Navarathri Day 5.
Rice, lentils, sweets.
Lemon rice, split peas/channa sundal, boli.

Lemon rice.
Squeezed juicy baby lemons over freshly cooked steaming rice, tempered with
Chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, dried fenugreek leaves hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces and peanuts.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Used a lot, and yes, I do mean, with no reservations, a lot of ghee/clarified butter and gingerly oil.

Split pea sundal.
Par Boiled lentils tempered with chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Boli. Puran poli.
A sweet flatbread stuffed with a sweet lentil filling made from husked spilt bengal gram (chana dal) and jaggery.
By husband. Yes, he’s good 👍😎

Prayers at home. Students had come for rehearsals for temple programmes.
Packed prasad for them to take home.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak

#cottonsilk

Navarathri is over.
My fridge and pantry are – am going to be positive about this – not – not empty, but not full.
Out of milk, out of bread, scraping the bottom of the butter container. Oats for breakfast for the husband.
No ginger or tamarind.
My spinach and coriander leaves have wilted, surprisingly tomatoes are holding up quite well.
Also completely out of groceries deemed Essential by the young lady tenants of this house – maggi noodles, indo mee, mac n cheese, pasta.
And so, just now, I got onto my iPad and did some online shopping.
And I did what I usually do, at night.
I fell asleep on the couch.
Awoke, ready to checkout, when I found I had added 20 bottles of 3 litre milk, and 200 bottles of dishwashing liquid to my cart.
Must have slept off with finger on 0.
Emptied the cart, decided I would just pop into the supermarket tomorrow and do some old fashioned shopping, the danger being, I would probably end up buying things I wouldn’t need.
Draped a simple red cotton silk, with korvai motifs and gold borders, with matching blouse, after a long fulfilling work day, prepping dinner and class with Mami. Almost frowning in concentration. Kindly ignore the background.
Popped into guest room to stare and sigh; sigh and stare at the landfill of laundry begging to be folded. Knocked on tenants’ doors and told them that if the laundry did not get into their rightful cupboards by the next day, they would not get their mac n cheese and noodles.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

Yesterday’s dinner after 10 days of rice, lentils, sweet.
My easy to make favourite soft pol roti/coconut flatbread. Wholemeal flour, fresh or thawed frozen grated coconut, a little water,  salt.
Made a smoked brinjal and potato tangy dish with lavish sprinklings of crushed black pepper.
Simple and quick.
Kneaded the flour, left it to rest while I got the side dish sorted.
Then, made little balls, pressed them down with the palm of my hand, cooked them on both sides on a hot pan. No rolling pin, no extra flour, no mess.
Served it hot. Sumptious, even if I say so myself.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak

#tussar #jute #silk

#SS 39/100/2020

Creative juices seem to stop flowing around the witching hour. Yet I persevere, and find myself falling asleep, erasing what I have written, then retyping.
Will let you in on a secret.
Yesterday.
Completed my post. Selected a couple of photos from the gallery my daughter sent me. She revels in taking these timed burst photos. I have since deleted a few of me with one eye shut, mouth wide open, eyes squinting towards my nose..
Anyway, got onto Saree Speak,
and
the next thing I knew it was 3.49am. The phone in my hand, my iPad under the quilt.
Then, I did what any sane adult would do.
I calmly selected my text, pasted it onto the SS page, added some photos and clicked the post button.
Set alarm on phone, placed phone, iPad on side table and promptly fell asleep.
The lengths we go to, to get a post out on SS.
So, for today, as I have done my fair share of rambling and photo spamming, am adding just one photo of me draped in a pristine white jute tussar silk with red and gold korvai temple borders and pallu. Purchased locally, a birthday gift from husband some years ago.
Tapping Post button before I doze off again..

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak

#kanjivaram #kanjivaramsilk

#SS 38/100/2020

Finally posting after ages.
This interim no-post period has been “eventful” to say the least.
Blessed events, tragic events. It has been like white water rafting on extreme rapids.
Being Vijayadasmi, Dashara, Dussehra, I thought I would resume posting. Therapeutic for me, as for many of us.
I believe the theme is gratitude, and I am grateful for

• This Navarathri of quiet contemplation, prayers, mindfulness, cooking, feeding, working, and being surrounded by an abundance of love, warmth, light.
• Anusha’s Nischyathartham which was a blessing for all of us, after battling lockdown issues.
• Vijayadasmi or Dashara or Dussehra today.
• A day of prayer, teaching, learning, serving, giving, receiving. Labour day in NZ today, a public holiday. Spent the morning on puja, cooking, teaching students, who teach me as much as I teach them, then cooking again for Suresh’s and Anusha’s students in the evening, teaching more students in the evening.
• Seeing the smiles and giggles as they learnt their new lesson and went away with prasadam and chocolates.
• Being able to get my Guru’s blessings even if via Skype.
• And finally, being able to reconnect with all you dear Sakhis.
  May we remember, on this Vijayadasmi and always that we are Replicas of the Divine Mother, by being grateful, happy, and by just be-ing.
  Love and blessings.
  Draped in a deep mustard single border kanjivaram with maroon and gold borders and pallu. Gold Annapakshis/swans on border, Red and green Annapakshis above border. Gifted by husband 30 years ago.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

Navarathri Day 3.
Rice, lentils, sweets.
Coconut rice, black chick pea sundal, mysore pak.

Coconut rice.
Tempered mustard seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, broken cashews in coconut oil and ghee/pure clarified butter.
Added chopped ginger, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida
then fresh grated coconut, and beautiful green fragrant curry leaves.
A little sugar to add some moisture.
Then the just-cooked rice, salt.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
And the icing on the cake?
Poured a liberal 2 teaspoons of coconut oil over the rice mix.

Black chick pea sundal.
Boiled lentils tempered with mustard seeds, chopped ginger, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Mysore pak.
A besan/chick pea/gram flour, raw sugar and ghee/pure clarified butter melt-in-the-mouth Fudge.

After work, prayers and rehearsals.
Packed prasad for the children to have at home.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

Navarathri Day 2.
Rice, lentils, sweets.
Lemon rice, chick pea sundal, aval.

Lemon rice.
Squeezed juicy baby lemons over freshly cooked steaming rice, tempered with
Chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, dried fenugreek leaves hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces and peanuts.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Used a lot, and yes, I do mean, with no reservations, a lot of ghee/clarified butter and gingerly oil.

Chick pea sundal.
Par Boiled lentils tempered with chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Aval/Poha/Rice flakes.
Washed rice flakes, added jaggery, raw sugar and fresh grated coconut.

Prayers at home. Students had come for rehearsals for temple programmes.
Packed prasad for them to take home.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

Navarathri Day 1.
Rice, lentils, sweets.
Tomato rice, broken chick pea sundal, kesari.
Tomato rice.
Added hot rice to a chutney of tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander leaves, methi leaves, chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Light, sumptuous, wholesome, vegetarian, onion garlic free.

Split chick pea sundal.
Par Boiled lentils tempered with chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Kesari.
Roasted semolina, jaggery, palm treacle, cashews, raisins,  cardamom in pure clarified butter.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

A four in one post.
A Day of Rice. Rices? Reeses?
Alright then, Sathams/rice.
Made
Lemon
Tomato
Spiced curd
And wait for it..
Mango
Sathams.
For Poornima/full moon Puja/prayers a fews days ago.
Light, vegetarian, onion garlic free.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries @ Auckland, New Zealand

A Day of Rice.
One at a time.
Mango rice.

Normally, the family gets a mean mango chutney.
This time, I thought I’d throw some rice into the mix.
Had bought some raw green baby mangoes a week ago.
With all the activities the past week, couldn’t find the time to make that tangy pickle.
The mangoes lay forgotten, under the mushrooms, asparagus spears and beans,
And became all the sweeter for it.

Chopped up the mangoes with the skin, steamed them to soften.
Tempered them in gingerly oil with mustard seeds, cummin seeds, chopped ginger, white/urad and broken chick pea/channa lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces.
Added 1 diced tomato, chilli powder and turmeric powder.
A little raw sugar and salt.
Let mixture simmer for a bit, then added freshly cooked steaming hot rice.
Garnished with coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds.

Delicious and Different. My guests seemed to like it.
Packed take away tupperwares for them.
Vegan, onion garlic free.
Do have a go with any mangoes you can find.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries