Jain Food

Jain Matar Paneer (Video)

2011-09-10T03:52:00.000-07:00

An Introduction to Jain Food

2011-09-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

By Nitin Mehta

Which ingredients are forbidden?

Meat
Fish
Eggs
Honey
Figs

Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, garlic, onions

All foods that might have meat, fish and eggs.

What are the main laws or beliefs relating to food?
As Jitubhai Shah, director of the L.D. Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad, India, says: "The Jain lifestyle is a perfect enunciation of ahimsa… The reason Jains don't normally eat or drink anything after sundown is because it is believed that doing so would cause the death of minute microorganisms that emerge in the dark. The entire lifestyle is geared towards causing least harm to other creatures and the environment…”

Apart from not eating meat, fish and eggs, strict Jains do not eat onions and garlic because they increase sexual desires. Strict Jains also do not eat any root vegetables like potatoes because smaller insects are killed in their harvest and the vegetable itself will have millions of bacteria.

Is there a link with vegetarianism?
The emblem of the Jain religion, symbolizes its main tenet, the doctrine of Ahimsa, nonviolence. The practice of Jain asceticism, the avoidance of harm to any living creature, is central to the Jain practise of vegetarianism.

Influence of Jain Food on India

2011-09-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Jainisim is governed with the idea of non-violence or ahimsa. This high ideal has had a tremendous influence on India's cuisine resulting in India's glorious vegetarian culture

Jainism is a very evolved philosophy and a very gentle religion. Many Jains have very soft and peaceful souls and very simple lives and they command respect wherever they go. This philosophy was also seen as having many good ideals by ancient India and many of its principles have been naturally incorporated into Hinduism and India's culinary culture.

Jainism takes non violence to a very strict level and respect life at any level including plant life. They make sure that there lifestyle does not cause injury to anyone. Gandhiji has been influenced greatly by this philosophy and in turn influencing Martin Luther King to resort to non violence.

As a result of this the Jain diet consists of grains like wheat, rice, lentils or pulses and beans, oil-seeds are recommended as they fall under the category of non-injurious food. They are yielded only when their plants get dried of their own after their age ends. Fruits and vegetables that become ripe on the plants or branches of trees or those that fall on their own after becoming ripe, are used for food.

Jains are strict vegetarians and many also avoid root vegetables as it is violent to plants. They also avoid any liquor so they can live a mindful life. Other aspects of their food philosophy is that they regularly offer food to poor people, fast on certain days, do not waste any food, drink filtered water and eat after sunrise and before sunset.

In Jain conduct, uneatables are stated to be of five kinds:
Articles involving injury or death of mobile-beings e.g. Meat.
Articles involving injury or death to many creatures
E.g. Root vegetables as they involve destruction of countless one-sensed beings.
Intoxicants e.g. Wine etc.
Articles not worthy of use e.g. Saliva, Stool, and Urine.
DespicableArticles causing harm to the health are uneatables of the fifth category.

Jain ideas can be traced back to the seventh century B.C. in India, though it was Mahavir Jain who formalized the philosophy of what was to be known as Jainism in the sixth century. Mahavira, most likely born around 540 BC, was a Kshatriya of high Licchavi tribal birth. At the age of 30, he renounced family life and proceed to live, for the next 12 years, as an ascetic.

Mix Vegetable Daal

2011-03-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Moong Daal 50 grms
Tuvar Daal 50 grms
Urad Daal 50 grms
Chana Daal 50 grms
Chori
4 pieces Cloves
Cimmamon
Bay Leaf
one small piece Nutmeg
3 Cardamom small and 3 cardamom large
Salt
Red Chili Powder
Turmeric Powder
Coriander Seed Powder to taste
four Tomatoes cut into pieces.

Method:
Cook all mix daals in pressure cooker with 1 liter of water. Heat oil in a pan. Add 4 pieces cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, one small piece nutmeg, 3 cardamom small and 3 cardamom large, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder to taste four tomatoes cut into pieces. Stir for 5 minutes and add boiled dal heat it for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Shilpa Shetty Launches Gourmet Vegetarian Food Line

2011-02-11T03:49:00.000-08:00

Shilpa Shetty has proven herself to be more than just a reality star one trick pony. Since she won the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother, she has launched an AIDS charity organization, promoted animal rights, and now she’s launching a range of Indian vegetarian meals.

“Shilpa’s Gourmet Creations” will be a line of authentic Indian dishes set to launch in restaurants throughout Europe, Dubai and Jordan. It’s a team effort with Shetty and one of the UK’s leading chefs, Andy Varma to produce the line.

“Vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals, but vegetarian doesn’t have to mean bland and rubbery food,” said Shetty. “Indian vegetarian never compromises on flavour and proves that eating healthy can also be tasty.”

No word yet on what will be included in the line, but the gourmet food is said to reflect Shetty’s own diet, which is focused on health and taste. Watch the Bollywood star discuss her latest venture after the jump!

(Courtasy: ecorazzi.com)

A Food for All

2010-12-15T03:44:00.000-08:00

-By Yogesh Sharma, Bhuj

Going round Bhuj, the district headquarters of Kutch in Gujarat one comes across Navneet Bhojanalaya.

Though it is run by a Jain organization Kutchi Veesha Oshwal Trust it is open for all. This is what has made it a popular eating house in this town of Kutch.

The Bhojanalaya is like any other Bhojanshala run by a Jain trust. It has Jain food but what makes it different is the fact that here anyone can eat food irrespective of caste and creed. Like any other Bhojanalaya one is charged for food but the quality and quantity of food makes it quite popular among people.

One can see even Muslims enjoying food here. Initially this had raised quite a opposition from among the members of the trust but president of trust Tarachand Chheda won over all critics through his disarming logic. He said that this was to serve the basic principle of Jain religion of non violence.

The day non vegetarian ear in this Bhojanalaya the cause of non violence is served. Live and let live. Talking about this approach Tarachand said that Jains are mahajans which literally means peole are above average and naturally mahajan has to think about all. He himself is Jain and is associated with this organization for last 13 years.

Navneet Bhojanalaya offers Jain food which does not have onion and garlic. Tarachand claims that the quality of food is best. The organization buys food grains and oil of best quality. It charges Rs.35 for food for one person but it has everything from salad to a glass of buttermilk which is must for food of any Kutchi. It has a staff of 50 people.

The popularity of Navneet Bhojanalaya can be realized from fact that daily over 1,000 people come for lunch and dinner. Except Sunday evening it is always open. Recently the building of this Bhojanalaya was renovated and it started today.

But during this renovation period there was makeshift arrangement in tents in the compound of organization. Tarachand who has been member of Legislative Assembly from Bhuj saud on the day of earthquake on Jan.26, 2001 the Bhojanalaya was turned into a relief camp within one hour and for full four months people were offered free food.

Over 5 lakh people were provided food at a time when Bhuj was in ruins by the devastating earthquake.

Banana Burger Recipe

2010-09-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
500 grams cooking banana
150 grams peas
6 bread buns
3 cucumbers
3 tomatoes
1-tsp green chilly paste
1-tsp red chilly powder
1-cup coriander chutney
1/2-tsp. lemon juice
2-tsp. sugar
salt
tomato sauce

Preparation:
Boil banana and peas in the pressure cooker. Peel and mash banana and peas. Mix -green chilly paste, red chilly powder, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Divide the mixture into equal parts. Make cutlets (flat patties) and deep fry in the warm oil.
Chop tomatoes and cucumber into fine slices.
Place the slices of cucumber and tomatoes along with the pea-banana cutlet between the bun slices and bake for 5 minutes in oven. Serve warm with tomato sauce or coriander chutney.

If You Eat Meat, You Are Not Allowed Here!

2010-06-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

Builders dictate what you’ll eat
-Alka Shukla

Developer of under-construction 60-cr flats at Walkeshwar won’t even entertain purchase request from carnivores.

You’ve heard of housing societies, especially in south Mumbai, denying flats to non-vegetarians. But now taking this food fetish to an unprecedented level, builders of a super-luxury apartment complex at Walkeshwar have announced that no request for purchase will be entertained from carnivores.

The 43-storey under-construction Vandan located close to the sylvan Raj Bhavan comprises 7,900 square feet luxury apartments pegged at Rs 60-crore-a-piece.

The project, developed by Satellite Developers, owned by Kalpana Shah of Tao Art Gallery, was started in 2005.

Confirming that only avowed vegetarians would be allowed to buys flats in Vandan, Sameer Gera, marketing manager of Satellite Developers, said, "Most residents in Walkeshwar and Napean Sea Road areas are Jains, Gujaratis and Marwaris, who (pre-dominantly) are vegetarians.

So our positioning works." The sale is "by invitation only and will be followed by an interview which will focus on family, business, personal preferences and food preferences," revealed a well-placed source from the company. He refused to comment on the kind of response the project has generated so far, but sources said quite a few apartments have already been taken.

Renowned sociologist Farida Lambay said while housing Societies reserved only for people from a particular community can be seen in the light of growing social insecurity with blasts, riots and terror attacks, restricting entry by diet preference is new. "This has been typical of South Mumbai, especially Marine Drive-Walkeshwar belt.

It is just a different way of asserting homogeneity of a community carrying money power. A strange dichotomy where people who’ve had more exposure to the world still prefer living in ghettos."

Before the sky-scrapper came up the land housed a sprawling bungalow, famous as Cosy Corner. It was owned by the meat-eating Cama family, publishers of Mumbai Samachar.

The two-storied bungalow, constructed in the 1920s, had a dozen rooms and a porch overlooking capacious greens. Some scenes of the 1977 blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony were shot here. Cama Bungalow was sold in 2005 to a group of Jain diamond merchants for Rs 105 crore.

Teachers suspended for serving Non-Veg Food

2010-01-21T04:25:00.000-08:00

BIJAPUR: DDPI Paramashivappa suspended two teachers of Koralli village in Sindagi taluka over the issue of supplying non-vegetarian meals at a primary school on New Year's Day.

C D Hosur and N I Kokatanur were suspended, after it was found that they had prepared non-vegetarian food in the mid-may meal utensils. Members of the school and villagers had protested against this act of the teachers and demanded that they be suspended from service. They were suspended on the basis of a detailed report.

Millet Sweet Balls | Baajari Laadu

2009-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Millet Sweet Balls: Baajari Laadu

Ingredients:
Millet 250 Grams
Grated Jaggary 200 Grams
Grated Coconut kernel 100 grams
Pepper Powder Half a tablespoon
Dry Ginger Powder Half a tablespoon
Poppy Seeds Half a tablespoon
Sesame seeds Half a tablespoon

Preparation:
Make Malida of millet using above items, without using milk and Jaggary. See Malida recipe at:
http://jainfood.blogspot.com/2009/12/malida-recipe.html

Make thick syrup of Jaggary. To make syrup, boil 200 Ml. Filtered water in a pot, the add jaggary to the boiling water. Mix the Malida in hot Jaggary syrup. Wait to cool down the mixture, and then make medium size balls of it.

Serve it with ghee.

Malida Recipe

2009-12-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Malida Recipe

Malida is a sweet item made on special occasions, especially on the festival of ‘Urus’. Urus is related basically to the followers of Islam, but is celebrated by the people of all creeds. Almost in all the Jain villages of Deccan, there are Dargahs, and the trusties of the Dargahs are Jains and Muslims.

On the occasion of Urus, Malida is made in every Jain family.

Ingredients:
Wheat 250 Grams (You can use millet or rice instead of Wheat)
Milk 250 Ml. (Vegan? No matter, you can do it without Milk)
Grated Jaggary 200 Grams
Grated Coconut kernel 100 grams
Pepper Powder Half a tablespoon
Dry Ginger Powder Half a tablespoon
Poppy Seeds Half a tablespoon
Sesame seeds Half a tablespoon

Preparation:
Fry the wheat in frying pan, until it becomes brown.
Grind it coarsely in mixure.
Mix the powder into milk.
Make Bhakari of the mixture. (How to make Bhakari? Click Here)
Now make small pieces of the Bhakaries, and grind them coarsely in the mixure.
Mix Grated Jaggary and Coconut kernel into it
Fry Pepper powder, dry ginger powder, poppy seeds and sesame seeds and mix all the above items in mixure.

Now the Malida is ready to serve. Serve with Ghee.

Rava Laadu

2009-11-29T01:26:00.000-08:00

Rava Laadu

Catagory: Indian Vegetarian Recipes>Jain Food Recipes>Deccan Jain Recipes>Laadu Recipes

Rava Laadu is a sweet, which is made ate every Jain house of Deccan on festivals like Diwali.

Ingredients:
Rava (Granulated wheat flour) 4 Cups
Toop (Ghee) 1 Cup
Sugar 2 Cups
Cardamom Powder 1 Table Spoon
Seedless currants 3 Table Spoons

Preparation:
Put the ghee on a frying pan. After the ghee becomes hot, fry the rava on it. Fry until the Rava becomes reddish. Then remove the frying pan from the stove.

Now, make syrup of the sugar. To make syrup, use following method:
Put a pot on stove with 2 cups of filtered water
After the water start to boil, pour 1 cup of sugar into it.
Let the sugar dissolve completely in the water, and the solvent becomes sticky
Now pour the Rava in the syrup and stir it to mix well.
Now cover the pot with a plate and shut off the fire

After 2 hours, mix cardamom into the mixture and make balls of it. The ball should be approximately of the size of tennis ball. Press 2-3 seedless currants on the surface of the balls.

Preserving Buffalo Milk | Milk Preservation Techniques

2009-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Preserving Buffalo Milk Milk Preservation Techniques
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Milk Recipes

As you know, Jains are Lacto Vegetarians, so the use of milk products is significant in this community. Generally Buffalo milk is unpopular and use of Cow Milk is negligible.

If the milk is directly got from buffalo, you have to add some water into it before heating it (about 50 ML in a liter of the milk). But if it comes from dairy, you do not need to add water, as they already add a lot! Always filter the milk before heating.

Heating process:
If you want to heat one liter of water, put it in a larger size pot. (1.5 to 2 Liters size).
Then put the pot on medium fire. As the milk becomes hot, it will start to inflate. Let it inflate up to the shore of the pot, then slow down the fire or just cut off the fire or remove the pot from the stove.

Now the milk is ready to use. Let it cool down. Keep it in freeze for preservation. Generally the milk lasts for 24 hours, provided that you heat up it twice with a gap of 10-12 hours.

If you forget to heat up the milk, it will turn sour. But don’t worry and don’t throw it away. You can make some nice items from it to eat.

Uppit | Granulated Wheat Flour Snack

2009-11-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Uppit
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Granulated Wheat Recipes

Uppit is a fast food generally served in break fast or as a snack at afternoon. It is delicious item, which fills your belly instantly.

Ingredients:
Filtered Water 300 ML
Granulated Wheat Flour (Rava) 200 Grams
Onion 1 (Mediums Size)
Urad Daal 30 Grams
Green Chillis 2 (Medium Size)
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste
Coriander Leaves

Preparation:
Cut the onion in small pieces.
Cut the green chilli in small pices.
Fry the granulated wheat flour in a frying pan in 1 tablespoon edible oil until it become reddish. Then remove the frying pan from the stove.
Put a deep pot on the stove and pour edible oil into it. Wait until the oil becomes hot.
Then put urad daal, cumin seeds, mustard and green chilli pieces into it.
After above items get cracked, put onion pieces into it and stir the mixture until the onion pieces become reddish and soft.
Now pour water into the pot and put salt in it.
Wait until the water starts to boil.
Now add the granulated wheat flour to the boiling water little by little and simultaneously stir the mixture.
The mixture will start to thicken. Let the water evaporate from the mixture
After the mixture becomes thick, cut off the fire.

Uppit is ready to eat. Spread coriander leaves on Uppit dish.

Caution:
When the mixture starts to thicken, some particles of it spatters outside, so be cautious as the hot particle may touch your body.

Thin Onion Potato Mix Vegetable | Paatal Kaanda Bataata Bhaaji

2009-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

Thin Onion Potato Mix Vegetable Paatal Kaanda Bataata Bhaaji
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Potato Recipes

Thin Mix vegetable of potato and onion is one of the popular vegetable dishes of Deccan Jains. It is served with meals, especially with Chapaati or Bhaakari. Also ate with plain rice.

Ingredients:
Medium Size Potatoes 2
Medium Size Onion 1
Filtered Water 250 ML (Hot)
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Red Chilli Powder 2 Table Spoons
Turmeric Powder half a Table Spoon
Tamarind For taste
Garlic Cloves 4
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste
Coriander Leaves

Preparation:
Wash the potatoes with clean water
Remove the covers of the potatoes with a knife.
Cut the onion in small pieces
Crush the Garlic Cloves

Now put a deep frying pan on the fire
Pour edible oil into it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard into it
After above items start to sputter, put turmeric powder and tamarind into it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Put salt into it
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well
Now put the potato pieces into it. Mix all the ingredients well
Now pour hot water into it
Cover the frying pan with a plate and let the mixture boil until the potato pieces get cooked. Then slow down the fire and wait for few minutes

Now the Thin Onion-Potato mix vegetable is ready to serve. Generally it is served with Chapaati.

Onion Potato Mix Vegetable | Kaanda Bataata Bhaaji

2009-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Onion Potato Mix Vegetable Kaanda Bataata Bhaaji
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Potato Recipes

Mix vegetable of potato and onion is one of the popular vegetable dishes of Deccan Jains

Ingredients:
Medium Size Potatoes 2
Medium Size Onion 1
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Green Chillis 2 or Red Chilli Powder 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder half a Table Spoon
Tamarind For taste
Garlic Cloves 4
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste
Coriander Leaves

Preparation:
Cook the potatoes in a Pressure Cooker or in boiling water
After the potatoes become cool, remove their covers
Cut the potatoes in small pieces
Cut the onion in small pieces
Cut the green chillies in small pieces

Now put a deep frying pan on the fire
Pour edible oil into it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard in it
Put green chilli pieces into it (You can use Red Chilli Powder instead)
After above items start to sputter, put turmeric powder and tamarind into it
Add some salt to it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well
Now put the cooked potato pieces into it. Mix all the ingredients well
Cover the frying pan with a plate, slow down the fire and wait for few minutes

Now you can add Coriander Leaves to the vegetable.

Now the Onion-Potato mix vegetable is ready to serve. Generally it is served with Chapaati.

Banana Milk Mix

2009-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Banana Milk Mix
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes:

This is a sweet dish made from Banana

Ingredients:
Medium Size Banana 2
Cold Milk 200 ML
Sugar 4 Table Spoons
Cardamom Powder for Taste

Preparation:
Take cold milk into a pot
Put sugar and cardamom into it
Mix them well
Remove the covers of the bananas
Cut the bananas in small pieces or smash them
Put the banana pieces into the cold milk-sugar mixture
Stir and mix well

Banana Milk Mix is ready to serve. Serve it as a sweet dish with main course.

Limboo Sarbat | Lemonade Recipe

2009-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Limboo Sarbat Lemonade Recipe
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Fruit Juices and Cold Drinks

This is a popular home made cold drink.

Ingredients:
Filtered Cold Water 200 ML
Medium Size Lemon 1
Sugar 2 Table Spoons
Salt Quarter a Table Spoon
Cardamom Powder for Taste

Preparation:
Take cold water in a pot or glass
Cut the lemon in two pieces and extract the juice in the water
Put sugar, salt and cardamom powder into it
Stir it with a spoon until the sugar and salt get dissolved
Take another glass and pour the lemonade into it from some height
Again pour it into the empty glass from some height
Repeat this process 4-5 times. It will mix all the ingredients in the lemonade

Now the Lemonade is ready to drink

Toor Daal Aamati | Thin Vegetable of Pigeon Tea

2009-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

Toor Daal Aamati
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Pulses Recipes

Toor Daal Aamati is a liquid vegetable dish in meals. It is made from Split pulses of Toor. It is a popular dish in Deccan Jains

Ingredients:
Toor Daal 150 Grams
Filtered Water (Hot) 200 ML
Small Size Onion 1
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Red Chilli Powder 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder half a Table Spoon
Tamarind For taste
Jaggery for taste
Garlic Cloves 4
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste
Coriander Leaves

Preparation:
Cook the Toor Daal in a Pressure Cooker or by traditional Preparation. Cook until the daal breaks out
Remove the covers of Garlic cloves and smash them

Now put a deep frying pan on the fire
Pour edible oil into it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard in it
After the items start to crack, put Red Chilli Powder into it
Put turmeric Powder into it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well

Now put hot water into cooked Toor Daal, mix it well and pour it into the frying pan
Put tamarind, gud and salt for taste
Put Coriander Leaves into it

Now cover the frying pan with a plate and make the fire slow. Let the Daal boil for 5 minutes on slow fire

Now Toor Daal Aamati is ready to serve.

It is generally served with Plain Rice and/or Jowar Bhaakari

Moong Usal

2009-11-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Moong Daal Usal
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Pulses Recipes

Moog Usal is a vegetable dish in meals. It is made from whole Moong Pulse. It is a popular dish amongst Deccan Jains

Ingredients:
Whole Moog 150 Grams
Small Size Onion 1
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Red Chilli Powder 1 Table Spoon
Garlic Cloves 3
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste

Preparation:
Cook the Whole Moog in a Pressure Cooker or by traditional Preparation. The Moog should not remain uncooked nor it should be overcooked. Just see that it should not break out
Cut the onion in small pieces
Remove the covers of Garlic cloves and smash them

Now put a frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard in it
After the items start to crack, put Red Chilli Powder into it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Put salt for taste
Put cooked Moog into it
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well
Now cover the frying pan with a plate and make the fire slow
Wait for few minutes and close the stove

Now Moog Usal is ready to serve.

It is generally served with Jowar Bhaakari, Chapaati or Plain Rice

Mataki Usal

2009-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mataki Usal
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Pulses Recipes

Matki Usal is a vegetable dish in meals. It is made from whole Mataki. It is a popular dish in Deccan Jains

Ingredients:
Whole Matki 150 Grams
Small Size Onion 1
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Red Chilli Powder 1 Table Spoon
Garlic Cloves 3
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste

Preparation:
Cook the Whole Mataki in a Pressure Cooker or by traditional Preparation. The Mataki should not remain uncooked nor it should be overcooked. Just see that it should not break out
Cut the onion in small pieces
Remove the covers of Garlic cloves and smash them

Now put a frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard in it
After the items start to crack, put Red Chilli Powder into it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Put salt for taste
Put cooked Mataki into it
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well
Now cover the frying pan with a plate and make the fire slow
Wait for few minutes and close the stove

Now Mataki Usal is ready to serve.

It is generally served with Jowar Bhaakari, Chapaati or Plain Rice

Toor Daal Usal | Pigeon Tea Dry Vegetable

2009-11-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Toor Daal Usal
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Pulses Recipes

Toor Daal Usal is a vegetable dish in meals. It is made from Split pulses of Toor. It is a popular dish in Deccan Jains

Ingredients:
Toor Daal 150 Grams
Small Size Onion 1
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Red Chilli Powder 1 Table Spoon
Garlic Cloves 3
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste

Preparation:
Cook the Toor Daal in a Pressure Cooker or by traditional Preparation. The Toor Daal should not remain uncooked nor should it be overcooked. Just see that the pulses should not break out
Cut the onion in small pieces
Remove the covers of Garlic cloves and smash them

Now put a frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in it
After the oil becomes hot, put smashed garlic cloves in it
Put cumin seeds and mustard in it
After the items start to crack, put Red Chilli Powder into it
Now put onion pieces into it. Fry them until they become soft
Put salt for taste
Put cooked toor daal into it
Stir continuously while this process, so all the items should be fried and mixed well
Now cover the frying pan with a plate and make the fire slow
Wait for few minutes and close the stove

The Toor Daal Usal is ready to serve.

It is generally served with Jowar Bhaakari, Chapaati or Plain Rice

Garlic Chutney | Lahsun Chatani Recipe

2009-11-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Garlic Chutney Lahsun Chatani Recipe
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Rajasthani Jain Recipes: Garlic Recipes

Garlic Chutney is eaten in small amount with meals.

Ingredients:
One Bunch of Coriander
Garlic 1 full ball (medium size)
Cummins Seeds
Red Chilli Powder
Salt for taste

Method:
Wash the Coriander with clean water and cut off the leaves
Remove covers of Garlic cloves
Mix all the ingredients
Smash them in a crushing pot (Do not do it in mixer)
Smash until all the ingredients mingle

Now the Garlic Chutney is ready to eat. Serve with Jowar Bread or Millet Bread.

Spicy Indian Vegetarian Food Beats H1N1 Virus

2009-11-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

Banglore: The next time you are served spicy vegetarian food do not grimace, because it is the much sought-after manna from heaven that has been lately found to effectively stave off the fatal impact of the dreaded H1N1 virus.

Researches have thrown light on the possibility of spicy Indian vegetarian menus restricting the number of swine flu deaths to just over 500 in a country with a population of 1.03 billion. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had initially warned that India would be the hotspot of swine flu impact.

Nutritionists, too, now attribute the muted impact of swine flu in India to spicy dishes, which are rich in anti-oxidants that boost the body's immunity system. Bangalore-based nutritionists told DNA that spicy Indian menus could just be the right answer to effectively prevent contracting the H1N1 virus.

Indians have a lot of vegetables, fruits and spices on their menu - a fitting recipe to fight the swine flu infection, the nutritionists said.

"Indian food has a lot of spices and herbs, vegetables and fruits, and there is no doubt that this has helped fight the infection among Indian swine flu patients, minimizing the mortality rate," says Farhana Afroz, chief nutritionist and head of dietetics department, Wockhardt Hospital, Bannerghatta Road.

A research by an Alabama team in the US has found that high levels of antioxidants -- present in spices, vegetables and fruits -- can neutralize a lethal action by a villainous protein that destroys crucial cells in the inner linings of the lungs.

These cells, known as epithelial cells, expel fluids from within the lungs and prevent pneumonia, the most common cause of death among H1N1 patients. But once the cells are destroyed by the protein, the lungs retain fluid, leading to pneumonia.

The Alabama research, published in the November issue of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal, shows how antioxidants that are found in abundance in plant-based foods, might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on human lungs.

The research team first injected frog eggs with anti-oxidants, and then infused the M2 protein along with the lung cells of a mouse into them. They discovered that the antioxidants in the frog eggs stopped the M2 protein from destroying the mice's lung cells.

Mint Chutney | Pudina Chatani

2009-11-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mint Chutney Pudina Chatani
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Rajasthani Jain Recipes: Mint Recipes

Mint Chutney or Pudina Chatani is eaten in small amount with meals or snacks.

Ingredients:
Pudina Bunch 1
Green Chillis 3-4
Ground Nuts 20 to 25
Cumin Seeds
Coriander
Salt for taste

Method:
Crush all the above items (Except lemon) in crushing pot
The chutney is ready to eat!

Serve with adding some lemon juice in it.

Thin Jhunaka | Gram Flour Vegetable

2009-11-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thin Jhunaka Gram Flour Vegetable
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Gram Flour Recipes

Thin Jhunaka is a popular foodstuff in Deccan Jain community. It is tasty and eaten with Jowar Bhaakari or Chapaati and also with rice.

Ingredients:
Gram Flour 75 grams
Filtered Water 250 ML.
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Garlic Cloves 3-4
Green Chilli cut in pieces
Turmeric Powder Quarter a Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Asafoetida for taste
Salt for taste

Method:
Put a deep frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in the frying pan
After the oil becomes hot, put garlic cloves, green chilli pieces, mustard, cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
After the items get cracked, turmeric powder in it
Pour water into the pot
Put salt for taste in it
After the water starts to boil, put gram flour into it little by little, and stir it continuously. Remember that the gram flour should not create pellets and the flour should be well mixed in the boiling water.
Cover the frying pan with a plate
After few minutes, shut the fire

Now the thin jhunaka is ready to serve.

Gram Flour Vegetable Thick and Loose | Thick and Loose Jhunaka

2009-11-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Gram Flour Vegetable Thick and Loose Thick and Loose Jhunaka
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Gram Flour Recipes

This foodstuff is generally made when one has to go on one-day tour. It is eaten in traveling, generally with Jowar Bhaakari or Chapaati.

Ingredients:
Gram Flour 150 grams
Buffalo Milk 150 ML.
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Garlic Cloves 3-4
Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric Powder Quarter a Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Asafoetida for taste
Salt for taste

Method:
Soak the gram flour in water and make paste of it
Put a deep frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in the frying pan
After the oil becomes hot, put garlic cloves, green chilli pieces, mustard, cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
After the items get cracked, put turmeric powder in it
Pour buffalo milk into the pot
Put salt for taste in it
After the milk starts to boil, put gram flour paste in it and stir well continuously.
Sir it until the mixture becomes dry
Cover the frying pan with a plate
After few minutes, shut the fire

Now this thick and loose Jhunaka is ready to serve.

Gram Leaves Vegetable

2009-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Gram Leaves Vegetable
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Gram Recipes

Gram leaves vegetable is one of the popular foodstuff in Deccan Jain community. It is eaten with Jowar Bhaakari or Chapaati and also with rice.

Ingredients:
Gram Leaves (Green or Dried) 50 grams
Gram Flour 50 grams
Filtered Water 250 ML.
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Garlic Cloves 3-4
Green Chilli cut in pieces
Turmeric Powder Quarter a Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Asafoetida for taste
Salt for taste

Method:
Put a deep frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in the frying pan
After the oil becomes hot, put garlic cloves, green chilli pieces, mustard, cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
After the items get cracked, turmeric powder in it
Pour water into the pot
Put salt for taste in it
After the water starts to boil, put gram flour little by little in it and stir well continuously.
Then put gram leaves into it. Mix well
Cover the frying pan with a plate
After few minutes, shut the fire

Now the Gram Leaves Vegetable is ready to serve.

Onion Green Leaves Vegetable

2009-11-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

Green Onion Leaves Vegetable
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Onion Recipes

Ingredients:
Green leaves of onions 1 bunch
Ground Nut Oil (Or other edible oil) 1.5 tablespoons
Green Chillis 2 (Cut in small peices) or Red Chilli Powder 1 tablespoon
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste

Method:
Cut Green leaves of onions into small pieces
Put a frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in the frying pan
After the oil becomes hot, put, mustard, cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
After the items get cracked, put green chilli pieces or red chilli powder in it
Put onion leaves in it and fry them well
Cover the frying pan with a plate and let the leaves cook for few minutes

Now the Green Onion Leaves Vegetable is ready to serve.

Thick Jhunaka | Gram Flour Vegetable

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thick Jhunaka Gram Flour Vegetable
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Gram Flour Recipes

Thick Jhunaka is a special item of Deccan Jain community. It is very tasty and eaten with Jowar Bhaakari or Chapaati and also with rice. Thick Jhunaka gives more taste with Curd.

Ingredients:
Gram Flour 100 grams
Filtered Water 200 ML.
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Garlic Cloves 3-4
Red Chilli Powder 1 Tablespoon
Turmeric Powder Quarter a Tablespoon
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Asafoetida for taste
Salt for taste

Method:
Put a deep frying pan on fire
Pour edible oil in the frying pan
After the oil becomes hot, put garlic cloves, mustard, cumin seeds and asafetida in it.
After the items get cracked, put red chilli powder and turmeric powder in it
Pour water into the pot
Put salt for taste in it
After the water starts to boil, put gram flour into it little by little, and stir it continuously. Remember that the gram flour should not create pellets and the flour should be well mixed in the boiling water.
After the mixture becomes thick, cover the frying pan with a plate
After few minutes, shut the fire

Now the thick jhunaka is ready to serve.

Smashed Brinjal | Brinjal Bharit | Baingan Bharata

2009-11-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Smashed Brinjal Brinjal Bharit Baingan Bharata
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Brinjal Recipes

Brinjal is a popular vegetable in Deccan Jains and this community has developed a lot of items using this vegetable. Smashed Brinjal, known as Brinjal Bharit is one of the popular foodstuff made from brinjals.

Ingredients:
Big size brinjal 1
Medium size onion 1
Ground Nut Oil (Or other edible oil) 2 tablespoons
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Garlic Cloves 2
Asafoetida for taste
Salt for taste

Method:
Spread oil on the surface of the brinjal
Fry the brinjal on glowing coal by rotating it steadily
Remove the peel of the brinjal after it becomes cool
Smash the brinjal in a pot

Cut onion in small pieces
Crush garlic cloves
Pour edible oil in frying pan and wait until it becomes hot
Put garlic cloves, cumin seeds, mustard and asafetida in the hot oil
After they get cracked, put onion pieces in the pot and fry them until they become reddish
Now mix it with the smashed brinjal. Mix well and the item is ready to eat.

Eating
Generally the smashed brinjal is eaten with Bhaakari, Chapaati or Roti as a vegetable.

Preservation:
This item is perishable, and you should eat it soon after making it, or before 8 hours

Smashed Green Chilli

2009-11-09T01:29:00.000-08:00

Smashed Green Chilli
Category: Indian Vegetarian Recipes: Jain Food Recipes: Deccan Jain Recipes: Chilli Recipes

Smashed Green Chilli is a popular item in Deccan Jains. It is a very piquant item, mostly eaten with Jowar Bhaakari in small amount. It is known as Kharda or Thecha.

Ingredients:
Green Chillis 100 Grams
Ground Nut Oil 2 Table Spoons
(You can use other edible oils also)
Garlic Cloves 4-5
Cumin Seeds Half a Table Spoon
Mustard Half a Table Spoon
Salt for taste

Method:
Wash the Green Chillis and let them dry
Remove their stalks
Cut the chillis in small pieces
Put the edible oil in frying pan, and wait until it becomes hot
Fry the chillis in the hot oil. Remove the frying pan from stove before the chillis start to change their green color

After the green chillis become cool, crush it with cumin seeds, garlic cloves and salt in the crushing pot
Now Smashed Green Chilli is ready to serve. Serve half a tablespoon with meals

Storage:
Store Smashed Green Chilli in porcelain jar. This item can last for 15 days in air tite jar.

Kaanda Pohe Recipe

2009-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kaanda Pohe Recipe
Catagory:Jain Food Recipes:Deccan Jan Recipes:Pressed Rice Recipes

Kaanda Pohe is a favorite dish of Jain community of Deccan. Generally Kaanda Pohe is eaten in break fast. This dish is served almost compulsory when a marriage minded guy comes to the house of a prospective bride for her interview.

Kaanda means onion, while Pohe is pressed rice.

Ingredients
Pohe 250 Grams
Medium size onion 1
Ground Nuts 50 Grams
Edible Oil 2 Tablespoons
Green Chilli 2 (Medium Size)
Mohari (Mustard Seeds)
Jira (Cumin Seeds)
Turmeric Powder a quarter of Tablespoon
Salt for taste
Filtered Water
Shev
Coriander leaves
A Lemon

Method:
Rinse the pohe in a sieve, using filtered water
Remember that the pohe should not remain dry, nor it should become a pulp
Every grain of the pohe should be in separate state.
Cut the onion in small pieces.
Cut the green chili in small pieces
Fry the Ground Nuts in frying pan and keep them in a dish
Warm up edible oil in frying pan.
After the oil becomes hot, put chilli pieces in it
Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to it
When the seeds began to crackle, add turmeric powder to it
Pour onion pieces in the frying pan
Stir and mix the items.
After the onion pieces become soft, add salt
Add fried groundnuts
Add rinsed pohe to it
Mix well. If you see all the mixture yellow, the item is well mixed
Now fill up the pohe in dishes to serve. Put small amount of Coriander leaves and shev on the filled dishes. Serve with a slice of lemon

Wheat Saanja Recipe

2009-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Wheat Saanja Recipe
Catagory: Jain food recieps:Wheat Recipes:Wheat Saanja

Wheat Saanja recipe is similar to that of Shira. The only difference is that the granules of the wheat used for Saanja are bigger than that of Shira.

Ingredients:
Granulated Wheat (Big Granules) 250 Grams
Good 250 Grams
Filtered Water 1 Liter
Ghee 4 Table Spoons
A Pinch of Salt

Method
Put a Deep Pan on stove
Put the ghee in the pan
After warming up of the ghee, pour the wheat granules in the pan
Fry the granules until they become reddish
Pour boiling water in the pan
Mix well
Cover the pan with a plate
Wait until it gets cooked
Add good and salt
Let the good melt
Mix well

Now the Saanja is ready to eat. You can add dry fruits to it. Eat it as a separate dish, or with meals

Naachani Aambil | Naachani Soup Recipe

2009-11-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Naachani Aambil Naachani Soup
Catagory: Jain Food Recipes:DEccan Jain Recipes:Soups

Naachani Aambil is a popular drink in Jain community of Deccan. This is usually taken after lunch. It keeps your mind cool.

Ingredients:
Naachani Flour 1 Cup
Filtered Water 1 Liter
2 or 3 cloves of Garlic
Ginger Powder Half a Table Spoon
Salt for Taste

Method
Keep 1 Liter water for boiling in a pot on stove
Pour one and half cup of water in Naachani flour and mix it well to make paste of the flour.
Pour the paste gradually in the boiling water. At the same time, keep stirring the mixture by a big spoon.
Add some salt for taste.
Cook the mixture for five minutes.
Now remove the pot from the stove and wait for cooling of the mixture.
Meanwhile, crush the garlic cloves
Mix the crushed garlic cloves in the mixture after it become cool.
Add ginger powder.

Now the Naachani Aambil is ready to drink. Serve in glasses with adding some buttermilk to it.

Bhaakari Recipe | Jowar Bread Recipe | Jowar Roti Recipe

2009-11-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Bhaakari Recipe Jowar Bread Recipe Jowar Roti Recipe
Category: Jain Food > Deccan Jain Recipes > Roti

Bhaakari is a traditional Jowar Bread popular in village Jains of South Maharashtra and North Karnataka.

Ingredients:
Filtered Water
Sieved Jowar Flour 200 Grams

Method:
Take Jowar Flour in a big plate
Mix some hot water to it
Mix it well and make dough
Put the dough in another pot
Take a small amount of Jowar flour in the plate
Take a small piece of dough (About 50 Grams). Make a pellet of it.
Press the pellet on the flour in the plate by your hands.
Then rotate the pellet clockwise on the flour.
You have to expand the size of the pellet in circular shape.
When it expands to about 6 to 8 inches, take it off and fry it in a frying pan. Fry both sides. Then fry one side directly on fire.

The Bhaakari is ready to eat now.

Eating Method

Bhaakari is eaten with vegetables

Varan : Moong Daal

2009-11-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Varan (Moong Daal)
Category: Jain Food > Deccan Jain Recipes > Daal (Pulses)

Varan is a popular item in daily food in Maharashtra. It is usually mixed up with plain rice to eat. It is also eaten with Chapati as a vegetable.

Varan recipe is simple and it takes little time to do it.

Ingredients:
Filtered water 100 Ml
Moong Daal 100 Grams
Green Chili (Whole or in small pieces)
Ground Nut Oil (Or other edible oil) 2 tablespoons
Mohari (Mustard Seeds)
Jira (Cumin Seeds)
Salt

Method:
Boil the pulse until it gets cooked or simply cook it in a Pressure Cooker. Always use filtered water.
Pour the edible oil in a pot and heat it.
Put Green Chili, Mohari and Jira in the oil.
Wait until the above items crackle, then pour cooked Moong Daal into the pot.
Add some filtered water to it.
Put some salt to it for taste.
Let it boil for 5 minutes

Eating Method
Now the Varan is ready to serve. You can eat it with Chapaati, or with plain rice. To eat it with plain rice, add some Varan (Moong Daal) to the rice. Pour half a tablespoon of Toop (Ghee) in it. Mix it well.

In traditional way, you could eat it with your hand; otherwise you could eat it with a spoon.

Huggi | Whole Wheat Kheer | Whole Wheat Pudding

2009-11-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Huggi Whole Wheat Kheer Whole Wheat Pudding
Category: Jain Food > Deccan Jain Recipes > Pudding

Huggi is a traditional pudding of whole wheat. It is popular in the Jain community of South Maharashtra and North Karnataka. It is included in menus on special occasions like festivals etc.

Ingredients:
Khapali Wheat 250 Grams
Good (Unrefined solid brown sugar) 250 Grams
Grated Coconut Crenel 2 Table Spoons
Filtered Water
Cashew Nuts
Almond
Dried Date Powder
Dry Ginger Powder
Nutmeg
Cardamom Powder
Poppy Seeds 2 Tablespoons

Method:
Rinse the wheat in water
Pound the wheat in a deep pot until the covers of the wheat grains are separated.
Remove the separated covers.
Keep the wheat in water for two hours
Then put the wheat in boiling water.
Pour the Good in it.
Wait until the wheat gets cooked.
Then whisk the mixture with a chumming staff.
Then put cashew nuts, almond, dried date powder, dry ginger powder, nutmeg,
cardamom powder and poppy seeds in it and mix well.

Now the Huggi is ready to eat.

Eating Method:
Take some Huggi in a plate. Add one tablespoon Ghee in it. You can add some hot milk also to it. Traditional way of eating is by hand. You can use a spoon for eating it.

Jowar Soup Recipe

2009-11-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Jowar Soup
Category: Jain Food > Deccan Jain Recipes > Soups and Drinks

Jowar soup is a very popular drink in Jain community of South Maharashtra and North Karnatak. It is known as Kanyaa in local Marathi language. This drink is served generally after lunch. It keeps your mind cool.

Ingredients:
Granulated Jowar 150 Grams
Filtered Water 1 Liter
Salt for taste

Method
Soak the granulated Jowar for half an hour.
Keep a pot with water on stove for boiling.
Pour granulated Jowar in boiling water.
Stir the mixture steadily, until the mixture starts to boil.
Put some salt into it for taste.

Now the Jowar Soup is ready to drink.

Drinking Method
You can drink this soup as a hot drink, or also after it becomes cool. Generally the hot soup is taken with milk and cold soup is taken with buttermilk.

Jain Food Habits | Night Eating Facts

2009-11-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

By Mahavir Sanglikar

For orthodox Jains, eating after night is a sin. The logic behind it is that after sunset, there are lot of insects and invisible creatures everywhere, and if you eat after sunset, these insect and creature can fall in your food. Thus you will eat them unknowingly with your food, and you will be a cause of killing them. Obviously, for the orthodox Jains, the night eaters become great sinners.

Many Jain monks always like to speak against night eating in their discourses. For them, bashing night eaters has become a top priority thing.

Now, let us see what were the facts behind banning night eating, and is it practical to eat before sunset in modern days.

Just before one hundred years, there was no electricity in India. Soon after sunset, there was a blackout like situation everywhere. Not only Jains, but also people of all communities used to eat before sunset. There was no difference between human beings and animals on this front. It was a natural thing for all of them to eat before sunset and go to sleep after it. Sleeping at 7 to 8 P.M. and to wake up at about 4 A.M. was a routine thing for most of the people. Literary references confirm these facts. Even today, there are many villages in remote areas in India, where electricity has not reached yet. The routine life of people there is similar to the abovementioned situation.

Entry of electricity in India changed the lifestyle of people rapidly. This process was boosted by industrialization and the entry of radio and television. Today the timings of going to sleep and waking up are very different from the timings mentioned above. Generally people go to sleep after 10 to 11 P.M. and wake up at 6 to 7 A.M. Note that in both the situations, the sleeping period is 8 hours, which is ideal for human beings.

Now coming to the point, it is very practical for most of the people to take a dinner at 8 PM to 9.30 P.M. They eat at bright light and there is no question of falling insects in the food plates. Everybody knows it. Realizing this, the bashers of night eating are saying now that eating before sunset is better for health as it allows a gap between eating and sleeping. If you eat at night and soon go to sleep, it would create health problems etc.

Now, some questions arise. Was the practice of eating before sunset for health reasons? The answer is: No! No Jain texts say that one should eat before sunset for his/her health. The only reason they give is the falling of the insects and creatures in the food plate.

Well, now coming to the so-called health benefits of eating before sunset. In prior times, the people used to eat before sunset, say at 6.00 P.M., they were going to sleep at 7.00 to 7.30 P.M. Now people eat at around 9 P.M. and go to sleep at 10 to 10.30 P.M. In both the situations, the time gap between eating and sleeping is about 1 to 1.30 hours. This proves that the health reason is a new ‘invention’, invented just to force the out of dated practice on people.

The truth is that orthodox people do not want to leave most of such outdated practices even if they have become just madness. Although they do not know ABC of Science, they try to find ‘science’ in such practices. But they are very confused people, as eventually they like to bash science also, and at the other times they have to take support of science. It is just ridiculous!

Jains should stop to follow and promote such out of dated and stupid practices and work on awaken the people on bigger sins like frauds, thefts, lies and hatred etc. It is a very shameful thing for Jain community that they are on forefront in economic crimes and offences. Shameful thing is that most of the Gutkha manufacturers belong to Jain community. They are responsible to spread cancer like diseases in Indian youth. But the Jain monks like to invite these Gutkha kings in their so-called religious functions. After all, Jainism is running on bad money!

Jains should remember that any religion is measured on what the follower community does and not on what is written in its scripture.

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Email: jainway@gmail.com
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Plain Rice Recipe

2009-11-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Plain Rice

Ingredients:
Filtered Water
Clean Rice 200 Grams
Salt for Taste

Method:
Wash the rice with clean water
Do it once again
Put the rice in cooking pot
Add some filtered water. (The water level should be higher by about one Centimeter than that of the rice)
Put some salt for taste in the pot.
Cook it in Pressure Cooker
Or you can cook it in a pot. If you are cooking in a pot, cover the pot with a plate. Put some water in the plate. Cook the rice until the water in rice evaporates and the rice becomes soft. In case the water evaporates before the rice becomes soft, add some hot water from the covering plate to the rice.

Now the rice is ready to eat.

Eating Method:
Take the rice in a plate. Add some Varan (Moong Daal) to the rice. Pour half a tablespoon of Toop (Ghee) to it. Mix it all.

In traditional way, you could eat it with your hand; otherwise you could eat it with a spoon.

Mix vegetable dal | Vegetable Daal

2009-10-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
50 grms each moongdal, tuvar dal, urad dal, chana dal, chori, 4 pieces cloves, cimmamon, bay leaf, one small piece nutmeg, 3 cardamom small and 3 cardamom large, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder to taste four tomatoes cut into pieces.

Method:
cook all mix dals in pressure cooker with 1 liter of water. Heat oil in a pan add 4 pieces cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, one small piece nutmeg, 3 cardamom small and 3 cardamom large, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder to taste four tomatoes cut into pieces. Stir for 5 minutes and add boiled dal heat it for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Upma Recipe

2009-10-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 cup semolina (not too fine)
1/4 cup broken roasted peanuts
7-8 raisins
1 tsp. urad dal
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
3 green chillies chopped
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt to taste
3 cups boiling water
1 tsp. coriander chopped

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan.
Add the raisins, mustard seed, dal and peanuts and fry on low till light golden.
Add the green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the semolina and stir continuously till the semolina gives out a nice aroma.
Takes about 7-8 minutes to roast the semolina on low.
Add the salt and stir. Carefully pour in 3 cups boiling water and stir well.
Use a long handled ladle for stirring to keep away from the spluttering.
If it feels too dry , add more water and stir.
Keep on low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add lemon juice and mix well.
Mould into a greased cup and unmould onto serving plate.
Garnish with Coriander leaves.
Serve hot with steaming coffee or tea.
Can accompany with Malaka Podi (Chutney powder)

Making Time: 20 minutes

Jain Food Habits: Some Facts

2009-10-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

Jain Food Habits: Some Facts

Recently I have added some vegetarian recipes to my blog Jain Food Recipes , which include use of root vegetables. Few people have questioned that how the recipes are tagged as Jain Food recipes as Jain do not use root vegetables. The readers of my article ‘What is Jain Food?’ also have asked the same type of question.

Here is the clarification.

It is misconception that all Jains have banned the use of root vegetables. Not eating root vegetables is a vow, and only those people do not eat them who have taken the vow. So there is no question of banning root vegetables by all Jains. Moreover, the number of Jains taking this vow is very low, even in the period of Rainy Season (Chaaturmaas), when some people avoid eating root vegetables. Generally, senior members of Jain community, mostly women, take the vow.

Furthermore, banning root vegetables is a popular thing in the state of Gujaraat, where not only orthodox Jains but also Hindu Vaishnavites ban the use of root vegetables in their food. As for many people ‘Gujaraati’ is an alternative word for Jain’, food habits of Gujaraatis are being considered as food habits of all Jains. But the fact is that there are millions of Jains outside the Gujaraati world and their food habits are different from that of Gujaraati Jains. So while thinking about Jain food, you should not ignore the recipes popular in the non Gujaraati Jain communities.

The funny thing about the non-eater of root vegetables is that they have cleverly excluded some root vegetables from their rule. They eat carrots, sweet potatoes, turmeric powder, ginger powder, groundnuts, radish etc. Their sole opposition is to onions, garlic and potatoes. They never speak about the sugar they are eating which is made from beetroots.

According to the rules of orthodox Jains, they are not permitted to eat after sunset.
But the very funny thing is that the so-called Jain food is vastly available in Indian vegetarian restaurants even after sunset, and at late night.

Further, the rules do not allow eating green vegetables, vegetable leaves and even pickles etc. But have you ever heard them discussing about it? If the Jain food recipes include these things, why recipes including onion, garlic and potato are targeted?

Historical facts and literary referencesAachaaraang Sutra is the oldest sacred text of Jains. It was written exclusively for the Jain ascetics (monks). The text gives detailed guidelines on the conduct of the monks, and what they should eat and should not eat. Nowhere in this book, the consumption of root vegetables is banned.

Now, as usual the Digambar Jains will say that Achaaraang Sutra is a Shwetambar text, and Digambars do not believe in it. Well, then Mulaachaar is the textbook exclusively for Digambar Jain monks. It is also one of the oldest Jain texts, and nowhere in this book the consumption of root vegetables is banned.

Remember that both the above-mentioned ancient books were written exclusively for Jain monks. If you read these books, you will find many hard to digest facts about allowed food habits for the Jain monks. The Jain monks are strict followers, while the Jain laymen have to follow at low scale. We should think over this.

It is clear that root vegetables were banned by some Jains in later period, and it was just an adoption of Vaishnavite practices. Notable thing is that Gujaraat is the stronghold of Vaishnvites and Gujarati Jains have adopted many of Vaishnavite traditions. For example, Gujarati Jains decorate idols of Teerthankars. Can any wise man dare to say that it is a Jain tradition?

In a sixteenth century Marathi book, there is a conversation between two Jain women who were climbing the hill of Girnaar. One of the women is a Gujaraati and another is a Maraathi. The Gujaraati woman taunts the Maraathi woman about her community’s tradition of eating the subzi of brinjal. In reply, the Maraathi woman says, “ Being religious doesn’t depend on what you eat, but what you do…and how come you paint your lips and even of the idol…’ etc.

Even in the famous Moksha Maarg Prakaashak, Pandit Todarmal have rebuked those Jains who give importance to less important things like eating habits.

Upaadhyaay Amarmuni, one of the greatest Jain monks of 20th century have clearly said that banning root vegetables in food is a fad of Jains from Gujaraat.

Even today monks of some Jain sects freely take root vegetables in their food. Some Jain monks avoid eating root vegetable in one region, but in another regions, they eat it.

Food Habits is not Religion
Unfortunately, many Jains are confused about food habits and religion. In fact, these two things are distinct. Being a vegetarian is a must thing for the followers of Jainism. But it doesn’t mean that one can become a true follower of Jainism by being a Vegetarian.

Understanding Jainism leads you to the vegetarian way of life, not vice versa. Being a vegetarian and taking various vows are just outer things. What is important, are you a Jain at your heart? If you do not eat root vegetables, but are self-centered, money oriented, selfish, egoistic, exploit people, have contempt for other people, if you do not live a simple life, then how can a sensible man can say that you are a Jain?

I have seen that many Jains who do not eat root vegetables, have a dislike about those who eat root vegetables. Such non-eaters like to insult the eaters. They have all the bad habits I have mentioned above. This very thing suggests that the non-eaters have failed to understand the true spirit of Jainism.

I conclude this article by giving a funny but true example.

One of my Brahmin friends invited me for a dinner at his house. On the next day, one of my neighbors, who is a Jain, asked me,

“ So what was the menu their?”

“It was a simple menu. Chapaatis, Potato subzi, Rice and Daal,” I replied.

“Potato subzi?” he seriously said, “You ate Potato subzi? I never eat potato subzi”

“Yes, I know! But you drink wine, and that too at night!” I said.

-Mahavir Sanglikar
Post Box No. 58
Chinchwad East, Pune 411019
India
91 962 372 5249, 927 309 3122
Email: jainway@gmail.com
Blog: http://jainfood.blogspot.com/

This article is based on observations by the author, supported by following reference books:
1.Panna Samikkhiye Dhamma: Upadhyay Amarmuni
2.Aachaaraang Sutra
3.Mulaachaar
4.Gujari-Maraathi Geet
5.Moksha Maarg Prakaashak: Pandit Todarmal

Rice Kheer

2009-10-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is a popular dish ampngst Jains of Karnataka and Maharashtra

Ingredients:

1/4th cup long grain rice (washed and drained)
4-5 cups milk
2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tbsp almonds (blanched silvered)
A pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little hot milk
1 tbsp skinned pistachio nuts (chopped)1 tbsp raisins (optional)
2-3 tbsp sugar or as desired

How to make kheer:

Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up.

Add almonds, pistachio, saffron and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Remove the rice kheer from heat and serve either warm or chilled.

Akki Roti

2009-10-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

This dish is a well known amongst kannadigas and especially in the Kannadiga Jain houses.

Ingredients

2 cups: Rice flour (Akki hittu)
1/2 cup: Chopped onion
3-4 no: Chopped green chillies
½ cup: Grated fresh coconut
2 tbs: Chopped coriander leaves (kothumbari soppu)
1tsp: Cumin seeds (jeera)
A pinch Asafoetida (hing)
½ tsp: Turmeric powder
1 tsp: Chilli powder (optional)
Oil for roasting
Salt to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients with little oil in warm water. Knead well to make soft dough.
Spread some oil on the hand and take a lemon sized ball of the dough and pat it to thick rotti.
Heat a pan and lace the prepared rotti on it.

Make 3-4 holes in the rottis and pour few drops of oil in each hole. Cook well on both sides till golden brown. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Ragi Rotti can be made with the same procedure by replacing rice flour with ragi flour.
Grated vegetables like carrots and cabbage can also be add while making the dough.

How religious curbs lead to great food

2009-10-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

By Vikram Doctor, TNN

As an enthusiastic omnivore I don’t like food bans of any kind. Yet I have to admit that food bans have often resulted in interesting culinary developments. For example, in Europe the Catholic Church’s proscription on eating meat on Fridays lead to the development of a huge range of fish dishes, especially salted and smoked ones for those with no easy access to the sea.

Brandade de morue, the thick smooth garlicky salt cod puree that is a great classic of French bistro cooking, is one result. Similarly Chinese Buddhists developed soya products in the most amazing ways, while Indian upvas cooking traditions have kept alive offbeat ingredients like water-chestnut flour and amaranth seeds.

But perhaps the two best examples of how bans have resulted in delicious and fascinating food are Jain cooking, with its ban on anything that remotely involves taking life, like root vegetables (little critters might get killed while you dig them up) or yoghurt left overnight (too alive), and Jewish cooking, with its complex set of Torah derived rules including bans on pork, on fish without scales (shark, shellfish) and on cooking milk and meat together. I’m not concerned at the moment with the logic of these bans, just their results, which have been detailed in two excellent books.

The Jain book is Dadima No Varso, which translates as grandmother’s legacy . My food writer friend Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal tipped me off to this book on Palanpuri Jain cooking that’s been privately produced by the Rachana Group of Women, lead by Nita S.Mehta, Rajul A. Gandhi and Dr.Satyavati S.Jhaveri. Palanpuri Jains are famous for the success they have achieved, particularly in the diamond trade, and clearly no cost has been spared in creating what is intended to be the definitive word on their cooking. And it is.

Dadima No Varso is amazing. It’s hardcover , 456 pages, with recipes in Gujarati on one page and in English on the facing page. It could have done with a bit more detailed introduction to the community and the roots of its cooking, but Palanpuris are famously businesslike, and the book gets straight to work. For all its sumptuous production it is also efficient, for example opting for line illustrations, always more useful than photographs for showing cutting and cooking techniques.

There’s a Gujarati-English glossary of ingredients, illustrations of all the traditional cooking utensils, cooking tips, sample menus and, most impressive of all, a set of two page photo spreads that detail not just the finished dishes but all the regularly used ingredients as well.

These sundried vegetables illustrate the double handicap the original Palanpuri cooks were working under, of not just religious restrictions, but also geographical ones. The semi-arid area they came from made a regular supply of fresh vegetables hard, so they had to depend on many dried ones, and also dhal and cereal products, much like the food of Rajasthan, which it borders.

Yet out of these handicaps they have created a wonderful cuisine, bursting with strong, unexpected, intense tastes, and also the textural variety that, as Vir Sanghvi has noted, is a distinctive aspect of Gujarati food. If there’s one dish I’d single out its jamphal nu shak, curried ripe guavas which are simultaneously spicy, sweet, but not in the sugary, and with an overall fresh, unexpected taste that is quite amazing. Most Palanpuri food is hard to get outside their homes, but this is available at Swati Snacks in Mumbai, where it’s called peru nu shak, and is brilliantly paired with the slightly bitter taste of methi rotis. Apart from its taste, it also demonstrates how open Jain food can be.

But human ingenuity always finds ways to work through the rules to find something good to eat, and Jains are always eager to find new ingredients they can use — guavas in an earlier generation , babycorn and broccoli today — or new ways of cooking, hence their enthusiasm for Jain pizza, Jain pasta, Jain bakes and more. Such food is often mocked in Mumbai, but it’s really one way a cuisine develops and this is how Jain cooking is going global. Jewish food has already undergone this process, though for grimmer reasons. The scattering , over centuries, of the diaspora meant that Jews had to deal with new foods and new settings in which to cook them, but they nearly always managed to do this while maintaining an allegiance to their dietary principles that Jains might well admire.

In fact, Jains and Jews do interact in interesting ways. In Antwerp, for example , where ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jews deal with Palanpuri Jains in the diamond district, I’m told that the understanding of the principle of dietary rules is one thing that helps the communities understand each other, even if the actual rules differ. I doubt the communities eat each other’s food, but apparently Jewish functions all feature separate buffets entirely for the Jains.

Meanwhile in India even the crossover to eating happens: Sharon Galsurkar who runs the Jewish community centre in Mumbai , told me that if the young Israeli tourists ask him how to keep kosher rules while travelling, he tells them to look for Jain restaurants since they can be sure food will all be broadly within kosher rules.

The working out of these varieties of Jewish food is the subject of one of the most fascinating food books ever written — Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food. Roden is one of the greats of food writing and someone I’ve been hooked onto ever since reading her wonderful short book Coffee years ago. More recently she published Arabesque, a book on the food of Lebanon, Morocco and Turkey, that was filled with historical details and explanations about the societies that developed these cuisines.

But The Book of Jewish Food, while took Roden 16 years to do, is her magnum opus. It is not just her discovery of the many strands of Jewish food, but also the new emphases she puts. International Jewish culture has historically been dominated by those from Northern and Eastern Europe, the Ashekenazim , but Roden’s roots, in Egypt, were with the southern Sephardim, and it is their cooking, from their communities on all the shores of the Mediterranean, and their even more exotic offshoots in Arabia, Iran, Georgia and India that form the heart of her book.

In each country the same pattern is played out, with local ingredients and recipes being adapted to kosher rules. In India, for example , the two Western Indian communities of Cochin Jews and the Bene Israeli of Maharashtra made much use of coconut milk to replace milk – making a kheer of coconut milk, for example.

Quite often the recipes can seem identical to other local recipes, especially for the Bene Israeli. Partly this is because they went native far earlier and more completely than other Jewish communities, but partly also because milk isn’t much used anyway along the Konkan coast. But there is always a twist at some point that relates it to the larger Jewish tradition, and the fascination of her book is seeing how this recurs, again and again, across countries. The recipes are also excellent, and if there’s one I’d suggest trying it’s her amazing orangealmond cake. It’s an interesting recipe — butter free, so it could be eaten after a meal with meat in it, and flour free, so can be eaten during Passover festival, when wheat is banned.

Green Chilli Pickle

2009-10-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1/2 to 3/4 cup Green Mango cubes (Peel Mango and cut into 1 cm pieces)
1/2 cup grated Jaggery
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt or to taste
For Tempering:
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric

Method:
1) Take Mango pieces into a bowl. Sprinkle salt and mix well. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
2) Take a pan, add 1 tbsp water and grated jaggery. Now heat it over medium heat. Once jaggery is melted, remove from heat and keep aside till it become lukewarm.
3) Pour lukewarm jaggery over salted Mango pieces and mix nicely. Also add red Chili Powder at this stage.
4) Heat Oil in a small saucepan. Add Mustard seeds, let it splutter. Then add Turmeric and Asafoetida, immediately remove from heat. Pour it in a separate glass bowl to cool down a little. Once becomes lukewarm, mix it in the pickle.

What is Jain Food?

2009-10-12T06:59:00.001-07:00

What is Jain Food?

Jains are followers of Jainism, one of the most ancient religions in the world. Jains do not kill or cause to kill any animal or a living being that moves. So they are staunch vegetarians. But they are not vegans, but Lacto-Vegetarians.

Orthodox Jains avoid root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic etc. in their food. They believe that root vegetables themselves are life forms having multiple numbers of lives. So generally the vegetarian food, which does not contain any root vegetables, is called a Jain food.

In most of the vegetarian restaurants in India, such Jain food is available. Now it is available in five star hotels and in aeroplanes.

But the tradition of not eating root vegetables is not applicable for all Jains. This tradition is popular in Jains of Gujarat state of India. Jains of other states are more practical about food habits. They too are staunch vegetarians, but they have not banned eating of root vegetables. Thus you can see eating of root vegetables amongst Jains of Maharashtra, Rajsthan, Punjab, Karnatak and other states.

In above condition, the vegetarian dishes popular amongst non-Gujarati Jains also come under Jain Food, although it includes root vegetables.

There are lots of varieties in the food items popular amongst Jains of various regions in India. The Jain food is not just delicious, but also nutritious.

Vegetarians should have a taste of Jain food. Lot of Jain food recipes are available in Indian cookbooks and on the Internet. Just search ‘Jain Food” or ‘Jain food Recipes’ through search engines and you will have a lot of results for your query.

-Mahavir Sanglikar
http://jainology.blogspot.com/

What is Jain Food?

2009-10-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

Tomato Subzi

2009-10-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Tomato Subzi For 6 Persons
Ingredients:
¾ Cup Basmati Rice
2 Tomatoes
¼ Cup Cabbage
8-10 French Beans
¼ Cup Peas
2 Cardamoms
2-Tabel Spoons Ghee
½-Tsp. Cumin Seeds,
2 Black Cardamoms
2 Cinnamon3-4 Cloves
Salt
Preparation Method
Wash and soak the rice in the water for ½ hour.Wash, peel and chop tomatoes.
Cut beans and cabbage in long pieces.Melt ghee in a pot; add cumin seeds, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and large cardamom.
Once they crackle, add chopped tomatoes, peas, cabbage, beans and salt.Drain out water from the soaked rice and add it to the boiling vegetables. Cook until the rice is completely cooked. Lightly stir with spatula.Serve warm with curry or plain yogurt.

Fresh Coconut curry

2009-10-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

For 4 to 5 Persons

Ingredients:
2 fresh coconuts
l spoon gram flour
1 boiled banana skinned and cut into pieces
100 grms boiled green peas
100 grms boiled French beans cut into small pieces
one green, red or yellow capsicum cut into pieces
oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, chili powder and salt to taste.

Method
Grind coconut with two cup of water to very thin paste. Heat oil add mustard and cumin seeds. When done add coconut milk and gram flour to it. Stir for 5 to 10 minutes on low flame, add 3 glasses of water and boil for 5 minutes then add banana boiled, capsicum, French beans, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste.

Mix vegetable dal

2009-10-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Serves 4 to 5 persons

Ingredients:
50 grms each moongdal, tuvar dal, urad dal, chana dal, chori
4 pieces cloves, cimmamon, bay leaf, one small piece nutmeg
3 cardamom small and 3 cardamom large
salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder to taste
four tomatoes cut into pieces.

Method:
cook all mix dals in pressure cooker with 1 liter of water. Heat oil in a pan add 4 pieces cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, one small piece nutmeg, 3 cardamom small and 3 cardamom large, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder to taste four tomatoes cut into pieces. Stir for 5 minutes and add boiled dal heat it for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Jain food

2008-11-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

FOOD FORMS the focal point of holidays and without the right kind your vacation can cave in. That is the reason why sushi and sashimi became famous the world over, as Japanese tourists started to travel. In true style the hospitality industry rose to the occasion to give the traveller a taste he is comfortable with. A growing trend among the visitors to Kerala has been an influx of domestic tourists.

The latest tour groups to be coming in to Kochi are the Jains who are sticklers about the food they eat, being pure vegetarians and abstaining from many vegetables due to religious taboos. But as usual the group at Maraikulam was enjoying the repast laid down for them. They, relishing every bit of morsel finely prepared by chef Narayankutty, thronged the Jain food counter.

Says the chef, who learnt this varied cooking style from a Gujarati maharaj (Brahmin cook), "The Jain food is made without onions and garlic. Jains are pure vegetarians and some are very staunch in what they eat, mainly those from Rajasthan. They do not eat many root vegetables. Tomato gravy forms the base for most of their curries.

They eat a lot of pulses seasoned with asafoetida and a bit of jaggery and prefer a sweet and spicy flavour to their food. Dal Dhokli, Khichidi Kardhi, pani puri, paav bhaji are their favourites. We have a lot of Jain tourists now and when they know that their kind of food is available easily, they come again or send their friends over. Because food without the use of onions and garlic is not easily available they are choosy about their stay. Here I cater to their food which has been appreciated and so many Jains are heading for our resort."

Originating from the principles of Ahimsa, the Jains do not eat tubers, onions and garlic. Many abstain from cauliflower, aubergines and all kinds of yams which they call, kandh(bulge), moolh(root). Many refrain from eating fermented food and food left overnight.

The guiding principle behind this strict abstinence, is ahimsa and that no harm should come to other living things, maybe just a maggot in the vegetable. A variation in the popular vegetarian diet that is gaining ground all over the world, and perhaps, Jain food may turn into a fad among the health conscious.

But the point is that we have it here, now in out hotels and resorts, for those who desire it. A great feeling of care and welcome

Jain Bhel

2008-11-28T08:21:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Purvi

Preparation Time : 10 minutesCooking Time : -Serves / Makes : 2

Ingredients
2 cups puffed rice1 tbsp. cucumber finely chopped1 tbsp. tomato finely chopped1 tsp. fresh coriander finely chopped1 tbsp. carrot grated coarsely1tsp. tamarind chutney1/2 tsp. allpurpose green chutney2 tbsp. fine sev(optional)1 tbsp. cornflakes salt to tastelemon juice to taste

Method
1. Dilute green chutney in 1 tsp. water
2. Take puffed rice in a large salad bowl.

To proceed before serving:
1. Add all other ingredients, salt and lemon juice.
2. Toss very well till chutneys have blended, with hand or ladle.
3. Put in individual serving dishes, top with some sev and chopped coriander.
4. Serve immediately.

Jain Tomato Sause

2008-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
2-1/2 kg. ripe tomatoes
200 gms.sugar1/4 cup
salt1/4 cup
red chilli powder1/2 tsp.
citric acid 150 ml.
brown cooking vinegar
Crush to coarse bits:
1" piece cinnamon
6-7 cloves
2 bay leaves
2 large black cardamoms

Method:
Tie crushed spices in a clean muslin cloth to form a pouch.
Wash and wipe tomatoes dry.
Chop and boil, without adding water.
Take care to stir frequently.
When tomatoes get soft, blend to a smooth puree.
Strain,discards seeds, skins,etc.
Put back to boil in a heavy,deep saucepan.
Put in spice bag, allow to boil in it.
When reduced to half, add sugar and salt.
When almost done (by plate test), add chilli and vinegar.
Boil again for 2-3 minutes. Remove spice bag.
Take off fire, add citric acid, stir well.
Pour into sterile bottles, cool, close caps, seal with wax.
Once bottle is opened for use, refrigerate.
Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 1.4 kg. (approx.)
Shelflife: 8-10 months

impact of milk on Health, Cruelty, and Pollution

2008-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

By Pritish Nandy

Ayurveda actually lists milk as one of the ‘five white poisons’. She has stirred a hornet's nest with her campaign against milk. Even hardcore veggies have attacked Maneka Gandhi and religious leaders have openly come out to contradict her. Curiously, on her side now is global research and modern science, of which she has been a long-term critic. They are the ones who are defending her now.

You have come out very strongly against milk. Why are you so hostile to it?
There are three reasons.

People’s health is compromised by drinking milk
Cruelty and
Pollutants in milk

Would you like to explain why you think milk is unhealthy?
There is this belief that milk is a complete food and an important source of protein, iron and calcium.

Milk has no iron, however it also blocks its absorption.
The ability of the body to absorb calcium from milk is barely 32%. Whereas the body can absorb, 65% from cabbage and 69% from cauliflower.
Milk has less protein than most vegetables.

Even if we assume it contains more protein, it would be useless for human beings. Because human beings require only 4 to 5 percent of their daily calorie intake in proteins and the daily consumption of Indian bread (Chapattis) and potatoes would give more protein than the requirements. So milk is not the best food in the world as it has been touted for generations?
Milk is very difficult to digest particularly for Asian and African. Why do I not eat plastic? The reason is; I have no enzyme to digest it. We do not have lactose in our body and so we cannot digest lactose. If we cannot digest milk, how do we get any of its ingredients?

Apart from this, milk has something called the IGF-1. All cancer studies show that when IGF-1 rises in the body one gets cancer. All the IGF-1 in milk stays in the body, making you prone to cancer. It is also a very strong cause of asthma decease. In fact, doctors recommend asthma patients to avoid milk and milk products.

The problem with doctors in India is that they learn no nutrition in medical colleges. So they have a limited knowledge of food. Their knowledge of nutrition comes from the same source as yours and mine: Grandmothers and teachers. Add to this the confusion caused by our local religious leaders, particularly the ones who espouse vegetarianism.

What is specifically wrong in milk? What is specifically harmful?

The calcium contained in milk actually becomes a health hazard as undigested portions of it are deposited in the urinary system and become kidney stones. Another condition that milk aggravates rather than alleviates is osteoporosis or bone loss. Studies have shown that it is excess protein rather than lack of calcium that causes osteoporosis. So the more milk you drink, the more you are prone to osteoporosis. Countries like Sweden that have the highest milk consumption also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis.

Another misconception is that milk helps ulcers. Ulcers are caused by the corrosion of the stomach lining. When you drink milk it gives you immediate pain relief. But that is only temporary. Milk actually causes acidity and further destroys the stomach lining.

Also, ulcer patients who are treated with dairy products are found to be 2 to 6 times more prone to heart attacks. This seems only logical because milk is designed to be the food on which a calf increases its body weight 4 times over in one month! It is so naturally high in fat that it leads to obesity, the cause of all modern disease. Ayurveda actually lists milk as one of the five white poisons.

Indians have been drinking milk for centuries. All of them did not fall sick.

It depends on what you call illness. Most people disregard arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, headaches, and indigestion as normal for the body and cancer as an act of God.

By looking at milk as evil, are we not turning our back on our tradition and culture?

For thousands of years people thought the sun went around the earth. Copernicus was the first person who said it did not. There was a huge backlash against him. The Indian tradition also had sati (cremating widow with her husband’s dead body) and thugee and opium eating. Should they be legal now?

I have written a book on Hindu names for which I had to read every single Hindu scripture (sastra). Nowhere is there any milk drinking mentioned. There is ghee (liquid butter) mentioned and that too for havans (fire). Unfortunately our memories are short and the things we are most adamant about are those we know the least about. Dr Spock was the guru for child nutrition, now apologizes for having advocated milk and says that children must be kept away from it.

Dr Kurien has described the dairy industry as the gentle industry. You claim it is just the opposite?

The dairy industry is not gentle. The fact that supplies cater to demand makes the cow the ultimate victim. It may have been gentle when each household had its own cow and treated it as a member of the family. This is no longer true.

How is milk produced now in India?

The cow is forced into yearly pregnancies. After giving birth she is milked for 10 months but will be artificially inseminated during her third month so that she is milked even when she is pregnant. The demanded of production of milk is more than her body can give. So she starts breaking down body tissue to produce milk. The result is an illness called ketosis.

Most of the day the cow is tied up in a narrow stall usually wallowing in her own excrement. She gets mastitis because the hands that milk her are rough and usually unclean. She gets rumen acidosis from bad food and lameness. She is kept alive with antibiotics and hormones. Each year 20 per cent of these dairy cows are sent illegally by truck and train to slaughter houses. Or they are starved to death by letting them loose in the cities.

It is no secret that the slaughter house in Goa was constructed by Amul Dairy. No cow lives out her normal life cycle. She is milked, made sick and then killed. Even worse happens to her child. The male calves are tied up and starved to death. Or sent to the slaughter houses. It is not by chance that a calf is no longer called bachda in India. It is called katra, which means one who is to be killed. Even Dr Kurien admits that in Mumbai every year 80,000 calves are forcibly put to death.

But milkmen (doodhwalas) love their cows. They live off them.

Have you seen how cows are milked?

In the villages they practice phukan, a method of milking a cow. A stick is poked into the cow's uterus and wiggled, causing her intense pain. Villagers believe this leads to more milk.

In the cities they are given two injections of oxytocin every day to make the milk come faster. This gives her labor pains twice a day. Her uterus develops sores and makes her sterile prematurely. Oxytocin is banned for use on animals but it is sold in every cigarette shop around a dairy. Every illiterate milkman knows the word. In human beings, oxytocin causes hormonal imbalances, weak eyesight, miscarriages, and cancer.

Recently, Gujarat started raiding dairies for oxytocin. In one day, they found 350,000 ampoules in just Ahmedabad!

You mentioned pollution in milk. What does that mean?

The ICMR did research on milk for 7 years and took thousands of samples from across India. What did they find?

Large amounts of DDT, poisonous pesticides called HCH. Under the food adulteration act only 0.01 mg/kg is allowed of HCH. They found 5.7 mg as an average!

They found arsenic, cadmium and lead. This causes kidney damage, heart disease, brain damage and cancer.

Their findings were based on 50,000 samples and the report was released at a press conference. What did Dr Kurien and the Operation Flood people have to say? More samples should have been taken!

Other things put in your milk is sewage water, vegetable oil, and liquid soap. In some cases earthworms are put in because they excrete slime which increases the density of the milk!
You have said that drinking milk is drinking the cow's blood?

Milk and blood come from the same source; the body cells of the cow. Every time you drink a glass of milk, remember it comes from a sad, suffering mother whose own child was killed before her eyes and who herself will be killed when she dries up.

Won't the stoppage of milk lead to thousands being unemployed?

A large number of people are dependent on smuggling, thievery, begging, drug pushing, gun running and terrorism. Do we buy their products to help them?

What is the substitute for milk?
What is the substitute to a placebo? Anything else such as Soya bean milk, all green vegetables, and lentils (dal). My son has never drunk milk in his life. He is 6 feet and has never been sick a single day!

Jain Pav Bhaji

2008-11-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

Contributed By: Pratiti, Ahmedabad

Ingredients
Pav or Buns - 12 pieces
Raw banana -1Peas - 200 gms
Cauliflower -100 gms
Brinjal -1 small
Tomato -3
Capsicum -3 (Red, yellow and green)
Lemon -1
Corriander leaves to garnish
Pav bhaji masala (any brand)
Butter for fryingSalt to taste

Method:
Chop the tomatoes and capsicum finely and keep aside.Cut the remaining veggies in big pieces and cook in a pressure cooker with a little water for 7 minutes. When cooled, peel the raw banana and discard the skin. Now mash the veggies with a masher. Meanwhile, heat some butter in a frying pan and fry the capsicums and tomatoes. Add the boiled veggies and sprinkle pav-bhaji masala and salt. Mash again with the masher till the veggies blend well. Garnish with corriander leaves.Now heat some butter in another shallow pan and shallow fry the buns(pav).Serve with lemon wedges.

If you peel the Raw banana before boiling, it loses its iron content substantially.

Banana Vegetable

2008-11-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Sarah from Mumbai

Ingredients
2 riped banana
3 tomatto's puree
1/2 cup roasted & grounded peanut (coarse)
2 green chilly & 1"ginger paste
salt to taste
little oil for tempering.
For filling:
1/2 teaspoon amchoor pwd
1 teaspoon besansalt to taste
1/4 teaspoon grounded suger

Method
Mix all the ingredients for filling.
Cut banana into 2 pcs & slit in between.
Fill the filling in all four banana pcs.
Put oil in a pan after 2 minutes add ginger chilly paste.sauthe for a while
Add tomatto puree.when the oil separatesadd banana & groundnut powder.
After 3-4 minutes remove from fire.
Serve hot.

This is little sweet & spicy vegetable

Corn Currey

2008-11-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

500 grams corn
3 cups coconut milk
50 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams French beans
salt 1-tsp. sugar
2-tsp. grated coconut
ghee as required.
Masala: 2-tsp.
2 green chili
1-tsp. poppy seeds.

Preparation:

Melt ghee in a pot. Add masala ingredients and stir. Add coconut milk and all-purpose flour and mix well. Chop the beans. Add to coconut milk and boil for sometime. Add boiled corn seeds, sugar and salt. Garnish with the coriander leaves and coconut. Serve warm

Indian Wheat Bread: Chapati

2008-02-04T05:16:00.001-08:00

Chapati is a popular vegetarian flat bread widely used in India. (See Picture)

Ingredients:
2 cups Indian whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
about 3/4 cup warm water (enough for a kneadable dough)

Mix all the ingredients together. Knead the dough, cover, and leave aside for at least 1/2 hour or, ideally, up to 2 hours. After about 1 hour (or right before rolling out), punch the dough and knead again without any more water.

Make 10-12 1 1/2" balls; dip each one into dry whole wheat flour, and roll out into thin, 6" circles. Place a flat, ungreased griddle on the stove at medium-high heat. When hot, place a rolled-out chapati "right side" down on the griddle. (The "right side" is the one facing you when you roll it.) When bubbles are visible, turn over and cook until tiny brown spots appear on the side facing the griddle.



If you have a gas stove, hold the chapati with a pair of tongs, and place it directly over the burner flame for a few seconds, until the chapati puffs up. Turn and repeat on the other side.
If you have an electric stove, keep the chapati on the griddle. With a wadded up paper towel to protect your fingers, press gently all around the chapati. Flip the chapati and press gently around the other side. This procedure should make the chapati puff up. (If you press too hard, the chapati will become too crunchy.)



Remove the chapati from the heat, and buter with ghee on the "right side."
Some of the foods that are traditionally served with chapatis are Lentils with Scallions, Spicy Mung Beans, eggplant dishes, green bean dishes, spinach dishes, and zucchini dishes.

Banana Chutney

2007-11-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2-3 green chilies
1-cup cilantro leaves
½ tbsp. Lemon juice
2 tbsp. Cumin seeds
1 tsp. Sugar
Salt for taste
1 tbsp. Coconut grated

peel out the skin of banana and cut it into pieces. Grind all the ingredients to paste.
Now the chutney is ready! Serve it with other food like Samosa, Dhokala. You can take it with Sanwich also.