India-intoxicating,inspiring and illuminating!!!!!

As  I bask in the unconditional love and sensory experiences that India offers at every turn,my thoughts go back to my global family in the USA,the country I will always be indebted to for helping me the light when I was in the darkest abyss of life.The country which has given me family that goes beyond the relationship of blood or labels,friends who have been a pillar of strength to my daughter and I at every step.The country which has opened my heart,given me wings and grown my roots!!!

  India is my motherland ,stepping down from the airplane to this blessed land after  11 long years of lessons on life and love,it took all my self-control not to bow down and kiss the earth as i loudly sang SARE JAHAAN SE ACCHA( an Indian patriotic song describing the glory of the nation)as my embarrassed 13-year-old daughter looked on.

     India today is the fastest growing economy in the world.The land that conjures up images of snake charmers,elephants and starving people to the unexposed mind has a G.D.P rate  of 9.1% and adds to the millionaire count at the fastest rate in the world. India is the oldest culture in the world.It is diverse and complex ,experiencing India is like tasting a buffet of cuisines on your palate.It has the largest millionaire count in the world yet the poverty is stark and undeniable.It has a spiritual history older than civilization,people entrust themselves to the will of the divine before any new beginning, bow in obscience to elephants and the images of  the thousands of gods ,yet corruption is rampant in big and small ways. It has had women in position of power since times immemorial,the female form is worshipped as shakti,yet female infanticide is prevalent.India has the untouched ,breathtaking and virgin beauty of hills,forests,deserts,oceans ,landscapes and colours that would make Wordsworth and Van Gogh write more poetry and create more art,it boasts of being the abode of the cleanest village in the world,yet you can find garbage and dirt strewn around cities and monuments which are heritage of the country.India has given the world physicists,writers,economists and artists; yet illiteracy is a challenge.

India is not for the feeble hearted or the overly rational minded.It is not for someone who thinks that the woman labourer who carries a load of cement on her head and a baby on her hip as she toils in the sun should be reported for child abuse.It is not for someone who thinks that garbage on the street and cows grazing lazily qualifies it  for being a third world country. It  is not for the mind that thinks because people bow their heads to elephants and worship cows, they should be educated on science and technology.It is not for those who think that because many educated women fast and pray for the long lives of their spouses; there should be a  feminist movement in India. It is for the minds and hearts, that are equally open to pain, poverty, and all the darker shadows of life; as they are to joy, economic development, and the shades that add color to this journey. This by no means is advocating  to become non-chalant  or immune to suffering and injustice, On the other hand it is a plea to all of us to try to “be the change we wish to see in the world.” To walk on a path that will benefit all beings; but with dispassion and non-judgement.

    India is myriad of sensory experiences; of color, of love, of noise, of art, of culture…..and without any bias of being under the intoxication of God’s own country, I have to say that it needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. As a t-shirt I bought says, ” Come to India! One billion people can’t be wrong!”You will either be enraptured or overwhelmed by the offerings of India

  To enable my family  in the U.S; to experience India; I will be offering  ‘Food, Fitness, and Faith’ to the country. The trips will be an experience in the rich cultural heritage, the diverse art, the loving hospitality, the therapy of yoga, and the science of Ayurveda. It will be transformational to the mind, body, and spirit. My dear friend Pravin Agarwal (a PhD in psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies) says, “One trip to India is worth a thousand sessions of therapy.”

    My first retreat will be in September 2012 to Delhi–the heart of India–adjoining areas, and the northeast areas; which contain the untouched virgin beauty of India. So get those passports, fasten your seat-belts, and get ready for a journey that will began the metamorphosis!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

India

India is no doubt a country of striking contrasts. This is evident in its cuisine, as it is in its climate, geography, culture, and customs. India’s food reflects the colorful and varied life led by its people, as well as the external and internal influences that have shaped its style of cooking.

The Mughals invaded India from their homeland in Afghanistan and the Middle East, bringing with them exotic spices and dried fruits; which; when combined with ingredients create the rich ‘Mughlai’ dishes.

Indian recipes are generally handed down from one generation to the next. Weights and measures were never used, and the quantities of ingredients were estimated. Cooking and feeding people is a passion  for me; and I do it with my heart rather than my mind; as I do everything in my life. Hence, it is difficult for me to formalize my recipes.

I have made an attempt to write recipes for my cooking class; and I apologize for what may seem an abstract and unorganized method of teaching.

Biryani

(a fragrant and delicious chicken and rice casserole.)

(serves 2-4)

Ingredients

Chicken: 6 medium size pieces (traditionally it is used with bone, as it increases the flavor.)          

Yogurt: 1 cup

Onion: 1  (large)

Garlic: 6-8 cloves

Ginger: 1 small piece 

Tomato: 1

Rice: 1 cup (soaked and washed) 

Saffron: 5-6 strands

Lime/Lemon Juice: 2 limes/lemons

Spices: salt (to taste), turmeric (1/2 tsp.), red chilli powder (1/2 tsp.), clove powder (1/2 tsp.), cardamom (2), cinnamon (1), coriander powder (1 1/2 tsp.), garam masala (1 tsp.)

Herbs: cilantro and mint (chopped fine)

Oil/Ghee: 3-5 tbsp (depending on how you want to make it and if you use oil or ghee)

Milk: 6-8 tbsp. (to soak saffron)

Method:  Fry onion,ginger and garlic in 1 tbsp oil and then grind in blender

Marinate chicken in ground mixture,yogurt and spices except cardamom and cinnamon either overnight or for a few hours before cooking.

Take 2-3  in oil in a big pan.Add coarsely ground cardamom,cinnamon stick,bay leaf (cumin seed is optional).Put Marinated chicken and cook until almost tender and set aside.

Take a deep pan and fill with water.Bring to boil with salt,cardamom and cinnamon stick.Add drained rice and cook till al dente.

Take heat proof dish and coat bottom with oil/ghee.Layer with rice and then with chicken mixture,sprinkle with saffron milk ,lime juice and chopped cilantro and mint.Repeat layers following same method

Close lid tightly over dish(cover securely with foil first to ensure it is air tight) ann low heat for then cook on low  heat about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and garam masala and serve hot with raita

optional;you can add raisins and almonds which have been browned in ghee on every layer or just on top if you choose.

RAITA:

Blend yogurt with hand whisk or fork with salt ,cumin powder and pinch of sugar.Add chopped cucumber,tomato and onion,stir well.Sprinkle with with paprika,cumin powder and chopped mint!!

much love

shibana

OUR NEXT FOOD,FITNESS AND FAITH CLASS WILL ON SEPTEMBER 11th FROM 11 A.M.

WE WILL COOK CHANNA MASALA(A GARBANZO BEAN CURRY COOKED WITH SPICES)PARATHAS(TORTILLAS COOKED WITH GHEE AND HERBS)KADHAI PANEER(CHEESE WHICH IS COOKED WITH TOMATOES ,ONIONS,CAPSICUM AND MILK) FROM THE NORTH  WEST OF INDIA AND DISCUSS PANCHAKARMA-THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF THERAPY AND DETOXIFICATION IN AYURVEDA(I HAVE JUST ADDED TO MY AYURVEDA TRAINING IN INDIA STUDYING UNDER VERY EXPERIENCED TEACHERS)AND TAKING APPOINTMENTS  FOR POUTLI TREATMENT(AN AYURVEDIC THERAPEAUTIC MASSAGE DONE WITH A WHICH HAS BEEN MADE WITH A VARIETY OF WARM HERBS,THEN DIPPED IN WARM OIL AND MASSAGED OVER THE BODY.THIS MASSAGE IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL IN TREATMENT OF ARTHRITIS BESIDES BEING VERY REJUVENATING)

COST:$55 FOR THIS CLASS

VENUE:TBD

FYI;AYURVEDIC AND SATTVICK COOKING IS BECOMING A PART OF THE CUISINE IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!!YAY TO THAT AND CONGRATULATIONS TO US FOR BEING AHEAD OF THE OBAMAS!