Feeding patients in Palliative care

In recent past I saw the method to feed patients in Palliative care centers / patients in COMA. A tube through nostrils & the patient barely understands the taste. The food (or just nutrient ... ?) is being passed rather forcefully.
These multivitamin / healthier powders (or similar options) provide the daily nutrients required.

However, it is really sad to see that, few among us have to go through these sufferings... every time when they are fed.
The primary / basic need for any living organism is Food - Humans are an edge over by knowing the art of presenting it, making it tasty, serving it.

Food has always been treated & developed as a culture. I was in full of tears to realise that this food culture is out from few lives and what remains is only the necessity.

May GOD let these enjoy food -
Miyaaon.

Shravan Food

Special thanks to MOM, who arranged enough material (food items) for this entry.
At present, I am focusing on some of the items from Maharashtra, will do some research on other varieties from different states later -

We will start a day before Shravan - Dip Amavasya.
We cook and eat 'diya' - this is made from atta(jawar, bajra, genhoo, etc) and is served with jaggery - ghee.
A few celebrate it as 'gatari amavasya' - where celebration is by pure driniking and eating non veg food.
On this day all pray and serve offering to "Deep" / light.

Typically in Shravan we focus on food without garlic, onion.
Soji (jira rice with haldi), dal khichadi, dashmi (chapati where milk is used in atta formation), thalipeeth are varieties used in meal (few eat this only on Shravan Somvaar).

Tuesday in Shravan is the celebration of 'mangalagaur' (Festival for women that involves a special session on games - CAT has seen and tried these games. Honestly, IMHO this is the best possible way of exercising) The meal on this day has certain fixed varieties -
Matki usal, a swet, Bhajani Vade, Masala Bhat, Dahi.

Nagpanchami -
Modak (similar to Ganesh Festival) and Puran dinda. On this day, general attempt is to eat boiled food and avoid one that is deep fried / roasted.
Ukad poli, matki usal (without oil - tadka), are other such items.

Shila Saptami -
Families cook food a day before and then eat it on this day. Doodh-Bhakari is one of the favourite on this day.

Shravan Friday / Shukravaar -
Puranpoli is a famous option on this day.

Sampat Shanivaar -
Udit Utta (roasted Udid, cooked and then varan / dal is made from it)
Kenikoordi / Kardai veg is also served with bhaakri on this day.

Naarali Poornima-
Naarali (coconut) bhaat, karanji, naral poli, barfi / vadi are the sweet dishes made from coconut.

Gokulastami -
Kala / Dahi pohe are served to everyone.
(it has dahi, milk, pohe, chilli, laahi / flakes, etc).

Aalooche phadphadphade, aaloo-vadi, Daalimbi bhaaji (birda), karela veg, other leafy veg that are available only in this season, bhakari, coconut, boiled food etc are the normal content of the food course in this month.

Shravan is a moth, that offers so many varieties of food items without garlic, onion and focusing on the making best of the available from this season. That is the beauty of Shravan.

The dishes are also healthy and with minimum oil - a lot stress is given on this. Does it have any link with our body clock?

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.

Shravan - food without Garlic & Onion

Hindu month of "Shravan" is arriving & it is not too far...
To meet the nature's demand, we are adviced to avoid Garlic, Onions, Meat & Eggs during peak monsoon season.

CAT would try to write on few tasty dishes that meet this criteria.

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.

Kairi

Kairi, Kachcha Aam.--- yeah lot of you may feel that it is not the season to talk about this.
Certainly - it is not the right time to find kairi in market.

The other day I was enjoying rains with Kanda-Bhaji (not bhaaji) and kairi chutney!
Amazing combination - absolute mouthwatering.

The Indian tradition is more towards preserving the taste and purity(to the extent possible) of kachcha aam.
In India, women are  never taught to eat or love Green Mangoes(rather unripe mango) - they learn it by nature.

For Intestinal problems, unripe mango (where seed is not fully formed to be technical) acts as a medicine.
CAT learnt that "Unripe green mangoes (small ones) are effective for diarrhea, dysentery, piles, morning sickness, indigestion and constipation.... (the list might be exhaustive)".
Foodie-CAT would like to term unripe mangos as "antiseptic" for intestines.

Readers are requested to verify this from various sources.

Another set of interesting information:
Green mango in excess may cause throat issues and Ripen Mango is believed to be acting as medicine to some sort of throat issues.

Well, this is just a tribute to the end of the Mango season this year...belated one.

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.

Gurupoornima

Someone may say, what does the blog relates to this? It does not - honestly.

However, on this auspicious day, it just clicked me that it won't be a bad idea to talk about my Guru maintaining rules (set by foodie-CAT) of this blog.
I can do this because I am going to discuss few stories(of my Guru) related to food, that I recollect.

According to me My Guru - Parampujya Kalavati Aai must be excellent at cooking.
Everyone likes dishes prepared by their Mom, "Aai" means Mother - so do I.

Some basics stated by Aai:
1. Do not cross-over the dish or eating area. Note that most of us in India, prefer dining on floor and not on the table.
2. High stress is given on cleanliness and hygiene to be maintained while cooking.
3. Eat only when necessary and just as much as required.
4. Eat healthy of course - strongly denied unhealthy food for prasadam.
And so on.

Few wonderful dishes I should mention here:

Only once I had an opportunity to have Mahaprasadam at Harimandiram, Belgaum.
Aai's favourite dish was "Gavachi Kheer". Trust me no other place offers such a nice kheer.

It has unique taste - many told me that Satyanarayan prasad tastes different. Even if you cook the same way but do not offer it - then the taste does not match with prasadam.

Her Charitra mentions about an incidence when suddenly there were multiple guests visiting someone's residence & the house had only and only "Poha" - not good to be offered as whole meal.
Aai suggested eight different varieties of Poha (ofcourse with different ingredients that are easily available). Each had different color and taste and none of the guests complained about not having a perfect afternoon meal. Even today, "God Poha" is assumed as one of the great prasadam there.
CAT regrets missing this meal with Eight Poha...

The simplest offering that Aai suggests is "milk". In problems, offer just a bowl of milk with sugar to God and pray with concentration. Idea is do not waste concentration and strength in searching good offering, rather focus on praying - wonderful isn't it?


Overall, saints across world & across religion, have recommended cleanliness while cooking. 
In interest of our family, let us try to move towards more healthier meals, everyday - by following their recommendations.

This is just a way of offering my prayers on Gurupoornima.

Anything wrong, hurting is unintended...

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.

Doodh Doodh Doodh

The conversation with my wife on why my princes is not willing to have Milk in morning led me to think about different milk products & milk varieties(milk with...).

Forget about their nutrition value for some time, just imagine how exhaustive the list would be!
Here are few of my favorites:

Milk varieties:
1. Milk with haldi
2. Kesar-elaychi milk / masala doodh
3. Doodh Colddrink - you will get this in Satara, Kolhapur side probably - it is a flavored milk.
4. Plain milk
5. Oreo milk shake - hmmmmmm
6. Coffee with milk - many options here
7. Tea with milk - again multiple options
8. So called chocolate flavored health drinks - bournvita, boost, complan, horlicks of this world.
9. anda - doodh
10. Doodh with coco powder
11. doodh with sabja or tulshiche bi (tulsi seeds) - very healthy in summer
12. Falooda

Milk products:
1. Dahi
2. Buttermilk
3. Masala chaas
4. Butter / Loni
5. Ghee / tup
6. Bery - one remaining in processing Ghee
7. Malai - I love Parle G malai sandwich
8.Paneer
9. Cheese
10. Mava / Khava - and all sort of mithaai that it generates.
11. All different varieties of Kheer
12. Rabadi, Basundi
13. Kharvas
14. Cream
15. Ice cream

You are free to expand these lists!!!!

Next time when you demand Pavbhaji - you have the milk in butter form, with Pizzaz / burgers / Subs through cheese, in daily Indian meal through ghee.
No other product or raw material can produce or support so many dishes, delicacies, varieties, etc. that Milk is doing currently.

Hindu philosophy says - Cow is an alive temple of 33 crore Gods!

Is the number 33 crore referring to the exhaustive list I talked above? No it does not.
However, I am tempted to say that one may really get 33 crore dishes from Milk - applying the above logic.

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.

Sing Chana

It is hard to find an Indian who has never ever tasted "sing chana" and associated varieties.

When I was nearly Five years, elders from my family offered "baby peanuts" (The best known english version of Marathi 'kowale dane'), these are sweet and most of kids start liking peanuts because of them.
Then slowly I started loving the boiled version available at home and even at roadside (those yellow ones....).
This graduated in khara sing (khare dane in Marathi). Then during college I got introduced to different "chakhna" versions (bitings - these are processed ones and hence do lost purity in taste.)

On scientific side, peanuts are known as "Arachis hypogaea". (don't ask how to pronounce). India seems to be in top five producers.



During my stay at Pune, I used to travel home on weekends & I remember the familier sound ("seng bolo bhai seng khara seng".... and those yellow boiled penuts at lonavala or nearby stations).
Hey, anyone travelling beyond thane (in local train)? I recollect the similar seller/s who used to visit FC coach in between Thane-Kalva stations... Not sure if this is still continued.

Chana was never on my favourite list - though it has many benefits.
One should taste green harbhara, these are also sold in roasted version. Then comes variety of chana, normal, with chili flavour and then those "masala" for biting purpose.


Here is the biting from Chana (a FoodieCAT version)- 
Try fresh-hot (both essential) chana, with green chili and slice of lemon.
Eat chana, while this in your mouth - take small bite of chilli and just move your tounge on lemon - amaaaaaazing!!! Try it and let me know how do you feel.

The scientific name of chana is "Cicer arietinum". (again no pronunciation)...And english version is 'Chickpeas'. India-Pakistan are the largest producers.

No wonder Sing-Chana is still sold for 2/3/5 rupees. But soon it is going to be minimum Five rupees throughout. In Mumbai we already see this.

Few more varieties that fall in the Sing-Chana category are:
Corns, Dried and roasted vatana (yellowish, green and red), tikhi dal, chana chor, churmura, soybean, etc.

Few may find it surprising that the authentic sing-chana bhel had little or no sev. I remember one such that had churmura (of two type), chana, sada sing, khara sing, tikhi dal, kanda, nimbu, masala as primary ingredients. This tastes different than those with a lot of chutney and sev - it takes away the fragrance and flavor of those mentioned above and then you do not notice the fresh and stale ones.

In the diet conscious era one should not and can not ignore this oil free, light yet tasty snack. Avoid "sev" and oily versions like tikhi dal, etc for good results.

The Sing-chana shops now are part of our tradition. I will share two such shops that are good vendors according to foodieCAT:- at Tilak Chawk - kalyan (west) & Opposite Parleshwar Mandir (Vile Parle east)

One should not forget to taste "Bharuch" sing. There are many shops in Mumbai who sell these and they do get fresh stock from Bharuch every week.

Sing-Chana on net
This video may appeal readers - it is about preparation of khara sing. Do not hunt for how much hygiene value it has. But you will notice the difference in chana and khara sing making. Good work by parananda!

By the way - interesting that I have come across a website of sing chana shop in Ahmadabad - interesting, isn't it? These are the revolutions that are needed by the sing chana vendors. I really thank and appreciate S M sing chana shop for understanding and implementing the net enabled business. No wonder, this tradition from Ahmadabad is over Fifty years now.  I wish them great success for next Hundred years and more.

FoodieCAT is so happy to know that a sing chana shop has understood the need to be on web. I am not sure if there is any association of the Sing-chana vendors but S M should promote this idea among the co-vendors as well.

It is the time for me to enjoy fresh and hot "khara sing".... bye bye

Enjoy Food -

Miyaaon.