Goodbye M - See you on the other side!

"The most painful GoodByes are those that are never said and never explained"

I am tired of GoodByes...especially Good Byes, where there is really no Good Bye...one day you are laughing, dancing and talking and the next week you hear this person is no more...

          She was a girl-woman, 

          Had an air of vulnerability,

Seemed brilliant in a nerdy sort of a way (Cal-tech graduate working at Oracle) 

Painfully Young (she had just turned 21) 

A smile that covered her entire face and made it shine, 

She wore the cutest cut-up t-shirts that she watched You-Tube to make, 

She was a constant in the BollyX class, 

And confessed to liking old tamil songs and bhangra...  

While we are still in shock,   

I am sure her parents are looking for closure.  

There are so many questions unanswered, 

All I can wish for her is - that she keeps smiling & dancing where ever she is 

 We will dance in her memory on September 1st in the BollyX class on Saturday. Shruthi and the Oracle BollyX community shared some sweet memories with this gorgeous girl. We want to say good bye to her in a style she loved and adored : with bollywood dance and music. Please do come if you knew her or just want to say a Good Bye together. Shruthi (our BollyX instructor) shared this on a text with me and I think it's a good reminder to all of us

The importance of a morning routine

Following a system first thing in the morning, means you’ll have more time to reflect in a quiet atmosphere (less hustle and bustle) and it gives you the opportunity to be organized for the rest of the day. More importantly, this daily habit helps you create energy and the right “mindset” to tackle the challenges of a busy day.

My morning routine is still work in progress but here's the rough sketch -
6. 45 AM - Get up + Warm Water + Miracle Cleanse + 15 minutes of breathing (Anulom Vilom, Kapal Bhatti, Bhramari)
7.15 AM - Make Ginger Tea + Dry Roast Peanuts in the microwave (Summer)
                 Start Lunch prep for son's lunchbox (if school year)
7.30 AM - Feed Dog
8.00 AM - Walk Dog ( this 15 mins gives me time to think about my To-Do list and intent for the day)
8.15 AM - Start working (unless there are 8.00 AM calls, then I move up my schedule 15 mins)
I didn't eat much peanuts before about 5 years back.  Then I attended a Sadhguru Seminar where Peanut was about 80% of the breakfast and  he said yogis could go on a 100% peanut diet because it is a complete food.
Today I adopted an evening snack that really made me feel good about my eating. I made myself a snack of a "Chatpata Peanut Chaat"

What you need

1. 1 cup  raw shelled peanut (or kadlekai or shenga)
2. 1  small finely chopped red onion
3. 3  tbsp finely chopped coriander Leaves
4. 1 small green chili finely chopped (optional - for extra spiciness)
5. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
6. 1/4 tsp chat masala (optional)
7. Salt to taste, Lemon Juice

To Cook 

1. In your Instant Pot - add the raw peanuts with 1 cup of water and the salt
2. Now turn the IP to Manual, High Pressure for 4 minutes NR (no release)
3. While the peanuts are cooking - chop the veggies - small red onion, chillies, coriander leaves
4. Open the IP and take the peanuts in a bowl, mix everything, taste and season some more as needed.
5. Enjoy with a cup of adrak (ginger chai)

I want to leave you with the thought : My morning routine definitely sets the tone for the rest of the day for me. If I am rushed or stressed in the morning, it tends to carry into my entire day. So I take the time to take some quiet time to myself before getting caught up in the whirlwind of activities. What's your morning routine?

I know a shortcut

So I am a little (ok a lot) schizophrenic when it comes to my comfort food choices...one day it might be me craving  Dalma + Quinoa ( Dalma Bhato - the quintessential Oriya comfort food of Dal Chawal), the next I would be absolutely craving Dahi+ Quinoa (Thayir Sadaam - the universal south indian comfort food of Yogurt and Rice with a dash of pickle)...but for me one of the hands down favorite foods that I crave at all times is Kadhi in any form - Punjabi Kadhi, Dahi Kadi Oriya Style or  Mor Kuzhambu ( better known as South Indian Kadhi). I tried making Mor Kuzhambu from scratch multiple times and honestly my end product didn't remind me of what I ate in my friend Lal's mom's kitchen. Then my friend Pri suggested the Grand Snacks Mor Kuzhambu mix and there has honestly been no looking back for me.

What you need

1. 1 Cup Thick Yogurt or 1.5 Cups Kefir ( I use Trader Joe's organic European style non-fat or 1% Plain Kefir)
2. 2 Tablespoons (or to taste) - Grand Snacks Mor Kuzhambu Mix (I found this at my local indian store)
3. 1 Cup - Peeled and Chopped Opo Squash (from the farmer's market)
4. 1 Cup Water
5. Salt or Liquid Aminos to Taste ( I used Salt today!)

To Cook 

1. In your Instant Pot - add the Chopped Opo Squash, Water and the Mor Kuzhambu Mix. Stir Well
2. Now turn the IP to Manual, High Pressure for 4 minutes NR (no release)
3. Open the IP and add in the Kefir/Yogurt and Salt to taste. 
4. I garnished my mor kuzhambu with curry leaves (from my garden) that I microwaved with a spray of coconut oil (45 seconds)

I add more water/kefir/ yogurt depending on thickness I want - I found out it's a personal preference. Some people like it thinner while others like it thicker. I enjoy my bowl of Mor Kuzhambu with cooked quinoa and some stir fried Kothavarangai Poriyal (it's the season right now for this vegetable cluster beans in our Farmer's Market but it's on the expensive side at $6/pound :-) - Ask me about the time I got almost 2 lbs of it and really messed up the recipe...now I stick to my tried and tested Poriyal recipe).

This recipe took me less than 10 minutes to execute and tastes so much better than my stove top version which takes me at least 20-25 minutes to make (might be 15 minutes if you add in chopping the Opo Squash but I do my food prep in advance to make my week easier).

So are we going to take this short cut together?

She Loves Me...She Loves me NOT....

If you can dream it,

You can do it...

Yet there are things I refuse to make in my Instant Pot,

As much as I love it...and I have owned mine for over 3 years...

Today is Sunday and I had no intentions of cooking...just watching Ready Player One with the boy and eat out. But on top of my mind were these two bananas in the fruit bowl that had reached their peak and I didn't really want to throw them away. So I ended up picking up a recipe from the trusty internet and firing up my oven (NOT my Instant Pot) and ended up baking two not one cake.

So here are things I would rather not make in my Instant Pot (or I have tried them a couple times and they were epic fails!

1. Adrak Wala Chai: I use grass-fed organic milk and organic ginger and two times out of three the milk split....so now I stick to making my chai cuppa on the stovetop with my trusty old saucepan
2. Cakes & Bakes: I usually end up getting a mush vs. the magic (like the picture above) which I have started taking for granted.
3. Dosa Batter: Honestly I see the number of cry's for help with the over-poofed up Dosa Batter and I refuse to put my Instant Pot through that abuse :-)
4. Poriyals (quick vegetable stir-fry): I  do feel the poriyals (cabbage, carrot, beans etc.) that I make in my wok on a gas flame taste so much better than what I make in the instant pot!
5. Mac & Cheese : now now I see all the wide-eyed disbelief but I have managed to muck up this recipe in the Instant Pot...I prefer making it on the old-fashioned stove top
6. Ghee: I make Ghee twice a year with grass fed organic unsalted butter and I tried making it one of those times in the Instant Pot but honestly liked the end product from my  stove-top version better!

Here are the things that I will cook every-day in my Instant Pot :

1. Steel-Cut Oats
2. Dal/Lentils/Sambar/Chana/Rajma
3. Soups & Stews
4. Wet Curries - Anda Curry, Aloo Matar, Matar Paneer
5. Pastas 
6. Grains - Quinoa, Barley
7. Kheer - Oats, Quinoa, Dalia 

So I know you love your IP but are there things you will not make in your Instant Pot?

Guru Purnima : A Day for Gratitude

Guru Purnima is the day to pause and note all that you’ve been given by the universe and celebrate with gratitude. However, feeling grateful for things we have only scratches the surface of our joyful cores. It is possible to feel grateful without an apparent reason and experience spikes of inner joy and celebration. 

                                                           ---- Art of Living 
So I had every intention of fasting till dinner today - I was attending an Art of Living Guru Purnima Celebration  in the evening where Sri Sri would be there in person, but hadn't really reckoned with the rumblings of the stomach (loud insistent complaints). So I quickly soaked some quinoa and chilka moong dal and in 20 minutes had the most nutritious lunch (all in between a bunch of calls)...some kind of magic that is!

What you need

1. 1 Cup Quinoa (washed in cold water and soaked with the moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup Chilka Moong Dal (the moong dal that still has its cover)
3. 1 /2 Cup - Frozen Vegetables (365 Whole Foods Brand is what I used)
4. 2  Cups Vegetable Broth (Saffron Road)
5. 1 small knob of ginger
6. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asefoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your oil....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the moong dal and the quinoa (and the veggies if you added any) to the instant pot and give it a stir 
3. Add the Broth 
4. Put the IP on Rice Mode
5. When done open and add Liquid Aminos to taste (you can use salt instead of the liquid aminos)
6. Now add fresh lime juice and cut cilantro. Garnish with some raw chopped onions if you so wish.

I am grateful to get these wonderful 10 minutes to relish a bowl of khichdi with some yogurt. And yes! the complaints of the stomach kind have thankfully stopped. I am so ready for my evening session of meditation and gratitude

Throwing away my Fat Pants...

How many times do you weigh yourself in a day...go on be honest...ok I will go first (2 times a day)...I have always struggled with weight...being the pudgy kid in school with the thick glasses who loved her carbs (think rice)...I always dressed up 2 sizes larger to hide perceived and real imperfections.In January, 2012 I did both a mental and a wardrobe re-haul ..I dress to size...if there is a weakness I want to highlight it, so that I get a chance to acknowledge  and rectify it. Similarly if I sense a level of discomfort with a certain activity, I take a closer look at the reason for the discomfort and try to address it vs. try and hide it.

Here are some of the things I have done that have helped me :

(A) Take on an activity which is a stretch : Something I am not sure I will be successful at but I know I will learn from ( it is easy to take on tasks where I would succeed 100% declare victory and feel smug)...as my Yoga teacher Keith says - it is about stretching that part of your body that doesn't want to be stretched...when you see some progress, you know you have really progressed
(B) Exercise : I think the one thing that has kept me going has been hitting the gym regularly. In the process, I have found activities that are both uplifting (BollyX) and calming (yoga).
(C) Focus on the now and yourself without checking on your neighbor's progress : It is so easy to get caught up in the competition game of me vs. him/her. Just focus on what makes you truly happy ( in my case reading, Yoga, BollyX, solving complex problems for customers at work, spending time with my family...the list goes on and on, makes me happy)...and try to optimize on those moments of true happiness.


I now have my Instant Pot to help me create healthy meals in less than 20 minutes at least 4 times a week (I have a confession to make, I don't cook everyday! and we eat left-overs the next day :-) )

Last week I made a quick  delicious Vegetable Quinoa Biryani

What you need

1. Aachi Biryani Masala - 2 tablespoons 
2. 1 Cup Quinoa (washed in cold water and soaked 1/2 hr)
3. Roughly Chopped Onion (1 Big one), Garlic & Ginger paste, Roughly chopped Tomato (1 large tomato)
4. 1 Cup - Frozen Vegetables (365 Whole Foods Brand is what I used)
5.  3/4th Cup Vegetable Broth (Saffron Road)
6. 1/4th cup Light Coconut Milk ( 365 Whole Foods Brand is what I used)
7. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asefoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder (turmeric+black pepper = wa wa whoom for health quotient)

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your oil....add hing, cumin seeds the onions and garlic/ginger paste. Add turmeric and black pepper powder. Cook till Onion is browned and then add the tomatoes and cook further till the masala is no longer raw (or do what I did - add 3 tablespoons of my frozen magic mother sauce and then add turmeric powder and black pepper powder, I also sprayed some rough chopped onions with coconut oil spray and stuck it in my microwave to garnish the biryani with :) )
2. Add the veggies and the quinoa to the instant pot and give it a stir - give the ingredients a long minute to mix and work their magic
3. Now add the Aachi Biryani Masala (or your home-made biryani masala)
4. Add the Broth 
5. Put the IP on Rice Mode
6. When done open and add in the coconut milk+ Liquid Aminos to taste
7. Now add fresh lime juice and garnish with the microwaved onions and cut cilantro  
8. Dig into your biryani knowing that with this bowl of biryani you are adding 300 calories to your daily calories with 14 grams of Protein and 10 grams of Fiber (if you add in a side of yogurt or kefir like I did - for 60 more calories you just upped your proteins to over 20 grams and your fiber to 12 grams :-) )

Now what are you waiting for - are you going to let those "fat pants" stay in your closet or are you going to "throw away that life boat" and take a step towards more risks and heck yes! higher rewards!!!

The Perfect Imperfect Curry...

                                                                                            -- A 13 Yr Old
In the spate of last week's suicides by two celebrities....one of whom I adored Anthony Bourdain, there was a lot of introspection going on in my head. I lost a 44 year old cousin  two years back to Suicide...she had the perfect job, the perfect house and the perfect two children...yet she couldn't find that elusive happiness and the strife to keeping it all "just right" got to her...
It was a huge wake-up call for me...I am this person who usually doesn't really care about what others think about me and focus on doing the things that nourish my mind, body and soul...call that selfish...I call that a necessity for my existence. However, in the past few years, there has been a little bit of...omigod! what would she say if I did this or post this or act like this...this pressure to try to tweak my "branding"...to get it just "right" and then when G (my cousin) passed on...there was an aha! moment for me, along with the empty feeling of loss and grief. It was the fact that what was driving me nuts...up the wall was this constant clamour for perfection....perfectly clean house, perfectly completed to-do-list, perfectly groomed kid (and puppy), a perfect husband and a perfect me with a perfect social media page....REALITY : all hogwash...so tomorrow if you see this really short-haired woman walking by the bay in her Jammies talking to her scruffy puppy...that is moi....my gift to myself is this "gift of imperfection" and with it comes the joy and freedom of living life on my own terms.

I didn't really feel like cooking today and that's where my wonderful Instant Pot came in super handy with this < 10 minutes noodles almost like a vegetarian Khao Soi (without the hard work).  The recipe is healthy too (because healthy makes me happy). Here's how I rolled :

What you need

1. Thai Yellow Curry (click the link for what I used)
2. Explore Cuisine ChickPea Spaghetti (click for link for what I used) - 1 packet for 4 servings ( 11gms of fiber per serving, 25 gms of protein)
3. Some vegetables - any vegetables ( I used  onions, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower and white mushrooms)
4.  5 cups of water or vegetable broth
5. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil)
6. Thai Taste - Light Coconut Milk
7. Lime Juice, Cilantro  and Paprika for garnish

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your oil....add the onions and the thai yellow curry and saute till Onions are translucent and the raw smell of the curry paste has reduced.
2. Add the veggies and the noodles and give it a stir.
3. Now add the water (or broth)
4. Put the IP on manual High Pressure for 3 minutes
5. When done open and add in the coconut milk+ Liquid Aminos to taste
6. Now add fresh lime juice, cut cilantro and paprika 
7. Dig into your perfect "imperfect curry"

And I want you to  Promise Yourself - To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something special in them. Give every living creature you meet a smile (so what if they don't smile back, think of all the endorphins your smile is generating!). To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world (so what if no one else is listening, you are!).To live in faith that the whole world is on your side and you can do whatever you wished today and everyday!