Healing Cabbage Soup!

Sometimes you have to lose something to gain something better. A door has to shut before a new door can open. 

I will be lying if I tell you that this "new normal" is working out 100%...but what I will tell you is my perspective is slowly shifting towards compassion, catharsis and community thinking from one of panic and a sense of frustration and hopelessness ( remember I live in a county which is severely affected by the Corona Virus!)

I am a lot more focused on health - Can you believe it I finally stopped worrying about learning choreos and actually took the plunge last week and took my first BollyX class virtually last week and the feeling of community in that virtual space was awesome - I was helping people connect with each other and with their fitness goals. I took a plank challenge with my son and I showed him who was the #Queen 😆...I have taken countless walks with my puppy, baked brownies, bonded with my family...my mother in law is here and it's been wonderful pulling her on this healthy journey with me --- in fact she has lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks and is dancing BollyX now.

This week and for the past couple others I have been making my " Healing Cabbage Soup" ....why healing because Cabbage is such a sidelined vegetable which is so good for our bodies. It is in the same family as Kale and Cauliflower but a way milder one when you cook with it...and at Trader Joe's for some reason had cabbage heads for $1/head (and guess what I picked up 3...no one else seemed to want them...)

Healing Cabbage Soup

What you need?

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Avocado Oil ( you can use whatever oil you have on hand or even ghee)
• 2 tablespoons or more Braggs Liquid Amino
• 2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (no idea why I added it but it sure made the soup taste awesome and hello! its good for us 😆)
• 2 Cartons Vegetable Broth or even water - I like the broth just because I have quite a few in my pantry that need to get used.
• 1 cup soaked Dhuli Moong Daal (the kind without the skin) - I soaked it in boiling hot water from the kettle for 1/2 hour 
• Chopped Vegetables -  1 head of Cabbage finely chopped, 1 bunch of organic celery from my farmer's market (yup! they are open, yup! people are too scared to go even though there is social distancing and yes they will probably go bankrupt if this continues and lose their livelihood...), 4 Organic Carrots, 1 bunch Organic Mint, 1 Chopped Red Onion, Minced Garlic
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

How to make?

1. Turn the IP to Saute and add the oil/fat
2. Add the turmeric powder  and black pepper when the oil is sufficiently hot
3. Now add the minced garlic, celery and onion - saute till lightly browned
4. Add the rest of the vegetables and herbs, Saute for 2-3 minutes
5. Add the Broth and the liquid aminos and ACV
6. Now add the soaked moong dal
7. Set on  High Pressure for 8 minutes, No Release...yes! I know that seems like a lot but trust me on this one!
8. When it's all done use an immersion blender and puree the soup
9. Add Salt and Pepper to taste

I garnished it with some fresh garlic bread  and herbs from the Farmer's Market. It was such a soul-satisfying meal.

How are you spending your days? What are you doing to stay fit? I feel like how we shape our activities over the next month will shape a lot of how we build our mental and physical resilience to fight against depression, loneliness, burn-out, weight creep etc...we are in this together...hang in there and we will fight this virus together!

Daily Routine & The 6 C Immunity Building Khichidi!

"We are what we repeatedly do and Eat. Health and Habits are not an afterthought but a result of our actions"

I started off over a decade ago a tired, overweight woman in her mid-thirties who  did have one thing going for her - she was incredibly flexible...she did regular yoga but also was overweight and lacked stamina and was constantly tired and angry. Every time I  went in to do yoga with my favorite yoga teacher Keith...I would see this gaggle of chirpy women walk into a Zumba class afterwards and always wondered why not me...then 2 years into watching these women have fun, I decided to stay back for the Zumba Class and my life has changed since then...I went from a Size 14 to a Size 4. Don't get me wrong, I still have my Yoga practice ongoing but have added in dance, mindfulness and healthy eating to the mix and it has made all the difference in my life.

Why do I share this today - especially when we have "shelter in place" instituted in my county and there is widespread panic...we are trying to keep it together at home with a meal plan and a daily schedule...keep our good habits going ( exercise, eat healthy, practice gratitude and mindfulness) and trying to slowly shave off the bad ones...

Here are some of the things my family and I are practicing to get through this 3 week in-shelter mandate :

1. Clean our counters thoroughly after every meal, moment we get up and when we go to sleep
2. Wash our hands thoroughly with warm water and soap ( hand sanitizers are a bit scarce around our house, so we are making do with hand soap and applying aloe vera gel afterwards)
3. Keep our distance (from people not cohabiting with us) 
4. We don't leave the house unless we absolutely have to (walks, hikes in the solo or with the dog don't count...but obviously if you live in a super crowded area be cautious about that one)
5. We have taken out board games, I have ear marked books I want to read, shows I want to binge watch ( Homeland, Just Add Magic (with my son), Murder She Baked...)
6. My mother in law (who is visiting from India) and I are cooking healthy, nutritious food with the food we have on hand.

I usually have a lot of grains in my pantry { think Quinoa, Barley, Farro, Steel-Cut Oats, Brown Rice, Lentils and Beans ( I counted 12 different kinds) and we went to the Farmer's market and picked up a lot of greens  (  radish, mint, bell peppers, red onions, broccoli, celery, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chili (wow...lots of stuff with C's) }. This was the inspiration for dinner (and a couple lunches this week)...anyone who knows me knows of my love for KHICHIDI...so here goes.

The 6 C- Immunity Building Khichidi

What you need

1. 1/2 Cup Quinoa + 1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat ( use Brown Rice or any other grain you have at home that you want to use up!) (washed in cold water and soaked with  green moong dal (with the skin) 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup   Green Moong (with skin)
3. Chopped Vegetables : Celery, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cilantro, Chili, Cabbage
4. 3 cups water 
5. 2 tsp Ghee
6. 1 small knob of ginger, 1 medium chopped tomatoes
7. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder
8. 1 whole lemon and salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the chopped vegetables
3. Add all the pre-soaked grains and lentils to the instant pot and give it a stir for a minute. 
4. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
5. Add the Liquid Aminos/Salt and any other dry spices you add to your khichidi. I usually add roasted jeera powder which gives it a smokiness.
6. Put the IP on 6 minutes, High Pressure
7. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
8. Now add fresh lemon juice and chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy with a cup of Kefir...now on to my binge watching Homeland and then practicing a few BollyX choreos on demand 😊😊

Sunshine in my bowl...

Yesterday night was relaxed as we took a long relaxed stroll by the bay and almost forgot the surreal existence as of the past couple weeks...the beautiful orange skies, the loving pup, the conversations with the husband all lulled me into a false sense of peace...the peace continued into the night as we watched "Dark Waters".

I got up in the morning and remembered that Whole Foods had their beauty bag sale, so I called my favorite store and asked them to hold one for me...after a leisurely cup of chai and peanuts I made my way around noon to pick up the said "beauty bag" and some fruits and vegetables for the week...I was greeted by a grim sight...masked faces, overflowing parking lots...I waited 20 minutes to get a parking spot and empty racks...not that I was looking for toilet paper or clorox wipes (thank god!)

My one request to people along with the hand washing and social distancing is "community thinking" - you don't need boxes and boxes of disinfectants and wipes...leave some for your neighbors...if your neighbor gets the virus there is a high likelihood of proximity making the odds not so fair for you...so please, pretty please do your part.

Getting back to what we ate this week - I posted a super simple Khichdi recipe that my family enjoyed this week and I served it with a spectacular Kadhi. Kadhi is the food equivalent of a warm hug...it's tangy, creamy and oh so satisfying on a day when you need some "pick me up". My recipe was super simple and ssssh! don't tell anyone I was really skeptical about making it in my Instant Pot...there I said it. But now I will never ever make it any other way.

Simple Kadhi

What you need

1. 3 Cups Water+ 1 Cup Yogurt (the link has the information on the yogurt I used Straus)
2. 2 table spoons Besan/chick pea flour
3. Turmeric, Hing, Fresh Curry Leaves, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, 
4. Chopped Serrano chili (2 small or one large), thinly chopped ginger
5. Chopped Cilantro

To Cook 

1. Whisk the Water, Yogurt and Besan to a smooth watery consistency, add salt to taste, a little bit of sugar (wee pinch) and the turmeric - Keep aside
2. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chopped chili, ginger and  curry leaves.
3. Stir for 1/2 minute to 1 minute
4. Now add the yogurt mixture from step 1 
5. Soup Mode for 4 minutes, let the pressure release naturally
6. Open the IP, give it a stir, add salt as per taste, garnish with chopped cilantro

Enjoy with some rice or quinoa, I enjoyed this with both by khichdi and also with some brown rice. Please as you take your next trip to the grocery store, remember your neighbors and leave some rations for them.

COVID 19 : The New Normal!

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a “foreign virus” ... it made my blood boil. I really worry about the situation. Here's why :

1. Our county - San Mateo saw a rise from 2 to 20 cases of infections in less than 2 days (rapid spread of infection)
2. Our grocery stores are bare of weird essentials : toilet paper, sanitizers, cleaning products and water (increased panic)
3. Infrastructure on shutdown (schools will shut down for over 3 weeks)
4. Major events shutdown : school events, work events, new school open houses etc.

I won't tell you this is sitting easy on my sense of calm but all we can do is prepare for this pandemic the best we can. Here's what we are doing :

1. Washing up as much as we can
2. Not going to too many public places
3. Trying to eat healthy and building our immunity

Not my Amma's Khichdi

What you need

1. 1/2 Cup Quinoa + 1/2 Cup Brown Rice (washed in cold water and soaked with moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 4 cups  Sprouted Green Moong
3. 3 cups water ( I like my Khichdi to have a nice mushy consistency...add lesser water if you want it more solid)
4. 2 tsp Ghee
5. 1 small knob of ginger, 1 medium chopped tomatoes
6. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder
7. 1 whole lemon and salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the Rice+ Quinoa to the instant pot and give it a stir for a minute. 
3. Add the Sprouted Moong
4. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
5. Add the Liquid Aminos/Salt and any other dry spices you add to your khichidi. I usually add roasted jeera powder which gives it a smokiness.
6. Put the IP on 5 minutes, High Pressure
7. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
8. Now add fresh lime juice and cut cilantro. 

Now enjoy the meal with your family, go out for a walk...when will you get the time for such peace and quiet in quite a bit of isolation...

Let's face our fear head on -- we are all exposed and there is a lot we don't know about this virus...but what I do know is  - I believe in our community and I believe in the miracle that is our body and I know we will get through this.

A Woman of No Importance...

“My dear young lady, there was a great deal of truth; I dare say, in what you said, and you looked very pretty while you said it, which is much more important.”
                                                ― Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance


"Mhaare ghar ki chhoriyaan aage na jaave hai, dusro ke ghar jaave hai" - "The girls in our family don't go ahead and succeed, but are married off to another home"

The movie "Saand Ki Aankh" hit way close to home with it's initial dialogs reeking of patriarchy and male chauvinism...yet the way women supported each other in building each other's confidence and rising against all odds to become this sheer indomitable force of nature made me so happy. For me the movie was an  emotional roller-coaster ride which is inspiring, and at the same time disturbing, as it made me think of the inequality that exists in our free and modern world (India). This film will make you think about the women in your life and their sacrifices for their families. It definitely will make men question themselves if they are being an impediment in the way of women's success. 

Hoping that equality, respect and dignity don't remain buzz words in our professional repertoire. But while we unravel that complex web...dinner plans for this week were super-simple. I learnt how to "poach salmon" in an Instant Pot (gasp!) 


Salmon Power Bowl

What you need?

• Frozen Salmon Fillets (equal sized pieces)
• 1 Large Lemon
• Fennel Sprigs...lightly chopped
• Oil Spray (to spray the salmon fillets)

How to make it?

• Put 2 cups of water, put the metal steamer insert 
• Place the Salmon Fillets on the steamer insert
• Squeeze Lemon Juice on both sides of the fillet, generously sprinkle salt and pepper. 
• Put one slice of Lemon on each fillet and generously put the chopped Fennel leaves (herb) on top of the fish
• Manual - High for 5 minute
• Quick Release

The sky is the limit for your power bowls. Mine was chock-ful of nutritional goodies like -  Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, Red Pepper, Red Onions, Mixed Greens...( you could put roasted veggies, cooked barley, farro...).

I will leave you with the wise words from the play "A Woman of No Importance..." - “To get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!”...interesting perspective.

Detoxing from the Toxic!

"Stay away from toxic people, they have a problem for every solution"

Is it the end of January already ???

 I haven't blogged in almost 4 months hidden away in my hidey hole trying to make sense of some of the nonsense happening in my life. Health has never been an afterthought for me - so eating right and exercising is something I have been very consistent about...but what does one do about one's stress level...

Yet some wisdom did arise from some of my experiences:

1. Speak Up - don't bottle up the experience, if things don't seem right, they aren't right
2. Ally Up - Get out of victim mentality, you have a support network - leverage it
3. Wisen Up - Figure out if there is really a solution, if not move away - get away from that situation
4. (Don't) Give Up - Absolutely do what is right for the situation, don't give up ever! My father always told me that the hardest thing to do is - that thing that is right! But if you don't do it your conscience will never let you live it down.

And most importantly remember "Strong people know how to forgive, but smart people never forget"

As I was unravelling myself from toxic people and situations, I was also mindfully getting my body to that place of equilibrium that it is used to. I made a super-simple Mushroom, Lentils and Barley Soup (two times in a row) which really hit the spot this week. 

Barley is a super grain which helps with weight loss, reducing blood sugar and blood pressure, improves lipid profile (not recommended for someone with Celiac Disease) - the word I used to describe it to a non-believer it's like a brush on your internal organs, cleaning you inside out...

Lentils - you don't want me writing sonnets but honestly what's not to like with high protein and high fiber

Mushrooms - another ingredient that a lot of people love to hate... they have riboflavins for heart health,  lots of antioxidants (selenium, folate, beta-glucans...). I love mushrooms...the earthy flavor and the texture.

The soup I made was a very very simple one that lasted many a meals for our 3-Person Family. I store my soups in mason jars and then heat and serve with 1-2 toasted whole grain slices of bread (which one you ask : Dave's Killer Bread). Without further ado let's get to the recipe ( I have added links to the ingredients that are not easily available)

Detox Barley, Mushroom and Lentils Soup

What's in it?

• Chopped vegetables - 4 big stalks of  Celery (organic),  5 big carrots, 1 Box of white Organic Mushrooms (12 Oz), 1 medium onion, Grated Ginger (small knob), Half a bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 Containers Bone Broth  - 8 oz (I use vegetable broth on the days that we are keeping it meatless
• Water - 2 Quarts 
• Bragg's Liquid Amino
• Bragg's Sea Kelp Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 cup of barley (soaked with the lentils in hot water for 1 hour)
• 1 cup of mixed lentils  ( I swear by these lentils - very delicious and you can get a bigger bag in your neighboring indian store for a lot less!)

How I made it?

• Turn on Saute Mode on your instant pot
• Add 1 tsp Olive oil ( oil of your choice)
• Saute the grated ginger and onions
• Add the Chopped vegetables, sprinkle with Bragg's Liquid Amino ( I put about 3 tablespoons) and the Sea Kelp seasoning ( 2 teaspoons)
• Add the lentils and barley ( that you pre-soaked in hot water for an hour)
• Add the bone broth and water
• High Pressure Manual on 10 minutes (no release)
• Stir...add Salt & Pepper to taste
•  ENJOY!

Servings

This is about 12 servings. 

This soup  has < 200 calories and > 8 grams of Fiber and 10 grams of Protein.   True is the saying  "Soup is Cozy"

Tentative Parenting : The Courage to be Disliked...

Prodigal Son : Ma - what's for dinner?
Working Mom : Sambar and Dosa...yummy na?
Prodigal Son : Ma - you made Indian again 😔...what about Ravioli?
Working Mom : I want you to eat some Indian food too baba...
(Prodigal Son walks away with a huff)

For a mother who wakes up extra early in the morning to get dinner prep done in the morning prior to leaving for work, this can be particularly disheartening. Especially when I know that I can have Ravioli or Pasta or even Sausage and Potatoes on the table in < 15 minutes too. However, a book that I read this weekend, gave me a new perspective on how to react to situations like this "small or big". The book was a japanese phenomenon apparently but I picked it up because it didn't give me lip service on how I can sparkle and shine and get liked by everyone but talked about having "The Courage to be Disliked"

Here are some of the key things the book reinforced for me :

1. You care too much about what everyone else thinks about you and that is the root of your anxiety and unhappiness (yup! somewhat)
2. Your excuses are weak and sometimes you don't have the courage to look the real problem in the face and tackle it (guilty as charged!)
3. Learning to separate your tasks from other people's is key to finding a bit of freedom and living a little more true to yourself (so true - I am constantly picking up after prodigal son, worried about if he is eating, grades, theater, robotics...and don't get me started about work...)
4. All problems are relationship problems : it comes down to us wanting to change how others think of us or perceive us and it also involves us getting incredibly righteous and judgy about other people...result - CONFLICT
5. the last one my favorite - All relationships are horizontal...we treat them as vertical, in some we look up to people and it changes how we interact with them and in others we look down on people and it affects how we interact with them...what if we treated all relationships from an equal footing...an interesting thought right?

With that said it's still 6.30 AM and my dosa batter is ready for the evening and my sambar is bubbling away in the Instant Pot. What you want my Sambar recipe...sure thing...I can tell you it's a life-saver recipe for me 😊

15 Minute Sambar

You need :

• Chopped Onion (1/2), Chopped Garlic (3-4 Pods), Chopped Tomato (1)
• 1 Large Daikon Radish (chopped into medium size)
• 1 cup Toor Dal (soaked in hot water)
• Grand Sweets and Snacks Sambar Powder (Indian Store)
• Imli Pichku ( pouch of tamarind  pulp)
• Other items : Turmeric Powder, Hing, Whole Mustard, Curry Leaves, Ghee

Steps :

1. Turn the IP to Saute Mode -  Add in 1/2 spoon ghee, add the hing, now splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 
2. Add the Chopped Onions and Garlic and brown it in the instant pot.
3. Once onions are browned, add the turmeric, sambar powder, chopped tomatoes, cut daikon radish and soaked dal. Add 2.5 cups of water, more if you like your sambar a watery consistency
4. Give it a whirl, add salt to taste and the tamarid paste
5. High Pressure 10 minutes (depending on how mushy you want your sambar - I tend to go longer) - No Release

Tips & Tricks : 

1. Double the Quantity and save some for the next day! I always do and it tastes better
2. Pack Quinoa and Sambar for a quick hot lunch for your kids (add a dollop of ghee, they need it)
3. Add a cup of Quinoa and an extra cup and half of water - it's an easy version  of Besibelebhaat

My biggest learning the past few months has been while nourishing your body with food and exercise don't forget to nourish your soul and spirit...whether it's a random act of kindness, whether it's just good old solitude or reading a wonderful book like the one I did...be kind to yourself.