Healthy salads

Here are a few recipes using raw vegetables which can be made in a jiffy.

IN THE Isha Yoga Ashram near Coimbatore, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev makes a powerful case for vegetarianism. Known for his mystic teachings, he also happens to be the son of a doctor, brought up on European philosophy. He points out that he is not making a spiritual or moral case against non-vegetarianism. It's just that non-veggie food is not suited to our system. Just as carnivorous animals have sharp teeth (incisors) to cut into the meat they also have short alimentary canals, so that the meat can pass through quickly, since it putrefies quickly too. On the other hand, herbivores have no such teeth, have an enzyme which acts on the carbohydrates in the mouth (that's why raw rice begins to taste sweet when in the mouth itself) and have long alimentary canals. Moreover, fruits pass through the system in an hour-and-a-half, raw veggies may take a little longer but non-veg food stays in the system for almost two days. Also, (quite obviously) cooked food lacks the goodness, vitamins, minerals and enzymes that raw vegetables have. Now, it's up to you whether you choose to follow a strict vegetarian diet or not. What you can certainly do is add to your diet some of the scrumptious raw-vegetable recipes from the Isha Yoga Ashram. Do remember what Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says, "It's not essential to get fanatical and avoid food groups, remember to eat alive food, chew well and eat with joy".

Beetroot Salad

Ingredients: Grated beetroot, soaked groundnuts, finely chopped capsicum, grated ginger, coconut and lime juice.

Method:

Mix all ingredients well and season with salt, pepper, coriander and curry leaves.

Carrot Salad

Ingredients: Grated carrot, sprouted green gram, finely chopped capsicum, grated ginger, coconut and lime juice.

Method: Mix all ingredients well and season with salt, pepper, coriander and curry leaves.

Cucumber salad

Ingredients: finely chopped cucumber, capsicum, grated ginger, coconut and lime juice.

Method: Mix all ingredients well, season with coriander, salt, pepper and curry leaves.

Snake gourd salad

Ingredients: Snake gourd (peel the skin and chop), chopped capsicum, grated ginger and coconut, chopped tomato, lime juice.

Method: Mix all ingredients well and season with salt, pepper, coriander and curry leaves.

Sweet beaten rice

Ingredients: Thin beaten rice, grated coconut, concentrated jaggery syrup, cardamom.

Method: Mix all ingredients well.

Curd Ashgourd

Grated Ashgourd, ginger, curd and seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander and curry leaves.

Vegetable juice

Save the juice from the above grated vegetables. Mix together, add lime juice and sugar to taste. Serve immediately (Do not keep juice standing)

Extremely simple to make, these recipes are excitingly different and well-tailored to the Indian palate, the touch of curry patta and coriander adds that zing which you will get addicted to.

Beetroot salad

Today, I feel like sharing the recipe of beetroot salad. My mum used to cook the beetroot, and then simply used to give Tadka and add grated coconut. It tastes awesome, but I was really delighted when I ate the raw beet salad while attending the Isha yoga classes. The Volunteers have really prepared a sumptuous lunch. t is really delicious and healthy.

Ingredients
Beetroot- 1 number
Cucumber- 1/2
Iceberg lettuce- 1/4
Roasted peanuts- 1 fistful
Lime juice- as needed
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Grated Coconut -1/2 cup (optional)

For tadka
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds- 1 tsp each
Curry leaves- 6-7 number

Tadka: Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan, sputter mustard and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves and turn off the heat.

Grate the beetroot ,cucumber. Finely chop the lettuce. Add all the veggies in a bowl, add salt and lime juice, mix well , let it stand for a while.. Now add chopped cilantro, roasted peanuts and tadka. To enhance the taste, add the grated coconut to the salad.

Indian Raita

Ingredient
Cucumber - 1/2 cup (grated)
Tomatoes - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Plain low fat yogurt (curd)- 1 cup (beaten)
Grated Carrot - 1/4 cup (Optional)
Green Chillies - 2 to 3 (chopped)

For seasoning
Roasted Cumin power - 1 tablespoon
Salt / sea salt (as per your requirement)
Coriander leaves - for garnish

1. Mix cucumber, tomatoes, green chillies & carrot.
2. Mix all the vegetables for 1 mins with a spoon.
3. Add the curd(yoghurt) into the vegetable mix.
4. Add Dry Cumin power into the mixed curd.
5. Add salt as per requirement.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve chill.

Raita Ready !!

Pranic Food

On the fifth day, of 'Inner Engineering' program, our teacher showed us one of Sathguru's video discourse. The discourse was mainly on Food, after watching it, I understood that Human body does NOT see food as Fat, Protein or Carbohydrates. Primarily, the human body sees food as 'that which sustains the life-force', because a strong life-force keeps the immune system strong. The life force is known as 'Prana'. Prana is the universal energy, sheer life force, the layer of love that covers our planet.This energy is what makes our bodies and minds balanced.

Whatever food we eat/drink, it is either positive pranic (food that gives u energy), negative pranic (food that takes away your energy) or zero-pranic food (food that neither takes away or gives back energy). In order to know what kind of food we are consuming, rudraksha mala can be used.

The rudraksha mala has a special property by which when held over positive pranic food ,it rotates clock-wise, when held over negative pranic food,it rotates anti-clock-wise and when held over neutral pranic it oscillates like a pendulum.
We conducted a test with lemon, potato and garlic, and it was confirmed that Lemon is a +ve pranic food, garlic as -ve pranic food and potato as zero pranic food. He gave as some example of Negative-pranic food, which we should avoid, example onion, garlic, brinjal etc.

A good meal should have a balanced proportion of Cereals, Carbohydrates, Fruits, Vegetables. Raw food seems to attract more prana to the cells while cooked food seems to repel it. As fruits can be consumed raw, it should be maintained in our diet plan. All kinds of legumes, cereals & pulses are positive pranic food. Later in another blog, I will post the list of positive/negative and zero pranic food.

Foods and Pranic Energy

Every food has certain inherent qualities:

Almonds & honey	Affect self-control
Avacado	Memory
Bananas	Impart calmness, humbleness
Beets	Martial courage
Berries	Aid in calmness of thought
Cereal	Strength of character
Cherries	Vibrate joy
Dates	Tenderness & sweetness
Eggs & milk	Enthusiasm, fresh energy
Figs	Softens strict sense of discipline
Grapes	Vibrate divine love
Lettuce	Calmness
Maple syrup	Mental freshness
Oranges, lemons	Banish melancholia & are a brain stimulant
Peaches	Unselfishness, thinking of the good of others
Pears	Peacefulness
Pineapple	Self-assurance, good for inferiority complex
Raspberry	Kindheartedness
Spinach	Simplicity
Sweet corn, tomatoes	Mental strength
Unpolished rice	Mildness
Wheat	Obstinate in principles, fine when principles are good