Aamras (Mango pulp)

Important declaration: I have written this after eating “Aamras and chapatti (Roti)” as my lunch today.

The King of fruit : Mango has been known as King of fruits and it has been around for atleast 6,000 years. It has been described in ancient Sanskrit literature like Valmiki Ramayan and “Ayurvedic healing and cooking”. According to Ayurveda it balances all the three doshas and acts as an energizer. They are rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, and Vitamin C, Antioxidants have been shown to play an important role in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. They also contain bioflavonoids, the compounds that help plants capture energy from the sun, and when eaten they aid our immune system. Mangoes also supply potassium and fiber and are low in calories. The insoluble fiber, abundant in mangoes, aids the elimination of waste from the colon and prevents constipation.



Plain aamras : Photo by Vikas



Aamras : This recipe is very popular both in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In fact, in both Gujarati and Maharashtrian weddings, I have had aamras served with puris. In Gujarat, the traditional way is to serve aamras with pooris. But it can also be had after a meal as a sweet dish, dessert or just about at anytime.



When I was kid, my mom uses to serve this either with chapatti (Roti) or with Rice. I still miss that taste.

Ingredients for the aamras:

1. As many number of mangoes you want. I used 5 mangoes for 3 person
2. sugar or jaggery
3. cardamom powder (optional)
4. saffron strands/kesar (optional)
5. milk (optional)
6. Dry fruits for dressing (Optional)

Aamras with dry fruit topping

Method for making aamras:

1. Wash the mangoes. Then peel and chop them.
2. In a blender, add the chopped mango pieces and blend.
3. Optional : Add little milk (More milk will lead you to mango milk shake)
4. Optional : Add cardamom powder, and saffron while blending
5. Sugar: Add sugar / Jeggery . Please note that the quantity of sugar depends on sweetness of mango and individual preference of sweetness. I usually prefer not to add when mangos are sweet enough.
6. Chill in the refrigerator.
7. Optional: Add your choice of dry fruits to the aamras as topping. If adding cashew-nuts, fry the nuts till golden brown and than mix it with aamras.
8. Optional: you can also top it with grated chocolate and cream.
9. It can be served as desert. I just love it simple aamras or with Vanilla ice cream. It is just heavenly to have aamras with vanilla ice cream.

The best thing about this is that it is very simple to make, does not require too many things to cook, tastes good and can be eaten with rice or any kind of breads.

Lentil Soup: Health Benefits and Recipe

Lentil is a type of pulse of legume family. It is an important part of diet in South Asia and Middle East though it is used around the world. The four largest producers of lentil in order are Canada, India, Nepal and USA. In Indian Sub-continent mainly four types of lentil namely Moong, Masur, Arhar and Maas or Urad are used.

Lentil contains high level of protein including amino acids, dietary fibre, folate, vitamin B1, iron, carbohydrate and iron. It helps to reduce cholestrol and weight and is good for diabetic. It helps to digest food.

Lentil soup is prepared in different ways. The most commonly way of cooking is explained here.


Ingredients (for preparing 1 litre of soup): 
Lentil: 250 gm, turmeric: 5 gm, salt: 10 to 15 gm, cumin seed: 5gm, garlic: 2 cloves, chilly (green or red): 2 pcs, bay leaf: 2 pc, onion: 1/4 pc, oil/ghee: 30 ml & green coriander leaves: 25 gm. Garlic, onion, chilly and coriander leaves need to chopped.

May 14, 2011 : Daal cooked by Pankaj while in Oxford

Roast lentil in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Though roasting is not necessary however it adds taste. Wash roasted lentil and place it in pressure cooker with water. If you do not use pressure cooker, you need to use more water (1.5 ltr). Add turmeric and salt. Place pressure cooker on oven and once whistle starts making noise, turn flame down. Cook it for 20 mins. The cooking time vary considerably and largely depends on type of lentil and whether lentil is roasted or not. Roasted lentil needs to be cooked longer. Take a fry pan and place it on oven. Add oil/ghee. After 2 mins add cummin seeds. Once cumin seeds become brown add bay leaves, chopped garlic, chopped onion and chopped chilly. Cook the mix until it gets brown. Remove pressure cooker cover and add the mix to lentil. Place pressure cooker again on oven and wait until the soup boils. At the end pour soup into bowl and sprinkle chopped green coriander leaves. The dish is ready to be served.

Ayurveda : Spice and Green

Ayurveda literally translates to "the science of life". In Ayurveda, health is defined as an active state of wellness--a state in which you truly live, not merely exist. The ayurvedic approach to health is inclusive, extending to your daily diet, your routine, and your environment. Ayurveda offers a wide range of therapies and tools to restore balance, from dietary recommendations and ayurvedic rasayanas--herbs, fruits and spices that help maintain good health--to internal cleansing and rejuvenation treatments.

Spices are pungent or aromatic substances obtained fromthe bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees and used to season or flavor foods. Spices are revered in the ayurvedic tradition because of the therapeutic value they bring to a meal. There are almost no dishes in ayurvedic cooking that are not embellished with the aroma, flavor and healing wisdom of spices.

The exotic colors and heady aromas of spices can elevate an ordinary dish into a sublime feast for the sense of sight, smell and taste. What's more, most spices also come with therapeutic properties, so every meal that includes spices can become an experience in enhancing health and well-being.

All six tastes -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent -- at every main meal is a basic tenet of Ayurvedic dietary wisdom, and spices are a convenient, flavorful way of accomplishing this.

Some general tips for cooking with spices:

• Most spices are potent, so a little goes a long way. You want the spices to enhance the flavors of foods, not overpower the whole dish.
• When blending several spices in a dish, experiment to find combinations you like. Be adventurous! A good Ayurvedic cookbook can start you out with suggestions for spices especially balancing for mind and body in each season.
• Many spices release their flavors and aromas best when sautéed in Ghee (clarified butter) or oil, some when they are dry-roasted. Be nimble when sautéing or roasting spices, they tend to burn quickly. Remove from heat when aromas are released and continue stirring or shaking to prevent burning.
• Look for organic, non-irradiated spices.
• Store spices in airtight containers away from heat and light.

Since diet, along with daily habits, is crucial to the health of an individual, it must be made clear at the outset that there is no standard ideal diet for all people in general. The various factors that need to be kept in mind while working out the ideal diet, which will be distinctly different based on the person’s specific constitutional characteristics, are as listed below:

• The natural qualities of each food.
• How those natural qualities can get altered.
• The effects of combining foods – proper and unacceptable combinations.
• The quantity of food intake.
• Individual differences in food intake.
• The places & climate where the food is grown, prepared and consumed.
• The effects of the seasons and time of day.
• Avoidance of artificial flavors, chemicals, preservatives and colours.

Green : According to ayurveda, dark green leafy vegetables have a special place in the daily diet -- they are considered a particularly nutritious class of vegetables. And modern science says they contain important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B1 and B2. Ayurveda recommends that you have some leafy greens each day to help meet the nutritional requirements for optimal health.