My whole winter has been about kichdi (also kichri), an Indian porridge of lentils and basmati rice. There are endless variations of this dish, and Indian home cooks can make kichdi fit for a festive occasion, an everyday table, an ascetic offering to a deity, a simple baby food or a healing meal for a sick or recovering family member. Kichdi is a popular dish in Ayurvedic cleanses and suits any dosha. When someone says “superfood” I think of the nourishing and wisely composed meals like this rather than a chia seed pudding with blueberries.
Nourishing Mung Bean and Basmati Porridge (Kichdi)
My Favorite Spices
I am not shy with my spices. I was born in the country of black pepper, salt and occasional bay leaf, but have gathered my spice knowledge through my life and travels in India, Turkey and Morocco. Now when I go back to Russia and cook in the houses of my parents or friends I feel I can’t express myself fully without my spices. Why am I so keen on them?
Red Lentil and Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Have you noticed how the cold days bring food cravings along? Finding yet another excuse to bake. Ditching meals for a cake. Curling up on the sofa with a treat. Tell me about it. Or do you know the feeling after a meal when you had quite a bit to eat but still don’t feel satisfied? A few years ago I often considered a sweet bite and espresso after lunch or dinner. I could pass on the dessert, but no meal was complete without a cup of espresso. Now with my growing awareness about how we eat I can see that I was intuitively looking for the astringent taste to finish a meal, only that I did not know better than coffee. This espresso incident still reminds me that the meals I was eating back then were not balanced enough leaving me to crave even after I ate sufficient quantities of food.
