp cooking oil, coriander/freshly grated coconut for garnishing.

Preparation - Pull away and cut the green petals of the oou ( Need to be careful during this as the liquid that oozes out is quite slippery ). Peel the outer skin and cut into long strips about 1 cm wide. Use a pestle or small stone to slightly crush the pieces.

Grind the mustard and cumin seeds into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Boil 3-4 cups of water with salt and turmeric. Add the crushed Oou pieces to this and boil for 5 mins. Drain off all the water and keep aside. (This takes care of the bitterness/astringency if any )

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana and broken red chilli. Allow to splutter.

Add the boiled Oou pieces to the wok and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the mustard-cumin paste and fry for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water along with salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Cover with a lid and allow to cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes. ( Keep checking in between and add more water if required )

Add the sugar and cumin-chilli powder. Cook till the sugar dissolves into the gravy.

Garnish with grated coconut/coriander leaves. Serve with Arwa bhata - Dalma or Bhata - Mutton Curry.

Quaker Oats New Flavour : Classic Elaichi & Raisins (Product review)

This is the latest flavour of Quaker Oats to hit the shelves. With its rich cardamom flavour, it is quite reminiscent of the traditional Kheer prepared by my mom.

Quaker has a interesting range of flavoured quick oats which come at a pocket friendly price & packaging. Priced at Rupees 10 a pouch, these are designed for one time use thus doing away the need of storage.

Available in both sweet & savory versions, the savory flavours are more inclined towards an older audience. I have no reason to complain as my kiddie laps us the sweet ones ( I have recommended the same to my neighbours and got wonderful feedback from them). It is the easiest way to get some milk into my little ones' tummy who otherwise puts up quite a fight (no amount of drinking chocolate, horlicks, bournvita, or Boost succeeded in masking the smell of milk).

This is one product that I would rate at 5/5 (overall).
Packaging - 4.5/5 ( I find the quantity a little less and have to add a fruit/boiled egg to supplement my breakfast. But quantity is good enough for kids. )
Price - 5/5
Taste - 5/5

Note: This is a product that has added sugar. Diabetics please watch out. 

Bread Upma

Sandwiched, toasted, dipped in egg/batter and fried, slathered with jam. Does that bring on a sense of 'deja vu'? Yeah we are talking about the very unpretentious bread. Available in varieties like sweet. milk, sandwich, fruit, whole wheat, multi-grain, it is the Holy Grail breakfast for most of us.

Today we will be adding to this repertoire with another easy-breezy bread recipe . And this is one great way of masking that stale bread lying unused in the fridge ( The bread has to be in edible condition....Crumbly is OK Fungus is a strict No-No ). Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins or less

Ingredients - 4 pieces bread, 1 small onion, 1 green chilli, 2 tsp oil, a pinch of mustard seeds, a pinch of cumin seeds, 1/5 tsp red chilli powder, pinch of turmeric, salt to taste.

For garnishing - 1 tbs chopped coriander leaves, 2 tbs freshly grated coconut(optional), 1 tsp lime juice.

Preparation - Cut the onion into thin long pieces. Cut the green chilli into small pieces.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add the chopped onion and fry for 30-40 seconds. Add the green chilli .

Dip the bread slices in water for 1-2 seconds, take it out and squeeze out all the water.

Crumble the soaked bread and add it to the wok. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped coriander, grated coconut and lime juice. Mix well.

Serve hot .