Nostalgia is a B**** and the easiest Matar Paneer

 There comes a time in everyone's life when they realise  how perfect things were and we didn't value it...

The early morning commutes...

The tête-à-tête over coffee/chai at work,

Our in-person meetings that had sounded unbearably long...

My needing to dress up and wear *some* makeup...

The in-person Zumba Classes,

The hugs from my BFF...

Breathing the fresh air outside sans mask...

I will never again take life for granted....

And that's where nostalgia plays its games.

It's been a year and I am tired of the fear and the mask and the restrictions. Don't get me wrong...I am one of those rule-followers who follows rules to the tee...and yet I am tired and could use something different in my life right now...

Work will start full deluge tomorrow and grocery shopping and meal prepping were the top of mind right now. I had a margherita lying in the fridge that I was wondering whether to toss or drink and broke 2 months of "dry days" to a prickly pear margherita and the buzz was pleasant...yet the mind slowed down to snail pace...I ended up making the easiest Matar Paneer ever...

5 Minute Easy Matar Paneer

What you need?

1. 1/2 bottle Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce
2. Olive Oil
3. Spices : Turmeric, Kasturi Methi, Punjabi Garam Masala
4.  Fresh Thinly Slices Ginger, Jalapeno
5. 1 lb Paneer (cottage cheese, I used the Nanak Brand) - I airfried in parallel with some turmeric and salt in my airfryer about 10 minutes
6. 1/2 lb Peas ( Trader Joe's)
7. Trader Joes Kefir
8. Ketchup, Cinnamon  (optional but makes a difference in taste)
9. Salt to taste
10. Chopped Cilantro to drizzle on later

How to make it?

1. Cube the Paneer, sprinkle with turmeric and salt - spray with Oil and add to Air Fryer and fry at the max temp 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, till golden brown
2. Cut the Ginger and Jalapeno into thin slices...
3. Turn your instant pot to Saute
4. Add olive oil, add turmeric, punjabi garam masala,kasturi methi,  ginger and jalapeno and saute for a couple minutes
5. Add the Marinara Sauce 
6. Add in the air-fried paneer
7. Add about 1/2 cup of water
8. Turn on the pressure on manual 2 minutes, no release
9. Open and now add Salt, Ketchup and Cinnamon to taste
10. Add a little bit of Kefir and taste...it will make it creamy and give it a slight tang...
11. Add the chopped cilantro
12. Enjoy with Parathas/Brown Rice

“Nostalgia is a necessary thing, I believe, and a way for all of us to find peace in that which we have accomplished, or even failed to accomplish...

Food Memories & a recipe!

“What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.”

I went to Trader Joe's yesterday...nowadays grocery shopping is the only time I get in the car and drive out somewhere, so my heart was already skipping a beat...there was no line at my local TJ's (sheer magic!) and the smiling person at the front  door sprayed hand sanitizer on my hands while giving me a clean cart...her eyes literally beaming over her mask (this social distancing is making me fanciful much?)...anyhow after giving her a broad grin which I am sure she missed (hello! mask)...I went into one of my favorite grocery stores. My shopping list was a boring one...till I got to the end of the list and took a detour aka the last three items 😉

• Milk ✅
• Celery ✅
• Carrots ✅
• Grapefruit ✅
•  Kefir  ✅
• Bananas ✅
• Basil Plant (Say What?) ✅
• Chocolate Croissants ✅
• Triple Ginger Cookies ✅

These Triple Ginger Cookies are amazing....I discovered them almost 20 years back and hooked my father on to it...I carried a couple tubs of these cookies for him every time I went back to India...we would have chai and 2 (ok ok 4 !!!) cookies and just chat. I stopped buying these cookies 7 years back after I lost him. I have no idea why but this time at the store...I picked up these ginger cookies and yesterday I had a few of these cookies with a strong cup of ginger chai (you can never have enough ginger !!!) and I remembered my Bapa...good memories, food memories...they made me smile!

My husband is Marathi...so his favorite dish is a  Sheera, having grown up in the south the closest I have come to enjoy Sheera is via Rava Kesari...I lived by the Siddhi Vinayak Temple and every Friday was a Rava Kesari prasadam day - guess who was first in line for the prasadam...yup! you guessed right. So today, I decided to go all out and make Rava Kesari (I have never made Rava Kesari !!!)

RAVA KESARI

Ingredients

• 1/2th   Cup  Truvia Blend or 3/4th cup sugar
• 1 Cup of  Rava or Sooji
• Ghee - 2-3 tablespoons 
• Edible Color Orange
• 2 Cups of Water ( boil in an electric kettle and keep handy!)
• Few Cashews and Raisins (just remembered we called them kismis in India 😍)
• Crushed Cardamom Powder (2-4 pods, discard the skin after crushing)
• Pinch of Bhimsen Kapur (edible camphor) - reminds me of the temple! I buy mine in India from an Ayurvedic store...please skip if you don't have it !!! I see it on Amazon but unsure of whether it's food grade.
• LOTS OF LOVE

How to make?

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute
2. Add the ghee 
3. Saute the Cashews and Raisins first, add the cardamom powder and the kapur
4. Add the Rava, Sugar/Truvia and the edible color and fry really well, till the smell of the Rava is toasty (4-5 minutes)
5. Add the boiling water & mix thoroughly
6. Turn the IP to High Pressure 2 minutes, Quick Release
7. When you open it check the consistency, if needed add an additional spoon of ghee  ( I feel like I will skip this step next time but didn't this time and it definitely made my Rava Kesari exactly like the temple prasadam)

For a first time, not to brag - this Rava Kesari was on point. 

Enjoy with your family. Remember to create amazing  food memories with your loved ones!

Healthy Bowls...story of a bean and a rice!

I am seriously getting "cabin fever"... there are the days when the BollyX dancing is reserved for the evening where by late morning I am ready to tear my hair out. Today was one such day...when I realized we were low on some essential staples Coffee, Beans and Daals - it was a much needed lifeline.

I decided to do a grocery run to Whole Foods...and I am so glad I did...I  have never ever been so happy grocery shopping as I was today, there was barely anyone at the stores - I think everyone was resting after the long weekend revelry  - I got the Keurig coffee pods, fresh corn (they had an amazing deal on it!), some chicken kabobs (yup! another amazing Prime Deal) and as I was walking towards the bulk section - I noticed a 25% off Bulk Items (already in containers)...unheard of at Whole Foods.  I ended up buying Garbanzo Beans (Cholle), Black Eyed Peas (Lobia) , Brown Basmati Rice,  Red Lentil (Masoor), Raw Sunflower Seeds and Muesli (all organic and honestly cheaper than what I would have paid for non-organic at my local indian store).  Thus was born my meal plan for today and we have enough Channa Masala to last us one more meal tomorrow (For the win!)

Punjabi Cholle Masala (served with brown rice pulao)

 

What's in it?

• 8 oz of my  Bhuna Masala (what you haven't made this - it's a life-saver!)
• 2 tablespoons Roopak Punjabi Cholle Masala (my sis-in-law keeps me supplied with this - Thanks Anu !!!) - key is use your favorite cholle masala
• 12 Oz Dried Cholle (soaked overnight)
• 12 Oz of Water
• Kasturi Methi, 2 Black tea bags
• Cinnamon Powder+ Ketchup (my mother adds this in all her gravy subzis and I just blindly follow ;-) ) 
• Salt to taste, Grated Ginger, Turmeric Powder

You can make it in one step where you dump everything in and just have your Cholle cook for 30 minutes, I break it into a two part process, only because I have done the dump and cook method and feel like the 2 part process somehow makes the Cholle taste spectacular !!!

How I made it?

• Turn on Saute Mode on your instant pot
• Dump in the soaked Cholle+12 Oz water+ Turmeric Powder+ Grated Ginger
• Cook on Beans adjusted to 25 minutes (which is Manual High 25 I think), QR
• Now add in the Bhuna Masala, the Cholle Masala, Kasturi Methi, Salt to Taste and the 2 black unflavored tea bags to the IP
• Cook on Manual High for 4 mins, NR
• Open and stir in the cinnamon powder and ketchup, taste & savor
• This is the time to garnish with Cilantro and Lemon, I had no Cilantro so I squeezed lemon in my bowl.

Servings

This is about 8 servings of Cholle with 140 calories, 20 grams  carbs, 10 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein

The brown rice pulao was about 6 servings with 120 calories, 20 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber and 4 grams protein (this is pretty basic but I am happy to share the recipe if there is interest 

My son was begging me for pizza for dinner but he tasted a spoon of the rice and the channa and all his complaining went silent and I felt really happy about putting a healthy meal on the table...over and out!

Going with the flow & the story of a Badam Burfi !

"Because I said so, so it must be..."

Life has an interesting way of teaching us lessons. Human beings don't like change, especially when it is imposed on them without  rhyme or reason - take for example this more than two months quarantine due to the Coronavirus. The more we feel like things are not in our control...the more we resist it and create unnecessary stress for ourselves. Wouldn't it just be easier to go with the flow...

Going with the flow leads to us making our mental health a priority. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and here are a few things that have worked for me :

1. Pause...Breathe...Check in with yourself
2. Take Breaks (sometimes take breaks from the overdose of covid 19 information)
3. Make time to sleep and exercise (I teach a free  BollyX Class on Zoom, I have lost 10 lbs in 3 months and more importantly find a lot of joy in dancing and the community we have built!)
4. Reach Out and Stay Connected (whether with my friends on zoom, a phone call or even a text, we have kept in touch...
5. Seek Help - if things get too overwhelming...understand you are not alone and reach out for support.

So while I was introspecting on "beating my Monday Blues", I also was craving a sweet something BUT I didn't really want to spend too much time in the kitchen...thus was born this easy peasy 10 minutes Badam Burfi recipe.

Badam Burfi

Ingredients

• 1  Cup of Truvia Blend
• 2 Cups of Almond Flour
• 1/3 Cup of Water
• 2 tablespoons Ghee 
• Crushed Cardamom Powder (6-7 pods, discard the skin after crushing)

How to make?

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute
2. Add the ghee + Truvia Blend+Crushed Cardamom+Water
3. Mix thoroughly
4. Turn the IP to High Pressure 4 minutes, Quick Release
5. Add the Almond Flour to the syrupy mixture in the IP
6. Now mix it to the consistency of atta/flour and roll into a ball
7. Lay out a silicon sheet, cover it with a parchment paper, lay the flour ball 
8. Now put another parchment paper on top and roll out the dough
9. Cut into diamond shape

Enjoy with your family. Remember to take care of both your mind and body!

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.

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.

Evening Routine and a healthy Kheer!

"It's incredibly liberating to spend some time talking to someone and not caring about what you sound like. It's about understanding myself."

My evening routine is still work in progress but here's the rough sketch -

5.30 PM : Leave Office ( my commute is 28 miles each way - I call up a friend/husband/son on my way back home or do a work call)
6.15 PM :  Reach Home and get dinner on the table
7.00 PM : Done with Dinner
7.15 PM : Leave for the gym for a 7.30 PM Zumba Class ( M, W, F) - if no Zumba then my husband and I walk the dog and  watch some TV
8.45 PM : Get back home
9.00 PM : Hang out with my son after which he goes to bed
9.30 PM : Read a book on the kindle, Watch TV or some nights I have a 1 hr Engineering Meeting
10.45 PM- In Bed, Asleep

Here are some things that I have found help me in my quest for finding grounding and mindfulness in my life :

1. An acceptance that every day will not be equal, some days I will be bone tired and grumpy, other days I will be energized and ecstatic...yet I will treat every day with equanimity and try to get it to a good close
2. Eliminate Negativity - I find that when I keep my thought positive, hushing that inner critic, giving my son praises vs. criticism and by practicing gratitude for this wonderful life, I am able to end the day on a high note. I make a mental list of all the awesome things that happened to me  that day before I fall asleep (my mental gratitude journal.
3. Do at least one thing you love - I do  a LOT of things I love...I dance (I go to Zumba), I spend time with my son and husband by taking a walk with them, I play with the puppy and I read in the evenings...
4. Plan for the next day - Nothing is more discouraging than beginning the next day without a plan - I know by the time I go to bed what's for lunch for Krish and me and I have things ready in the kitchen for a quick in and out in the morning. I also plan out my work to-do list for the day in the evening.

I made a healthy dessert for the boys this evening (yay! for saturdays). It is  quick to make this  Kheer made with Palua or Arrowroot. Palua or Arrowroot is a medicinal root found in East India and I got my stock from the Adivasi Mela when I was down in India but you can find it on Amazon too. Palua is nutritive, and is used as an agreeable, non-irritating diet in certain chronic diseases, during convalescence from fevers, in irritations of the digestive and respiratory tract  and is well suited for infants - it's jelly has no peculiar taste, and is less liable to become acid in the stomach, and is generally preferred by young infants to all others. It helps with weight loss and heart health.

How to make Palua Khiri in your Instant Pot?

Ingredients

• 4.5 cups of 1% Organic Milk + 1/2 cup
• 5 tablespoons Truvia/ Brown Sugar Blend
• Crushed Elaichi (Cardamom)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of Palua or Arrowroot Powder (this thickens the kheer, so add based on how thick you like your kheer)

How To?

1. Mix the 1/2 Cup milk with the 1/2 cup of Arrowroot
2. Add 4.5 Cups of Milk+ Truvia + Crushed Elaichi plus the slush from step 1 to your Instant Pot
3. Set the Instant Pot for Manual 5 minutes (NR)
4. Once the pressure has naturally release, open, stir and taste 
5. If you are happy with the sweetness, go ahead and keep in glass/earthen container for it to set ((if not please add more truvia to your taste)
6. Once it cools down, you can keep it in the fridge. Garnish with almonds and savor this wonderful dessert which is actually very good for you!

Do you have an evening routine?

The Scent of Green Papaya

Catharsis is a Greek word meaning "purification", "purging", "cleansing" or "detoxification"...

I absolutely adore the "Whole Body Cleanse" System and indulge in a semi-annual detox with khichdi, lemon juice and honey and the whole body cleanse for a week...I feel refreshed, renewed and pun unintended "whole" again.

The organized me loves even better when I "spring clean"...throwing away things I didn't need that were not usable, donating or selling other stuff and generally cleaning house...I love the feeling of emptiness, organization and space that activity gives me - the busyness of things this year hasn't afforded me the luxury of this activity this year (yet).

The one thing I haven't been able to do is mentally cleanse my mind of attachments. ...it is very difficult to mentally detach oneself from one's ego, thoughts, aspirations, dreams and memories. I take a "baby step" towards cleaning shop - starting with the mind and body...it won't be easy or comfortable but I am definitely welcoming this new challenge.

For the body : I have really focused on zero alcohol and no added sugar the past two weeks...my weighing machine has been giving me positive reinforcement the past two weeks too...this to me is also spring cleaning

Detox Khichdi

What you need

1. 1 Cup Quinoa (washed in cold water and soaked with moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup  Moong Dal 
3. 1 cup Peeled & Cubed Green Papaya 
4. 3 cups water ( I like my Khichdi to have a nice mushy consistency...add lesser water if you want it dry)
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 moong dal and the quinoa (and the cut green papaya) to the instant pot and give it a stir 
3. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
4. Put the IP on Rice Mode
5. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
6. Now add fresh lime juice and cut cilantro. 

Some of you might ask why green papaya - my mother cooked extensively with it. Here are some known health benefits of Green Papaya

Now with a clear head and an open heart - enjoy your meal...this truly is catharsis!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old

Sometimes I'd like to quit

Nothin' ever seems to fit

Hangin' around

Nothin' to do but frown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

What I've got they used to call the blues

Nothin' is really wrong

Feelin' like I don't belong

Walkin' around

Some kind of lonely clown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

--The Carpenters

I think I have made this confession multiple times...I am "solar operated" - when the sun is out bright & sunny my outlook is bright and sunny...the last few weeks have been blah! with rains and gusts and fallen trees...Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and Sunday was again windy and rainy...however, I decided to make the trek out to the Farmer's market - haven't been out in a while now and met up with some of the vendors there...that's my happy place ( I have some other's like playing Trivial Pursuit with K2, or Zumba at Crunch or ahem! Pokemon in the park but then I digress.... ). I came back home with a whole bag of goodies and did my meal planning for this week. Huge batch of soup, Mushroom Subzi ( with the organic white mushrooms from Costco and red onions), Anda Curry  - should last us through Wednesday...and if I made it through Wednesday, then I made it through the week . For the soup this week , I made a detoxifying soup with Organic Power Greens and a huge bulb of fennel and cleansing organic Cilantro (the latter two from the farmer's market) - this will last me for power lunches in this week as I power through a medley of meetings...did I tell you I have lost 4 lbs since the beginning of the year (without really trying to diet 😉)

High Protein Cleansing Power Lunch

What you need 

1. 2 Containers - Organic Earthbound Powergreens
2. 1 big Bulb Fennels
3. 1 bag of baby Carrots (Trader Joe's)
4. Chopped Onions (1 small medium red), 5 cloves of Garlic minced, chopped cilantro/mint - 2 handfuls
5. Liquid Aminos, Salt to Taste
6. 2 32 Oz Pacific Organic Chicken Bone Broth
7. Olive/Avocado Oil

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add the oil and sweat out the chopped Fennel Bulb  onion and garlic
2. Add the carrots and greens (cook for 2-3 minutes)
3. Add the bone broth, Liquid Aminos or Salt (I added both to taste)
4. Turn the instant pot on manual high pressure,  NPR 15 minutes
5. Add the cilantro/mint and blend to a puree with an immersion mixer (taste test before serving)

Dolly Parton was definitely on to something when she said - The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. 

I saw two beautiful rainbows on my way back home from the Farmer's Market 😃...it's back to work Monday while the boys relax at home for MLK. Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.

Tentative Parenting : Building Resilience

"Success is not final, Failure is not fatal : it is the courage to continue that counts"

               K2 with his Robotics team, they qualified for State already 💪

K2 has been driving himself hard - from full days at theater where he played the lead (we finished the season to rapturous applauses and a massively sold out show...so to say I am proud is an understatement!), to basketball, violin, robotics and national geographic tournaments...I keep reminding him to pace himself yet I see him on the go at all times at school and activities...and then he comes home and it's zombie time. So a lot of our arguments and discussions have been around - it's ok to scale down...I would much rather you be happy and healthy with just the right degree of extra-curricular activities (doing your chores at home  like walking the puppy) vs. pushing yourself (yeah...not a tiger mom me)...the reality is I would rather he take the time to smell the roses, take a walk out in the bay and just live life a little bit fuller...bottom line is once you start working, get married, have kids and have some sort of a career...life automatically becomes full.

Yet, K2 seems happy with his rather full schedule and with my rather full schedule these past two months I am too scared that he will soon say - Ma, it's like the pot calling the kettle black 😧...anyhoo with all these mental travails and my lingering cough the past 5 weeks, I am exhausted and can't wait for the winter break : time for elaichi (cardamom) chai , long walks with the puppy, DVRed shows, good take-out food and warm cozy soups/stews in my Instant Pot...just one more trip to get through this week in Iowa...(yeah yeah! don't do the really Iowa thing on me...it's beautiful). I am in love with the beautiful "Women of Achievement Bridge" which honored the women in Iowa who paved the way...it's another story that I corralled my colleagues on this little adventure with me (their smiles of tolerance said a lot 😇)

        Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge 

I cooked for K1 and K2 and they have Mushroom Curry and Kheema Matar to keep them company while I am out and about in Iowa. My Kheema Matar (and I am not one for rhapsodies) is a work of art - took me less than 10 minutes to put together and there is enough to last them 3 meals ( my secret weapon - I stuff Kheema Matar in a whole wheat sourdough sandwich with some chopped onions, tomatoes and cheese...and pack a fancy panini for K2 for his lunch box, I also add it inside a puff pastry to make chicken puff...easy stuff that makes you look pretty spiffy!)

Chicken Kheema Matar

What's in it?

• 1.5 lb Ground Organic Chicken Breast (Whole Foods Pro Tip - Boneless Skinless Chicken breast was on Sale and I had them grind that for me vs. buying the pre-ground meat - saved me $4/pound)
• 1 bag of Organic Petite Peas (365 Brand)
• 4 Oz Bhuna Masala ( click the link for how to make it!)
• Whole Spices : Cumin, Red Chilli, Crushed whole cardamom, Cinnamon Stick
• Shaan Kheema Masala
• Salt, Tomato Ketchup, Cinnamon Powder (to taste)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbspoon Avocado/Olive/Canola Oil

How I made it?

• Put the IP on Saute Mode, Keep the frozen peas on the side to thaw
• Add the Olive Oil, till there is a shimmer, add the whole spices and let them blossom in the hot oil
• Now add the bhuna masala, the Shaan Kheema Masala (I used 2 spoons) and the ground chicken- saute for 2-3 minutes
• If you need more liquid add the 1/4 cup water/ stock
• Put the IP on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, No Release
• When you open the IP, turn the IP to Saute and add in the peas - saute for 2-3 minutes till the peas and warmed through and mixed into the meat mixture (and some of the liquid evaporates)
• Now add Salt, tomato ketchup and Cinnamon Powder to taste 
• Garnish with Cilantro or as I did with the red chilli (we didn't eat those!) and enjoy with Roti or Pav/Bread.

I wanted to leave you with a saying my father always shared with me : I want to be that person that you look up to - the person you think of when you think of the word "Bapa" or "Integrity" and "Love". I lost him 5 years back but I sure do think of him anytime someone mentions parents or role models - he was mine.

Lost my Voice...found my mind!

Northern California now has the worst air quality in the world, thanks to wildfire smoke...My heart goes out to all the families in our area with losses.

Last Friday the smoke in the air gave me the worst throat ache and I haven't been able to talk for a week. It has gotten worse due to the cold and the persisting smoke in the air. 

Yet losing my voice in the past week has been a wake up call of sorts for me - a time for me to shut up and listen (listen to others and my inner voice...no no not the critical one, the other one!) - Quieten the monkey chatter in my head and put the fears to rest...and listen to that "little" voice which is trying to make sense of all this nonsense. This article by Beth Comstock (CMO, GE) helped me at work quite a bit...I had the luxury of not talking and listening more...it gave me a different perspective which was refreshing. True that she said : My lesson: Soaking up a conversation shouldn’t be a luxury. Stop, listen, ask.

I also focused on the task of getting better and for that I turned to my handy dandy Instant Pot and made a - mixed vegetable sweet corn soup.

What's in it?

• I used pre-chopped vegetables -  1 big bag of frozen vegetables from Whole Foods (use the one you fancy...I got the one with peas, carrots, corn, beans...)
• 1 can of creamed corn
• 2 32 Oz of Chicken Bone Broth
• Grated Ginger (small knob)
• Water - 2 Quarts 
• Bragg's Liquid Amino
• Worcestershire Sauce (to taste ~ 1 tbsp)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Chopped Spring Onion Stalk for Garnish

How I made it?

• Put all the ingredients above in the Instant Pot (except the salt and pepper)
• Manual on 5  minutes (no release)
• Stir...add Salt & Pepper to taste
• Garnish with Chopped Spring Onion Stalk ( I had it at home almost close to wilting, so was happy to use it)
• Sit Back - Turn on the TV or pick your favorite book and ENJOY!

Servings

This is about 8 servings. 

This soup  has < 150 calories and > 6 grams of Fiber and about 10 grams of protein.  True is the saying  "Soup is Cozy"