Back to our roots…

Ayurveda is the in-thing now!

Wrapped up a successful schedule of Sanjeev Kapoor’s Kitchen day before yesterday. Must mention that this had been one of the best schedules till date, with loads of exciting themes and some enthusiastic fans calling up and talking to me! Kudos to my team, one more time, who put up a great show.

The most interesting part was the Ayurveda special episodes. I am deeply attached to this subject as it is one of India’s gifts to the world, for a healthy living. So, what better could I possibly do, than to propagate the wonders of this marvel through my recipes.

Ayurvedic cuisine is already making a mark on the world map. Hence, as a true Indian, it becomes my responsibility as well to promote it at its best. So, cooked up a few recipes like Amle ka Sherbet, Barley Khichdi, Lal Maath ki Sabzi, etc., to go with this theme. I also made it a point to talk about a few Ayurvedic herbs with actual illustrations during the course of the episodes, just to give all the viewers an idea about this precious genre of science. This is just the beginning and will definitely work on this subject more and more.

I think introducing Ayurveda in today’s fast-paced and strenuous lives will not only reduce the lifestyle related diseases amongst people, but also get in some discipline, leading to overall mental peace.

For this reason only, I’ll also be concentrating on the subject of Ayurveda for my presentation at World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) 2012 in Daejon, for which I will be flying to South Korea on May 1, 2012. Looking forward to this trip, as always, as this side of the globe has always amazed me in some or the other way and has offered me something great everytime. Besides this, meeting and interacting with other top-notch professionals from the culinary world will be a bonus! More on this to follow…

Also, latest is CNN International’s series ‘Fusion Journeys’ which begins its broadcast from April 23, 2012. In this there are 3 films of 5 minutes each of my journey to meet Chef Rene Redzepi of Noma fame in Copenhagen. These films will be broadcast during ‘Connect The World’ every Monday, Wednesday and Friday late in the night. Follow the link to get more of this: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/fusion-journeys/index.html.

On the office front, today I will be busy with a shoot for People’s Magazine and my team has already started the work to help me dish out an exhilarating mango recipe. Thrilled! Also, Turban Tadka shoots are getting over today.

This is it for now and I shall keep my fans and followers updated with more and more on the Ayurveda front as well as every other happening in general.

As for now, not fully Ayurvedic though, here are some healthy Indian recipes you can try…

Adrak Kali Mirch Chai

Bajra Khichdi

Baked Moong Sprout Wadas

Till I write again
Sanjeev Kapoor

Try some dals with rice and rotis

Indian veg recipes are replete with so many varieties of food that it is rather difficult to put them all in words here. Indian diet is balanced with carbohydrates from rice and roti and protein from dals. Vegetables add their contribution to the health aspect which is further enhanced with additions like raitas and chutneys. So when it comes to healthy eating for the new year, one can safely resolve to include more Indian veg recipes in the daily diet.

When it comes to dals, there is a mineful of them. While split green gram or moong dal will be easier to find in many northern homes, split pigeon peas or tuvar dal is the main thing in south Indian sambar that is perfectly matched with fluffy idlis and crispy dosas. Gujaratis love their khatti meethi dal (tuvar dal) whereas Bengalis use split Bengal gram or chana dal in many varied ways.

So whether you are enjoying kidney beans or rajma in Kashmir or in Punjab, or you are dunking wheat flour batis in a luscious thick dal in Jaipur, drizzled with loads of ghee in true Marwari style, you are truly enjoying the wealth of dals and their protein content in your diet. Even a simple meal like a hot dal with freshly made rotis is comfort food for many in the upper stratas and a basic survival meal for those who are in the lower strata.

Dals, like mentioned before, not only make good accompaniments in various regions, they also make the base for many snacks like vadas and bhajis. One step ahead is the dessert range that can be created with dals. Moong dal ka halwa, when made with leisurely roasting of dal paste in lots of ghee, is delicious. Top it with nuts for a difference in texture. Or then have some puran polis: Gujaratis use tuvar dal as stuffing, and Maharashtrians use chana dal. Both versions are traditional and require a skilled hand!

Indian veg recipes and their full description will require more pages. In the mean time, do enjoy these offerings made with different dals using different techniques: Baked Moong Sprout Wadas, Cabbage Chana Dal, White Dhokla.