tradition

Her Mother’s Daughter {guest post + mint rice recipe}

November 6, 2012 by Natureal Mom

I am excited to share this beautifully written piece by my friend Pratima Anaé. My husband, son and I had the honor of meeting Pratima’s mother during her recent visit to California. We were invited to their lovely home for a delicious home-cooked meal and I even got a first-hand lesson in Indian cooking! Throughout the ages, meals have been a symbol of sharing, nurturing and loving one another. Watching Pratima’s Mom cook with so much pride and joy reminded me of my own family and how culture, food, and tradition can create such deep and meaningful connections. By passing down recipes from generation to generation we can honor our heritage and stay connected to our roots.

As Americans we share a diverse existence that is both unusual and beautiful. East Indian immigrants, my family settled in a small Amish town in the Midwest. There were no other minorities in town and we lived amidst buggies, horse drawn plows, and bonnets. As such, my mother’s cooking was the most significant connection to my culture. It was the one thing in our house that truly remained Indian. Passed down from generations of Indian women with no written recipes, it felt like a direct link to my roots.

My mom, Olga, is an incredible cook and a supremely unique spirit. Effortlessly combining grace, kindness, and humor in everything she does, she’s just at home fixing an Indian feast for hundreds of people in our backyard as she is riding a John Deere lawn mover in her perfectly coiffed sari. Our family loves to reminisce about the humor and beauty in the unexpected things she does. Like the time she fell into a pond chasing dragonflies to help with my sister’s high school biology project. And then there was the Christmas when we needed a tree and she went out chopped one down from our yard and dragged it in by herself while we watched from the window. She is the mother whom sprinkles Indian Jasmine in her children’s bed at night. To know her is to love her.

Pratima with her Mom Olga
Image © Pratima Anaé

I wish that I could invite each one of you to our home to experience my mom’s generosity of spirit and her wonderful food but in lieu of that I am happy to share one of her dishes with you. This particular recipe for Mint Basmati rice is one of her own creations. It is not only delicious and elegant but it is also vegan, gluten free, and healthy. There is nothing like smell or taste to bring back a memory. There is nothing that makes me feel like home more than my mother’s cooking. To me it is the heart and essence of India. Enjoy…

Mint rice

Image © Pratima Anaé

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. oil
1 or 2 Serrano chilies cut in half
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped cilantro
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root grated
1 tsp. salt more if needed
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes cut into halves
1 cup lightly blanched sweet pea pods
1 medium carrot cut into small strips
3/4-cup raw peanuts with skins
2 tbsp. light corn syrup

Wash rice and drain. Combine rice and water. According to your preference cook rice either in a cooker or on the stovetop. Rice should be fluffy not soft and mushy. While rice is cooking prepare the vegetables and seasonings. Slice the cherry tomatoes and Serrano chilies in half. Blanch the sweet pea pods. Cut carrots in small strips. Grate the ginger. Finely chop the mint and cilantro. When your prep work is finished and the rice is done cooking, heat oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add chopped chilies and cook for 30 seconds. Add mint, cilantro and ginger. Fry for an additional 30 seconds. Then add cooked rice and salt to taste fry for 1 or 2 minutes. Add peas and carrots. Transfer the rice to a shallow serving bowl. Just before serving add tomatoes and caramelized peanuts.

Caramelized peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread peanuts on baking sheet with foil and lightly roast them in the oven. When lightly roasted remove peanuts from oven and drizzle with corn syrup. Place them back in the oven and bake for and additional 6 to 8 minutes.

♦ ♦ ♦

Pratima Anaé got her start in the entertainment industry when she was crowned Miss Indiana USA. She went on to Miss USA and made Miss Universe history as the first woman of East Indian descent to place in the top ten. Currently Pratima is an Actress, Model, and Host. Her print work has been featured in various publications. A few of her credits include appearances in “The New Girl” and “Outsourced.” Additionally, Pratima hosts a series of lifestyle events. She has conducted interviews with Salman Rushdie and Kal Penn in connection with this endeavor. She most recently started a personal blog entitled, Love Pratima.

Filed Under: Connecting, Food + Recipes Tagged With: culture, family, food, gluten free, herbs, heritage, Indian, meatless mondays, recipes, tradition, vegan, vegetarian

Your Own Song

July 19, 2012 by Natureal Mom Comments

A woman in my local Holistic Mom’s Network chapter shared a beautiful story about how a certain African tribe comes together and uses song to remind us of who we really are. Touching my heart with inspiring words of wisdom, I share this story with you.

There is a tribe in Africa where the birth date of a child is not counted on the day of his birth or when he was conceived, but on the day he was a thought in his mother’s mind.

She would go out into the wilderness and sit under a tree and listen until she heard the song of the child, for every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique purpose. She would then return to the tribe and teach it to the midwives and older women in the village who would also sing the child’s song.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child’s song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the union hears their song. Finally, when the his or her soul is about to pass from this world, the community gathers again, just as they did at his or her birth, to sing the soul into the next life.

There is one other occasion upon which the village would sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or aberrant act, the individual is called to the center of the village and the people in the community form a circle around him or her and sing the song.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for negative behavior is not punishment, but rather love and the remembrance of identity. When you recognize your own song, you have no desire to do anything that would hurt yourself or another.

We all have times in our life when we get off course and lose sight of who we are. The essence of who we truly are is often hidden by our perceived limitations, mistakes, insecurities and fears. We all have a unique melody that we came into this world to express, and when we’ve forgotten the words to our song, our friends, family and community are there to sing it back to us!

Filed Under: Baby + Kids, Community, Connecting, Inspiration, Parenting, Pregnancy + Birth, Spirituality Tagged With: birth, Children, community, conscious parenting, identity, inspiration, life lessons, motherhood, Parenting, spirituality, tradition

The Family Dinner

March 10, 2012 by Natureal Mom Comments

There is great meaning in the simple daily ritual of gathering together for an evening meal. We have dinner together as a family almost every night. We have come to know a rhythm of preparing the meal, setting the table, taking a moment of blessings and gratitude, connecting, eating and cleaning up together.

We don’t have a yard with our own garden yet but every Sunday we walk to the local farmer’s market and gather fresh seasonal and organic fruits, vegetables and herbs that will be used to prepare wholesome, nourishing meals throughout the week.

Natureal Dad & Natureal Baby ~ 2011

We eat close to the earth keeping away from highly processed, genetically modified or overly sweetened foods. Our meals are simple yet flavorful and consist of different kinds of grains, legumes, colorful fruits and vegetables. We prepare lots of soups, stews and salads.

Local Farmers Market

Our child is still very young but he takes part in the process by helping to soak beans, rinse vegetables and dry dishes. A personally cherished part of our mealtime tradition is setting a beautiful table. The table is usually covered with one of my grandmother’s tablecloths that have been passed down to me. Fresh flowers are displayed and seasonal touches are added like leaves, branches, acorns, flowers, pinecones and berries. Handcrafted cherry wood plates, bowls, cutlery, and cloth napkins are set for each meal. A candle is lit to bring reverence to a special time as we all sit in one space together as a family. After the plates are rinsed, we occasionally take a moment to apply an all-natural beeswax polish with jojoba oil to seal each wooden piece.

In our home, we start the meal by holding hands to form unity and say a blessing over our food. After the blessing is said we take a moment to be grateful for each other and the earth from which our food comes. During the meal we exchange our thoughts, share experiences and things learned. We choose not to have adult conversation at the dinner table. The mood is relaxed, light and loving. We also do not watch television, answer the phone, check emails, texts or allow other intrusions during this sacred time. On Friday evenings, we welcome Shabbat (Sabbath) and add special candles, wine and challah (braided egg bread) to the meal and recite special blessings and sing songs.

Studies have also shown many benefits for families that eat together. Kids are more likely to do well in their studies, have good social skills, eat more fruits and vegetables, build their vocabularies, and are less likely to engage in destructive behaviors, suffer from depression or develop eating disorders. Another study found that mothers who put in long hours on the job reported less stress, strain and conflict if they were able to make it home in time for dinner.

Family meals cultivate warmth, security and a sense of belonging. May your meal time with your family be met with beauty, love and togetherness. ♥