India Like This Only

Why do we generally think sweet when it comes to Oatmeal? I suppose all fingers point to the way we have been conditioned. Every hotel’s standard buffet line up has the soup tureen with Oatmeal positioned near the berries, granola and brown sugar. It’s how this is done all across the country. Many American chef friends have thought it weird to go a savory direction when it comes to Oatmeal. I say that needs to change. We need to be coming up with more fun ways to get Oatmeal, that magic whole grain into our bodies. Being Indian, I love my savory breakfasts. Happy Memories are made of Masala upma with chutney, Poha mixed with potatoes, carrots, beans and crunchy peanuts. These hearty breakfasts that kept me satiated all the way to lunchtime when I was a kid. So connecting the dots, I asked myself, what if we took the Upma approach towards Oatmeal? That’s how this recipe came together. It wasn't that much of a stretch. I followed the exact same process I would use for Tomato Upma,

Anyone who grew up in an Indian household knows about the magic of Haldi Doodh. Simply translated, it’s Turmeric Milk. As a child, whenever I felt the sniffles coming on, when the forehead started to feel a little bit warm, my mother would make me a tall glass of this yellow elixir. It was creamy, slightly sweet with little spicy kick and it warmed me from the inside out from the very first sip itself. The recipe is ridiculously simple. Warmed up milk mixed with turmeric, honey and a pinch of ginger powder and a light sprinkling black pepper. So simple yet so effective. It remains my go to beverage when I feel a little low energy spell happening. It’s a home made remedy that's an instant and magical cure. I have now come to realize, what was once grandma’s remedy is now the next big scientific breakthrough. Scientists now claim that Curcumin, the active ingredient in Turmeric, is a natural anti-inflammatory compound and is a potent antioxidant. It can increase the antioxidant capac

Have you ever heard the saying, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”? I recently understood the full meaning of that statement during my most recent cooking contract. My job is to design Indian food offerings for Employee dining programs, and my clients are mostly large tech firms in Silicon Valley. Now that the Pandemic is mostly behind us, Employee dining programs are slowly coming back on line. And wherever there is a requirement for Indian food, that’s when I get a call. It isn’t an easy time for food service companies right now. When the Pandemic hit, most companies had to shut down, and furlough their staff. These trained cooks found work elsewhere and are not so keen on coming back to the hard life of Kitchen work. Bay Area Food service companies have to depend on Contract laborers through apps like Qwick, Tend and Instawork. You can say contract laborers are like a box of chocolates. You never know which ones you are going to get. Some are great. Some, not so much. And so