spinach rice

Spinach is often combined with sweet spices such as coriander, fennel or garam masala. Also goes well with cooling bitters such as fenugreek and turmeric. 

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed at least 3x and chopped

1/2 c basmati rice

fresh green chili as desired, finely chopped (optional)

2-3 T ghee

1 T ginger root. grated

1 t cumin seeds

1t coriander powder

1 t fenugreek seeds

1/4 t black pepper (optional)

1 t turmeric 

salt, as desired

PREPARATION:

1.  Make a chaunce with hot ghee. Add the ginger root, cumin, chili and fry until browned. Add the coriander powder, fenugreek and turmeric. Add rice. Stir.

2. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. 

3. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

4. In a separate pan cook your spinach

5. Fluff the cooked rice and gently stir in the spinach.

Offer to Krishna immediately. Delicious with a dab of sour cream or yogurt.

VARIATION

For a breakfast dish I like to add cooked chickpeas.

Leaf Mold Gold

Doesn't look like much does it? When I first gathered last autumn's leaves together, the pile was much larger. At the time they were tough and loose and didn't seem they would do me much good in a hurry. So I kept them moist, turned them now and then and waited. Now the pile is an almost black mass that falls apart at the touch. I'm still learning about its uses. One is to continue layering it in my compost piles. Another is using it as a mulch. Mulch conserves moisture in the soil, making it possible to water plants less often and also keeps the soil from getting packed down when watering.

These activities respect nature. Instead of throwing it all away in the dumpster, they can be utilized. Collected grass clippings can be used as a mulch also.

How about that old Christmas tree the neighbors tossed in the alley?

It's good for acid loving plants such as roses.

 From out of decay comes new growth, new possibilities. This is Lord Krishna's perfect system.

Tasty Take-Outs

Kali yuga is very dark and yet we can sprinkle some light and love in the simplest ways. Take for example when a loved one must trudge off to an outside job everyday and yet come lunch break, in the midst of coworkers, he is able to open up a packed lunch that consists of home cooked items, including enough maha prasada from one's local temple to share.

Some good take out ideas are below:
Deity maha (especially sweets and savories for distribution)
Corn on the cob
Bean burrito with cheese, sour cream and salsa
Various chutneys to balance all six tastes (Ayurveda)
Stir-fried paneer chunks in a subji
Creamy and spicy paneer sandwich spread
Hummus with sprouts in a sandwich
Ground toasted sunflower seed sandwich spread (with salt, pepper, tahini, lemon juice, dill and hing)
Olive pesto for sandwiches or dip
Grilled cheese chapatis with spinach leaves and braised tomato
Homemade chips with sour cream dip
Samosas  or kachoris with chutney
Iddlis or dokla
Corn bread
Pizza slices
Homemade pasta in tomato sauce
Pasta salad
Seitan subjis
Fresh fruits such as mango or banana or cut up into a fruit salad
Potato salad (w/sour cream or thick yogurt, chopped celery, dill, salt and pepper)
Various veggie salads with simple dressing like olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper
A barat burger on a bun with lettuce, sour cream and sprouts (recipe upcoming)
Mung bean or urd dahl barats in yogurt
Tapioca and potato tikkis or paneer tikkis with tomato chutney
Cucumber raita, chickpea raita,
Stuffed paratha
Banana puri
Homemade nut/peanut butter and various fruit jams on bread/chapatis
Toasted bread seasoned with with butter and hing
Deep fried or baked bread sticks
Various desserts- apple crisp, cookies, muffins, cinnamon roll, cookies, fruit fritters, donuts, filled donuts, candied pecans…

Various pakoras and chutney
Bitter melon chips
Dried fruits
Spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce

Hopefully you are feeling inspired what to make next day. These can be mixed and matched into various combinations. And hot soups and beverages are the norm in a Stanley thermos to supplement with during cold winter months. Also bags and containers that can keep foods warm or cool are surely a good investment.

At first, it may take more time to prepare various homemade fare, but gradually as one gains proficiency, things won't take more than an hour tops. One way is by preparing ahead. One can spend half an hour the evening before doing prep work and half an hour next morning doing the actually cooking and offering. For example, the evening before I may put together a pancake mix and then only have to add the water and a little yogurt the next morning for breakfast. And for the next day's lunch plan, I could make chapatti dough ahead of time to use in the morning. I can also precut veggies and have them in the fridge ready to go. Prepare corn and also have the water in a covered pot with salt, ready to heat up in the morning and boil the corn. Another help is to start dahl the night before on an electric range and allow it to cook very slowly with a method I posted earlier (keeping on a rack above the burner, if the heat can't be brought low enough) or with a slow cooker (since a gas stove requires running a vent all night), so it will be ready by morning. My method works best if you are an early riser able to check on it. Or if you put a lot of water in the pot and then start boiling away the excess as soon as you rise..

Now don't forget to include maha tulsi leaves to further remind the lunch recipient of Krishna when he first opens his lunch!

Advice for Ladies

(or what I learned from devoted wives)

Even though traditionalist devotees and promoters of varnasrama are the greatest defenders for the rights of domestic women, experience suggests a lady should try to avoid taking part in such issues. Mostly because her foremost duty is to be peaceful around her beloved husband, so that both may execute their duties undisturbed.

But more importantly is so not become sidetracted from the real goal of life. From the perspective of eternal time, Srila Prabhupada says "To preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to convince Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's all, no other business. We don't take part in politics, sociology, and mental speculation, 'science,' or so on, so on, all nonsense. We reject, all kicked out. That is the perfection. It is simply waste of time. These are all superficial. Just like waves in the sea. Where is the meaning? The waves are going on"( Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth)

Krishna consciousness reveals that this material world is and always will be full of disturbances created by the material desires of both women and men, and ISKCON from a superficial viewpoint is no exception. So, even if one problem were to be resolved, then surely another will be there, because material miseries are relentless. Rather it is imperative to grab the opportunity given in this human form of life for getting free from this whole material entanglement.

After all, Bhagavad gita chapter three is all about the importance of prescribed duties for the satisfaction of Vishnu. Why do we have to argue for them? Rest assured, everything will go on as it should according to the sweet will of the Lord. There will always be, most gratefully, qualified persons empowered to or even needed to take charge and try to fix things. That is their nature that they wish to dovetail for purification. Also because the law of Mother Nature is that things will go one way (all for a reason, by Lord's will), but then go back the other way. She's all about balance.

The general public, for example, are already tiring of so many fatherless children, lack of extended family support, weakened, untrained men and unchaste, stupid women. So why should we waste our time? Why should our happiness depend on what others are doing? Or even what an institution is doing? Instead we can become fully absorbed and satisfied in the service, instructions and pastimes of Lord Krishna and His dear devotees right now. Just try to do that and everything else will be put into proper perspective. Rest assured. Krishna has a plan. He is in control. 

granola

                                                   
                           
(For about 3-4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups rolled oats (I now grind my own oat berries, on coarsest setting)
a handful of walnuts
a handful of almonds
about a dozen cashews
about a dozen pecans
a tablespoon of sesame seeds
1/2 t cinnamon powder
2 T ghee
a generous 1/3 cup sugar or as desired
1/4 cups water
a handful of raisins

PREPARATION:
Put the oats in a baking pan
Coarsely chop up all the nuts and add to the oats
Add the sesame seeds and cinnamon
 Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan and stir until sugar is dissoved, then add the ghee.
After cooling a bit, pour over the oats mixture and stir well
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to bake evenly.
Stir in the raisins last 5 mintures or at the end of baking.
Cool and then offer to Krishna in a big bowl with fresh, creamy milk poured on top.


VARIATIONS: So many recipes out there give more ideas for ingredients like sunflower seeds, coconut, dried fruits and brown sugar. Also this was a super rich banana bread and the extras got cut up and dried on low heat into cereal type pieces, then added to finished granola which was finally topped with fresh fruit, namely bananas. You could taste cinnamon, too, which was in the banana
bread.

Women's Ministry

Always one more meal to get;
One more train which must be met;
One more hopeless sock to mend;
One more invalid to tend;
One more salve for one more knee,
One more visitor to tea;
One more future bruised and scarred;
One more drop of spikenard;
One more problem, one more doubt;
One more mood to be smoothed out;
One more smile and one more kiss...



Ah, but ministry like this
Will outlast the radiant sun;
Woman’s work is never done.

-Fay Inchfawn

"Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation." -Bhagavad gita As It Is 18.8

banana chutney

(Serves 2-3)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T lemon juice
• 2-3 bananas
• 1 T ghee
• 1/4 black mustard seeds 
• 1/2 t cumin seeds
• 1 t fresh ginger root, minced
• 1/2 t coriander powder
• 1/4 t freshly ground black peppercorns
• a pinch of cinnamon powder
• 1/4 t turmeric
•  2 T sugar
  

PREPARATION:

1. Mash bananas (a little lumpy is good) with the lemon juice.
2. Chaunce the mustard seeds in hot ghee. 
3. When the mustard stops popping, add cumin, ginger root and remaining spices in quick succession. Stir a bit and then pour chaunce into banana mixture.
4. Add sugar and stir until well blended.

Over to Krishna with pakoras or hot puris 

urd dahl with tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup split urad dahl
• water
• 4 large plum tomatoes, chopped
• 4 T ghee
• 1 t fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 t mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• a pinch of hing
• 1 t turmeric
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
• 5-6 curry leaves (opt)
• salt, as desired
• 2 T fresh coriander for a garnish, chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Boil urd in plenty of water with the turmeric on medium to high boil about 45 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in sauce pan until hot to make a chaunce. Add ginger and cumin and mustard seeds. Fry until the ginger is golden brown and crispy and mustard seeds stop popping. Add hing and black pepper and curry leaves. Add tomatoes and fry a few seconds. Pour all into soup  and continue to cook on low heat and covered about 30 minutes more until dahl is cooked and tomatoes soft. 
3. Turn off the heat. Stir in the salt and fresh coriander leaves

Offer to Krishna with a bowl of rice or steaming hot parathas

VARIATION 2
No mustard seeds? Try chopped mustard greens! Omit the tomatoes and add a dash of lemon juice at the end.

FOR A NIGHTSHADE FREE DAHL, replace the tomato with a cup of yogurt added right before chauncing. Let simmer with the spices at least a few minutes before offering.

Better Butter and Buttermilk

A continuation from a previous post on Butter Making.

A visiting Swami, HH Bhakti Visvambhara Madhava Maharaja from Mayapur, gave class and said that butter churned from yogurt (makhan) is healthier and more digestible than the butter churned from the cream derived from fresh milk. I looked a little more into this on the web and discovered that such butter is becoming more widespread under the name "probiotic butter".

So today husband and I decided to make some butter from yogurt. We started with a good amount of fresh cream, turned it into yogurt, whipped it into butter, strained and pressed it and then boiled it into ghee.

Krishna got special treats today. Yogurt butter and the resultant delicious cultured buttermilk, after straining the butter, we were able to offer right away. The ghee we used on His parathas next morning. 

The buttermilk can be served plain, sweetened or with pinches of salt, black pepper and ground roasted cumin. Or make it taste like strawberry or peach kefir by cooking sugar with blended fruit (boil until sugar is dissolved), cooling it and then stirring the syrup into the buttermilk. Other fruits to try are mango (good raw), pineapple and orange juice or blueberries. 

According to Ayurveda, fresh buttermilk drunk after the main meal at noon is especially healthful, acting as a digestive aid.

The most challenging part was the churning of the yogurt to produce the butter. The large temple mixer needs repair and won't be available for a few more days, so I resorted to electric hand mixers, two of them going at once ( I think it was like five gallons). It took at least an hour, but that's because I didn't add the second mixer until about half way done. LATER NOTE: A Kitchenaid stand up mixer works great for family-sized churning! I do only one or two mixer bowlfuls per day instead of five gallons at once. I generally keep the mixer on low to churn while I do other things. Once the butter and buttermilk separate, however, beware that buttermilk may start flying everywhere if you are not there to turn the mixer off!

If you want to save some butter without turning it into ghee, it's important to get all the buttermilk out or else the butter will spoil quickly. Squeeze it out by hand and then rinse with very cold water afterwards to get as much buttermilk out as possible.

LATER NOTE: Not so with yogurt churned butter. I noticed it did not spoil even though i kept large balls of it wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for a couple weeks!

I did a search for an old fashioned butter churn for churning large quantities of yogurt, but no luck. The biggest churn I've seen so far holds only a gallon. If I could have any churn I wanted, I find the Indian style much more appealing than western types.

Stir Fried Veggies

Ekadasi is a good time for this simple dish. Vegetables like potatoes and cauliflowers are especially delicious sauteed in ghee. A squeeze of lemon brings out extra flavor, all for Krishna's pleasure.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5- 6 T ghee
• about 6 c chopped veggies for stir frying
• salt and pepper, as desired

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the ghee in a frying pan until almost smoking hot. Toss in the vegetables. Stir quickly and coat evenly with the ghee.
2. Let cook a bit on high while stirring every couple minutes. Vegetables will start to brown and shrink.
3. Lower heat to very low, cover and let vegetables cook in their own juices until done. Add salt and pepper.
4. Offer to Krishna with a big bowl of sweetened yogurt.

Banana and Lime Beverage

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe bananas
• 4 c water
• 1/4 c fresh lime juice
• 1/2 c sugar

PREPARATION:

1. Boil sugar with 1/2 c water until sugar dissolves, cool 
2. Blend the bananas with remaining water until smooth.
3. Add cooled sugar syrup and lime juice. Blend well and offer immediately.

moong soup II

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c whole moong beans, sorted and rinsed, soaked 6-8 hrs
• 2 med zucchini, peeled and chopped
• water
• 1 t salt

FOR THE CHAUNK:

• 5 T ghee
• 1 T ginger root
• 1 t coriander powder 
• 1/2 -3/4 t bl.pepper
• 1/4 t hing
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• salt
• Fresh lemon slices

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the ghee to make a chaunk. Add the ginger and let it get brown and crispy. Then add the coriander powder, hing, black pepper and turmeric. 
2. Add the vegetables and salt and fry a few minutes, and then add the moong beans and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until beans begin to burst from skins and soup thickens a bit. Add more water as needed. Lower heat and cook on simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Heat the ghee and make a chaunk with mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard about stops popping and cumin is nicely brown, add to the soup and stir in a little more salt. Altogether, the general rule is 1 t salt per cup of finished soup. 
4. Offer to Krishna with lemon slices and piping hot rice, fresh slices of bread 

Serves 6

VARIATIONS:
Experiment with various vegetables and spice combinations. Fresh root vegetables go well and hot chilies can be added along with fresh coriander leaves.

If you use tomatoes, add the tomatoes towards the end of the cooking when lowering the heat to simmer. Otherwise, tomatoes have a tendency to slow down the cooking of the dahl if added in the beginning.

broccoli and peas in tomato sauce

I really love this Bengali subji, but for some, the cardamon included may be an acquired taste.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch chopped broccoli, washed and steamed
• 1 cup fresh peas, rinsed and steamed
• 8 blended plum tomatoes
• 1/4 t mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1 T grated ginger root
• 1/4 t hing
• 1 t mixture of equal parts turmeric, ground cardamom and ground cinnamon
• 4 T ghee

PREPARATION 

1. Chaunce in hot ghee the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and ginger until the ginger browns and mustard seeds pop.
2. Add hing until the smell comes out. Add the mixture of turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon, followed immediately with the blended tomatoes.
3. Cook until tomato thickens a bit. Add the steamed vegies.

Offer to Krishna with freshly cooked rice and or puris.