Steamed Cabbage tikkis/cutlets

To be honest I had my doubts about how would this turn out to be - the idea of cabbage in pakoras didn't sound too appealing. But since I love the steamed Dal dumplings that I make regularly I decided to try them out - and to my surprise they were quite yummy and easy too. It makes for a quick snack on weekend afternoons. 

I tried two versions of this - one was plain steamed and the other was shallow fried on the tawa but difference here was that you fry them after they have been steamed thus reducing the amount of oil and time used. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)

1tbsp suji

1 cup cabbage - finely chopped

1 tbsp each ginger+garlic+green chilly - paste

1 tsp haldi

1 tsp ajwain

handful of cilantro - chopped

salt

oil - I used coconut

Process:

• Mix all the ingredients with a little water to form a thick paste - thick enough to form tikkis/cutlets
• I used my steamer basket to steam them - grease the basket with little bit of oil and place the tikkis
• Steam for 5-7 minutes approx - do the toothpick test to check if they are fully cooked 
• If you want them fried then put the tikkis immediately on a hot tawa with a bit of oil - the outside will get crisp and brown pretty quickly.
• Serve with any chutney - I like dhaniya chuntey with it. 

Recipe Source: Health Food Desi Videshi

Both steamed and fried versions

Roasted Squash Salad with Spicy Sunflower seeds

This is a great salad for the cooler temperatures. I am not a big fan of squash at least not the winter variety and this salad completely changed my mind about it - loved the mix of slightly sweet and spicy flavors. I have already made it twice in the past two weeks - so I strongly suggest you to give it a try.

Serves 4

Recipe Source: Crunchy Radish

For the Roasted Squash

Ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash — seeds scooped, sliced width-wise to create half moons
• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Freshly ground black pepper

Process

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. 
• Coat squash with coconut oil, maple syrup, and black pepper in a bowl. 
• Spread squash slices out on sheet pans and roast until golden and caramelized, around 45 minutes.

For the Spicy Sunflower Seeds

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp harissa (can substitute with regular chilli powder)
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp honey

Process

• Mix together coconut oil, harissa, and maple syrup in a bowl. Toss seeds in oil and spice mixture to evenly coat.
• Turn down oven to 350. Using one of the same sheet pans from the squash, spread seeds out evenly. 
• Roast for 10 minutes, tossing with a wooden spoon half way through cooking. (This will likely produce more spiced seeds then you need for the salad. You will not be mad about having leftovers.)

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Juice of 1 lemon (can add more if need be)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Process

Whisk all ingredients together.

For the Salad

Ingredients

4 cups mixed seasonal greens 

Top with goji berries or any other sweet dry fruit (optional - I didn't add any)

-Mix it all in a salad bowl  - the greens+the squash+sunflower seeds+ dressing

Tip of the Week

I don't know about you but I have always had a bloody hard time cutting sun-dried tomatoes especially because I do not buy the oil soaked ones. I recently found out and tried it out - using your kitchen scissors to cut sun-dried tomatoes makes it super easy!!

Spinach Carrot Muffins

These muffins make a tasty and healthy snack or can be eaten during lunch. I was super excited to make them over last weekend but the big bummer came when I realized I had forgotten to add baking powder to the mixture. By the time I realized my mistake, the muffins were already half baked - so the end result was not as fluffy and light as I had expected but I ate them nevertheless considering all the good stuff that went into them.

Makes 12 small muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup cornflour (this is not corn starch but real corn flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder (V.Imp)
• 3 tbsp flax seeds - powdered
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup yogurt 
• 200 g fresh spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
• 2 carrots (grated)
• 1/2 onion (grated)
• 1/2 lime (juice) 
• 1 clove garlic (mashed)
• top with: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Process

• Set the oven at 350°F.
• Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 
• Whip egg and yogurt in another bowl. 
• Add spinach, carrots, onion, lemon and garlic, stir for a minute and then add all the dry ingredients.
• Pour in muffin tins, top with pumpkin seeds and bake for 25 minutes.

Recipe Source: Green Kitchen Stories

Beauty is truly Skin Deep

Let me start by saying that the human skin absorbs almost 60% of the products that you apply on it. So, everything from your soap, lotion, shampoo to your night creams are being absorbed directly into your system. There is so much information out there regarding the toxic chemicals beings used in all the skin and hair care products today and that includes even the most expensive and upscale designer brands and yet we tend to ignore this as 'How much careful can you be?' At least was my stance as I used to find the jargon mind numbing and way too confusing. Anyhow, I have tried to break down the whole issue in simpler to understand terms but still its a long read full of scientific sounding names:

US federal government doesn’t require health studies or pre-market testing on personal care products. Manufacturers are free to put just about anything they want into cosmetics which include everything from soaps, shampoo-conditioners, skin creams to deodorants, sun screens and toothpastes. Many of the things we use as “soap” are actually harsh detergents or chemical cocktails. There are at least 100 chemicals that have been banned in Europe but are not regulated in the US. Deceptive packaging is another problem - the industry goes to great lengths to hide the chemicals used - just because the label says 'Natural' it doesn't mean that a product is chemical free. Its important to look beyond the labels and keep an eye out for the actual ingredients used. Here is a list of the few toxins found in most skin and hair care products:

SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: is one of the biggest culprits. Also, marketed under the variant SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. SLS is widely used in all kinds of soaps, hair shampoos even car cleaners and floor cleaners because of its corrosive powers - it attacks grease readily. It cleans the skin by corrosion i.e it rips your skin of its vital protective oils and thereby messing up the skin's ability to effectively regulate moisture. Just to let you know SLS is also used for testing in labs as a skin irritant. SLS is used on test animals to irritate their skin and then test the effectiveness of the various healing lotions.

Another serious issue with SLS is related to nitrate contamination. SLS reacts with many types of ingredients used in skin and hair care products and forms nitrates (nitrosamines) that are a deadly class of carcinogens. And because of the severe penetrating power of SLS, large amounts to these carcinogens are being absorbed into your system via your skin. (Source)

Synthetic fragrances: Artificial fragrances are usually added to mask the strong smell of various toxic chemicals used in the product. Whether its soaps, perfumes or deodorants, the manufacturers are not bound by FDA to reveal the ingredients of the fragrance as they are considered 'trade secrets' which basically means you have no way of knowing what's in the perfume you are using. Most of the time, synthetic chemicals and cancer-causing toxins like phthalates are used to make fragrances last longer. Phthalates are not listed as ingredients on product labels; they can only be detected through laboratory analysis. Two of the most toxic phthalates, DBP and DEHP, have been banned from cosmetics products sold in the European Union but remain unregulated in the US.

Parabens:  Parabens are most common in personal care products that contain significant amounts of water, such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions and facial and shower cleansers and scrubs, in order to discourage the growth of microbes. Parabens have been found in biopsies from breast tumors at concentrations similar to those found in consumer products. Avoid products with any word with paraben at the end (methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben)

or hydroxybenzoic acid or hydroxybenzoate. (Source)

Triclosan: This chemical, most often found in antibacterial soap is believed to disrupt thyroid function and hormone levels in people. The Environmental Protection Agency registers it as a pesticide, highly toxic to any living organism. When it mixes into wastewater, it can cause sex changes in aquatic life (Imagine that!!).  Health experts also believe that overuse of this and other antibacterial chemicals is promoting the growth of bacteria that are resistant to antibacterial treatment. It also creates dioxin, a carcinogen that has been found in high levels in human breast milk. Dioxins again have disruptive effects on the endocrine system and negatively affect thyroid functions. 

Few other chemicals to be aware of: (Source)

Benzidine: While benzidine is no longer produced in the US, it can be imported. It's a dye, used in hair colors, and guess what - its a carcinogen
Coal Tar: This carcinogen, while regulated by the FDA, is used to add color to cosmetics.
Lead & Aluminum: It's mostly found in lipstick, and can harm your brain (This needs a whole new post - coming up later)

Propylene Glycol: is the active ingredient in antifreeze. It is also used in makeup, toothpaste and deodorant. Stick deodorants have a higher concentration of PG than is allowed for most industrial use. Direct contact can cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities. The EPA requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles when working with it. And yet, the FDA says we can put it in our mouths!!

DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine):

These three chemicals are hormone-disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing agents 

Think long and hard the next time you are in the market for any kind of skin or hair product (soaps, shampoos, creams, deodorants, toothpaste etc) and consider the long term effect of repeated use of these chemicals. You can visit the EWG's (Environmental Working Group) website to read more on the topic and even find out the safety ratings of your products.

My Solution:

Since finding out about all these harsh chemicals in my so called beautifying products - I have moved to as natural alternatives as possible. In fact, nail paints are the only chemical laden products that I still use and after writing this piece - I guess that switch will happen sooner than later. My philosophy is simple I pick up products with the shortest and most easy to understand list of ingredients. Here is the list of the brands of various products I like:

. 

Soaps: I talked about them in this post. Here are the ones I use

• Camamu Soaps: Its a Portland based company that sells these handmade soaps. You can find them on Amazon also at times. I am a big fan of their soaps. I use their body bars (WeedyGoat soap & Queen Bee soap) as well as shampoo bars (in particular the Henna shampoo and the Neem oil one). They use simple natural ingredients (few are even organic) that are all listed - its a big relief to see no crazy sounding chemicals in the list.
• Bubble Farms Soap Company: Another local company based in Alameda. They use pure beeswax and honey from local beehives to make small batches of soap. Again what I love is their short and simple ingredient list. They are not available on Amazon but you can order them on their site.
• Griffin Remedy: Another brand that I use at times, its made locally here in San Francisco. I particularly like their hand soaps and Anant likes his hand/body lotion - not too sticky. Although, for all their other products I find the ingredient list to be a too long and complicated for my liking. Find them on Amazon here
• Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap: This is one of the most popular brands used by health conscious people plus it the least expensive of all It has a clean and simple ingredient list and the best part is that this soap is multi-purpose i.e people use it as a shampoo, body soap, dish cleaner and to wash clothes. They also sell an even milder baby soap. Here is the Amazon link

I don't really use any conditioners, if I feel my hair is getting too dry - I just put some yogurt in my hair for 10 mins before washing it off.

Deodorants: 

Burt Bee's Herbal Deodorant: This is a very popular product although I have yet to try it. I am planning to make this my next purchase. Find it here on Amazon

Schmidt's Natural Deodorant: I have been using this for a while and quite like it. Although, it comes in a jar and it takes some time to get used to its application - it does it's job and I really like the Bergamot + Lime combination

SoapWalla Deodorant Cream: This is another good brand but I have not personally used it. I don't think will be giving it a try as the 1st two options fit the bill perfectly for me.

ToothPaste:

Nature Gate: This is the brand I used till last month - I was happy with it in terms of the flavor and the cleanliness aspect. In fact the ingredient list is decent too with the exception of  mysterious 'natural flavor' used.

Uncle Harry's: This is the one I am using currently - its unlike your regular toothpastes - as in it has a more spicy flavor and definitely takes some time getting used to but I am happy with the results so far and love its short and sweet ingredient list.

Creams & Lotions:

We use different kinds of pure oils in place of creams and lotions. The most common being organic
Coconut oil - I used it as body lotion and Anant uses it instead of hair gel

Argan Oil: I absolutely love this Josie Maran oil. Its super light and gets absorbed into your skin pretty quickly. It works best as a night face and eye cream.

Jojoba Oil: I use this as a day moisturizer after shower as its light and works for pretty much all skin types.

Sunscreen: Badger is the only brand I have found that has acceptable ingredients but boy is it sticky. I use it only when I am planning to be in the sun the whole day - like a park or beach otherwise I let my skin make some much needed Vitamin D

Shaving Cream for Men: Proraso is the brand we use. It is a cream (not foam) and works best with old fashioned shaving i.e with a classic open double edged razor. I find this brand only on Amazon

Men's Deodarant: Anant uses Aubrey Organics Men's Stock and is quite happy with it

I think this just about covers all the products that we use. 

Broccoli Roll w/d Leftover Chapati

This is one of my all time favorite recipes to make on a weekday morning especially if we had made chapati's the night before. Its simple, tasty and healthy and requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup besan (chickpeas flour)
• 1 bunch broccolini
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp of ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
• Red chilly powder to taste
• salt and pepper
• Ghee for cooking
• Sriracha (optional)

Process:

• Make a thick paste of besan by adding all the masalas in it. 
• Add a bit of oil in pant and add diced garlic. Cut the broccoli/broccolini in small bite sized pieces and add it to the pan. Let it cook for a few minute - I take them off when they are still crunchy
• Smear the besan on one side of the chapati and put it on hot greased tawa- besan side down. Cook it well - the chapati will start coming off the tawa and then you can cook it a bit on the other side too if you want too - I usually skip it.
• Put the broccoli on the besan roti, I add a bit of Sriracha sauce and roll the roti in half moon.
• You can eat it with a side of dahi. I also added some alfa alfa sprouts

Steamed Dal Dumplings

These dal dumplings make a healthy snack as they don't involve any frying - we even eat it at times for lunch. I use my idli mould to make them - it makes good sized portions and are easy to steam. I usually serve them with the tomato garlic chutney (the cooked version). They are called bhapouri in Hindi and are apparently a very common household snack in a few regions - I had personally not heard of them until I came across this recipe:

Ingredients:
Should make about 4-5 snack portions for 2 people

For the Paste:

• 1 cup Dhuli Masoor (soaked overnight or a min of 4 hours)
• 2 Tsp cumin seeds
• 1 inch ginger - minced/grated
• 3 garlic cloves (use more if they are small in size like in India)
• 1-2 dry whole red chillies as per taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

Add to the Dal Paste:

• 1 cup onions -diced
• handful of chopped cilantro leaves

Process:

• Blend all the first six ingredients in the food processor to make a thick paste - I don't usually add any water - but if you feel the need then add few tbsp of water. Keep the paste slightly coarse.
• Add the chopped onions and cilatro to the dal mixture.
• Fill the idli maker with the paste and steam for about 10 minutes on medium flame - the cooked dumplings look dull yellow in color - test if fully cooked by sticking a toothpick in it - if it comes out clean then the batch is done.
• You could also store the extra paste in the fridge and make a fresh batch anytime you want in about half the time.
• The dumplings themselves stay well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• You could try making these with some other dals as well - I haven't tried it yet- let me know if any of you tries any other dal.

Recipe Source: Health Food Desi Videshi

Juicing 101

Juicing, green juicing in particular has become the new nutrition fad but trust me this is one fad that pays off both in the long term and short. Let me start by saying that once I started juicing I never looked back. I have gone off the wagon in terms of other healthy habits but not this one - once your body gets used to its pure goodness, it will start craving it. 

I wanted to start with outlining a few basics:

• Easy absorption of nutrients: Digestion is the most energy consuming function that your body performs that is why we sleepy after a heavy meal because all our energy is being used up in digesting that meal. Juicing helps give your system a break while providing all the vital nutrients. It takes just 15-20 minutes for the juice to be digested and assimilated by our bodies.
• High Water Content: 70% of our body is made up of water therefore higher the water content of the food that we eat, the better it is. Fresh fruits and veggies are the only two food categories that have a high water content (6-8 servings of fresh fruit and veggies are recommended daily). Juice is the next best thing to whole fruits and vegetables and the easiest way to fulfill a part of your daily requirement - it not only ensures that you are taking in all the required nutrients but helps cleanse the system as well.
• Since all green vegetables are alkalizing, green juice helps maintain your pH balance.
• Use more greens and vegetables and add one or two kind of fruits. Pure fruit juice has high fructose concentration (sugar) even if its natural, its still sugar therefore its best to practice moderation
• Ideal way to take juice is on an empty stomach - drink it slowly (do not gulp it down). Wait for 20 minutes before you eat or drink anything else.
• Juice v/s smoothie: The biggest argument I have heard against juicing is that you lose the precious fibre. I agree that you need fibre in your diet but I consider green juice as a natural multi-vitamin and multi-nutrient supplement. The idea is to add juice to your already healthy diet (that comprises of plenty of fibre if you’re eating a moderately healthy diet). As I mentioned above, juice helps cleanse the system while providing all the nutrients - whereas smoothie albeit super healthy still puts more strain on your system. The main argument for juice is that it supplies all the nutritional needs of the body in a form that can be easily absorbed by the system.
• Kind of Juicer: There are a wide variety of juicers available in the market from as low as $100 (This is the one I started juicing with). This link will give you a brief on the types of juicers available and their pros and cons. This is the one I use currently - I would strongly recommend to start with the most basic juicer for a couple of months to figure out how serious you are about juicing and only then shift to a higher end model.
• You could also refer to this online Juicing Book that not only has lots of different juice recipes but it also gives you detailed nutrition analysis of each ingredient.  
• Start slowly and begin with a combination of fruits and veggies that you like in their whole food form. Also, you can start by juicing at couple of days a week and then move on to 5-7 days a week and maybe from there you could even move to a couple of days of juice feasting (not fasting). 

How I do it:

At home, we drink green juice on weekdays and a fruit juice on weekends (recipe below). On most days I try to make one and a half glass of juice in the mornings so that I can drink half a glass in the afternoons when I have a craving for a snack (afternoon juice doesn't happen everyday but I try). In addition to this I follow this up (1 or 1.5 hours later) with a bowl of fruits (whatever is on season and as much as I can eat) and then eat my lunch at around 12. Eating only raw and fresh fruits & veggies in the 1st half of the day gives your body extra time to eliminate waste and cleanse the system. If you plan to follow this, you will see a marked difference in your morning routine especially with regards to the call of nature
As for the leftover pulp - my juicer leaves extremely dry and very little pulp - which is basically pure fibre. I store the pulp everyday (although we don't end up using it always and it gets replaced with the next day's fresh pulp) and use it to either make a green tikki/cutlet mixed with buckwheat flour or add it to the rotis for dinner. Another point I would like to stress here is, if you can afford then please use local organic produce for juicing - it's an elixir that deserves the best possible ingredients.

There are endless combinations that you can try out for making a healthy green juice. These are the ones that I use regularly:

Green Juice Recipe #1

I prefer a more savory juice and therefore don't add any fruit to it. Some of you might look at the ingredient list and find it not appetizing at all but trust me it tastes yummy.

Makes 2 glasses

• 6 Kale leaves (I use dinosaur kale)
• 3 Chard leaves ( I use rainbow chard - just because I love the mix of colors)
• 3 collard leaves
• 7-8 dandelion leaves 
• 1/2 English cucumber
• 1 tomato
• 2 Celery stalks
• Handful of cilantro/parsley
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• Raw Turmeric (whenever I can find it in store)

Once we have the juice ready, we add lime juice to it - this masks any of the unpleasant taste that you fear the excess of greens might have given it. Anant adds salt and pepper to but I prefer it without.

We also add triphala powder and Spirulina/Chlorella powder to it. (Both are forms of algae and besides being potent detoxifiers, Spirulina is one of the highest sources of protein - its 65-71% complete protein) but let me warn you Spirulina does NOT taste good. If you are new to juicing - I suggest you skip this and maybe try it a later. You could also add a granny smith apple to enhance the flavor as they are more tart - I am planning to try to soon.

Green Juice Recipe #2

This is the recipe that my cousin drinks more regularly. I have tried it and really like it - it has the right mix of fruit and veggies.

• 3 carrots
• 1 beet root
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 big orange
• 4-5 kale leaves
• Handful of parsley

Weekend Fruit Juice Recipe:

The ingredients below are purely estimates, you can try out different proportions of carrots and oranges

• 7-8 carrots
• 6-7 oranges 
• 1 beet root
• 1 inch ginger 
• few leaves of mint

Lentil Walnut Salad

I love this salad and the addition of lentils gives it a nice desi twist. I can't remember where I got the recipe from, but I have been using it for a while. I use sabut masoor (orange one) for this salad but you could try it with any other type of whole lentils like maybe urad. And if you are worried about eating raw spinach, then here is some information that might help.

Ingredients:

• 1 cups uncooked brown lentils - (preferably soaked overnight or for 4 hours)
• ¼ cup sliced green onions - green part only
• 1 cup packed thinly sliced baby spinach
• ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 10-12 kalamata olives - chopped
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon plain yellow mustard or Dijon (I use this brand and besides being organic, I like that it comes in a glass jar)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt and Pepper

Process:

• First cook the lentils in a pressure cooker - these days I have started to soak all my dals - anywhere b/w 30 mins to overnight - depending on the dal and the amount of time I have. This not only reduces the cook time but also helps me stick to the 'cooking on low heat' principle so as to preserve maximum nutrients.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the lentils, spinach, green onions tomatoes and olives.
• Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a jar or bowl - You must add rosemary to the salad as it adds a distinct flavor.
• Pour it over the salad mix and serve:)

Tomato Garlic Chutney - 2 versions

Another super duper simple recipe with tons of nutrition and flavor. In fact its barely a recipe but I simple love the freshness of this chutney and the ease with which you can make it. I had it first at a friend's house in Bombay and have been a fan since. I usually serve this with besan chilla for a weekend brunch, much tastier and healthier than ketchup.
This chutney has a very strong flavor and after taste of garlic - which we all know has many health benefits - it's a very good source of Vitamin C and helps strengthen the immune system by fighting off infections - so next time you see first signs of a cold popping up - just crush/grate a clove of garlic mix it with 3-4 drops of water or honey and gulp it down (do not chew) and do not have water for 5 minutes after that.
Now the recipe

Tomato Garlic Chutney #1
What you need:

• 3-4 tomatoes (I used dry farmed tomatoes - love their taste)
• 2-3 garlic gloves depending on the size
• 1tbsp mustard oil
• 1tbsp mustard seeds (rai)

Process:

• Take the skin off the tomatoes - the most common way is to blanch them and then peel the skin off. I however, have bought a soft fruit peeler (I have this set which also includes a julienne peeler that is great for making veggie noodles) and just directly peel the skin off- save me one extra step and I like the taste of raw tomatoes better
• Put the garlic cloves in a food processor then add the tomatoes- blend them into a puree
• In a small pan, heat the mustard oil and add the mustard seeds - once they start to pop - take them off the stove and add to the tomato mixture.
• Sprinkle salt and chilli powder and done!!

Tomato garlic chutney #2
(Recipe Source: Health food desi videshi)
This is a more of a cooked version of the chutney but again full of flavor. The sesame oil adds a nice aroma to it.

What you need:

4-5 Tomatoes - cubed in large chunks

2 Tbsp Garlic - Peeled and minced

1 tsp Red chilly powder (or more to taste)

Salt

2 tbsp Sesame Oil

Process:

• Heat sesame oil in a pan and tip in the chopped garlic. Let it fry till aromatic but not brown. 
• Add the red chilly powder and mix , then immediately tip in the chopped tomatoes and salt. 
• Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes on high flame.
• Use a spatula to crush the tomatoes when they start getting mushy. Keep stirring and cook without lid for another 5 minutes.
• The finished chutney is thick with a nice sesame oil and garlic aroma.

As for the besan chilla, this is the recipe I picked up a few years ago:

Ingredients:

•  2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 Onion 
• 1 tomato 
• 1 green or red pepper 
• 2-3 Broccoli florets - 
• 2-3 tbsp cilantro - 
• 1 inch ginger - minced/grated
• 1tsp red chilli powder
• 1tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 pinch heeng (asafetida)
• Salt
• Oil ( I used coconut, ghee or mustard depending on the day)

Process:

• In a large mixing bowl, add besan, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, heeng and salt and mix.
• Add water to the above mixture to make a thick batter- I let the batter site for about 10-15 minutes and then whip it with a whisk to make sure no lumps are formed and the batter is smooth
• Dice all the veggies - onion, tomato, peppers and the green chilli and add it to the above mixture - grate the ginger and add that as well.
• Heat a griddle (I use a cast iron one) and spread the batter and cook it from both sides till its golden brown
• Serve with any of the above chutnies.

The Dairy Debate

For all those who don't know it, I come from a Jat family and if there is one thing Jats are known for (besides being loud and aggressive) - its their love for dairy. Dairy (in particular  buffalo's milk) and its byproducts had been a staple food in my diet since childhood - be it milk, yogurt, cream, butter or ghee I used to consume one or more forms of diary with each meal. 
I say had because I have eliminated diary to about 95% from my current lifestyle - I made this change last year when I was making a shift towards a more whole and plant based diet - the more I read about milk the more I was convinced that I was better off without it. 

This is a long post and includes all the information that I found useful during my research. Now all this is my personal research and point of view - just read and see what all appeals to your sense of logic and choose and apply that fits your lifestyle

Every mammal nurses its young but once they are weaned off they sustain on other forms of food and never go back to milk. Humans are the only species on earth that never gets weaned off - and we are the only species that drinks the milk of another animal - that's something to ponder over. 
US eats more diary products than any other nation in the entire world and with all their billion dollar subsidies it is without doubt one of the most political foods in America. 

Coming to the details:
(I have picked this information from the book Fit for Life) 

• There are two enzymes - renin and lactase that are needed to breakdown and digest milk. These enzymes are all gone by the age of three in most humans. 
• Milk has an element called Casein - which is 300 times more in cow's milk than in human's. Casein attributes to and is required for the development of big bones. Casein coagulates in the stomach and forms dense difficult to digest curds that are better suited for the four stomach digestive system of cows.
• Casein puts a tremendous pressure on the digestive system of humans which means the body has to devote more energy to digest or get rid of it
• Overtime some of this tough and dense material hardens and sticks to the lining of the intestines - interfering with the absorption of the nutrients. Adults who use milk products do not absorb nutrients as well as those who don't
• Also, the milk digestion process leaves a great deal of mucus in the body which is highly acidic and is stored in the body to be dealt at a later time.
• Many allergies especially asthma can be directly tied to Milk consumption. Ear infection in children has also been linked with cow's milk and formula consumption.
• Many studies consider Casein as major contributing factor to Thyroid problems
• Btw Casein is the base of one of the strongest glues used in woodworking
• Add to it that diary products in the US are highly processed - the high heat of pasteurization (anywhere b/w 145F for Vat Pasteurized to 280F for ultra pasteurized) destroys not only the bad bacteria but almost all the good bacteria and enzymes. Milk enzymes can take heat up to 117F (try touching the milk at 117F and you will not burn your fingers v/s 118F which will burn - this is nature's way of telling that all the enzymes are intact) and not to mention the high doses of antibiotics cows are treated with to increase milk production - some of these antibiotics are passed on to your system through that milk. Source: RawMilk Campaign
• Calcium: Now, let's talk about the calcium - one of the biggest reasons milk is considered a health food is because of its high calcium levels. There are a few reasons why milk might not be the best source of calcium. First, the calcium in cow's milk is much coarser that human's milk and is tied up with Casein making it difficult to be absorbed by the body. Secondly, the pasteurization and homogenization of milk degrades the calcium making it hard to utilize. Thirdly and most importantly there are so many plant sources of calcium such as leafy greens, raw nuts and seeds. Raw sesame seeds - they have the highest calcium content of any food, Kale has more calcium than milk and more Vit C than an orange. 
• Also, let me clarify that the main role of Calcium in the body is to neutralize the acid and most people who are calcium deficient are not because they are not getting in enough from their diet but because they are eating highly acidic diets and their calcium reserves are being used up by the constant neutralizing being done by the body. All dairy products are extremely acid forming except Butter/Ghee
• Yogurt: Another dairy product that is considered a must due the amount of live cultures and healthy bacteria present in it. The fact is that most of the friendly bacteria in yogurt are already being produced by your body in adequate levels.

Alternatives to Milk:

• Almond and Coconut milks are a good option but please make sure that you are buying the purest and most unprocessed forms of these. (I am not a fan of Soy Milk -read it all here). You can easily make nut milk at home using a blender - I use my juicer.
• Another potential option is Goat's milk - If you have to have milk then switching to Goat milk might be a step in the right direction. Worldwide, more people drink goat's milk than cow's - it's only North America that primarily drinks cow's milk

Why Goat's Milk is better than Cow's: 

(Information Source: My New Roots) 

• Goat Milk is Easier to Digest than Cow Milk: Goat's milk has smaller protein molecule than cow's milk and are most similar to the ones found in human milk. The fat molecules in goat's milk have more thinner and fragile membrane - half of that of cow's - which results in lesser curd tension i.e coagulation and is much easier on the stomach. Goat milk takes 20 mins to digest in a baby v/s 8 hours needed for pasteurized cow's milk!!
• Goat Milk is more nutritious: It has more calcium, phosphorus, Vit A, some Vit B's and less cholesterol
• Goat Milk is non-allergic: Since goat milk does not have the complex proteins that are can cause allergic reactions in children like wheezing, coughing, ear infections and eczema etc it does not stress the immune system. Goat milk can also be consumed by most people who are lactose intolerant.
• Goat Milk has an alkalizing effect: Its one of the rare dairy products that does not produce acid in our system and in fact helps restore the pH balance. An acidic pH balance has been associated with fatigue, headaches, body aches, excess weight and blood sugar imbalance.
• Goat Milk Contains Twice the Healthful Medium Chain Fatty Acids:
  Goat milk contains twice the amount of medium chain fatty acids (such as capric and caprylic acids) than found in cow milk. These fatty acids are highly antimicrobial and help boost the immune system and enhance energy levels 

Where Do I stand:

I personally have been buying raw organic Cow's Milk for the past 1.5 years which I heat at a very low temperature and take it off before it reaches the boiling stage. I had completely eliminated dairy from my diet for about 12 months and saw major improvements in skin and energy levels. These days milk is mostly used in our house for tea for Anant (once in a while I indulge too) and I use yogurt mostly for making salad dressings. 
As for Goat milk I had never tried it before - I just bought my first bottle of raw goat milk and let me tell you that contrary to my preconceived notion and popular belief that goat's milk is pungent smelling - it's not all that bad both in smell and taste. It will sure take sometime getting used to but it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting it to be.
Ghee was and is the only dairy product that I never cut off from my diet primarily because I love it too much plus its not acidic in nature.

Spinach Fritata

This recipe serves as a great and easy alternative to omelettes for a weekend brunch - I make this whenever we want something different without putting in too much effort.

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind)
• clove of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 2-4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup (or so) scallions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• pinch of paprika or other spices you like (totally optional)
• chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional - I did not use it)
• salt & pepper

Process:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (preheat a cast iron skillet in it if you like -15 mins in smaller oven. You could always use any other baking dish)
• Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk them together with milk, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and any spices you want to add. Set aside.
• In a medium skillet saute spinach and scallions in a bit of olive oil until spinach is mostly wilted. Add a pinch of salt. 
• Place the cooked spinach into the egg bowl with the sun dried tomatoes and gently mix.
• Pour the whole mixture into your cast iron skillet (add some cheese on top if you want to) and bake in the oven until it puffs up and becomes golden brown. 
• I used a  5″ mini skillet, so I cooked mine for about 15 mins in smaller oven. If you have a larger skillet and a bigger batch of eggs, you will need to cook it longer. Just watch it and poke at it a bit until your eggs are firm-ish and cooked.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Slice and serve.

Recipe Source: Love and Lemons