My First North-Indian Lunch

It's rare when I post twice a week on this blog, but I couldn't resist bragging about my first home-cooked North Indian lunch :) It took me just under an hour, but I did it! I haven't been cooking for awhile now and I'd forgotten how peaceful the process makes me feel. Links to recipes are below, if you want to give these dishes a go:

Kothu Paratha Recipe 
Palak Paneer Recipe
Coriander and Mint Raita Recipe 

Happy cooking (and of course, eating!)

Clockwise (from left): Palak paneer, kothu paratha and coriander and mint raita

Six Foods To Help You Focus

Although I'm an advocate of single-tasking, there are instances when even I am forced to multi-task. In such cases, I know that I have to focus on two things at one time. (At the time of writing, I'm listening to my favourite radio station while writing this post). Multi-tasking requires intense focus, which sometimes escapes me for reasons only the universe can explain. Which is why this article by MindBodyGreen.com gave me a jolt of reality: food is the answer! The reason I can't focus very well sometimes is because I'm missing out on foods that help me focus. For you lazies who don't want to read the whole article, I've listed the six foods cited in the article: 

1) Berries

2) Whole grains- such as oatmeal, quinoa and barley

3) Omega 3-rich foods such as walnuts, flax seed and chia seeds

Note: Here's a quick recipe for getting enough Omega-3 from Patrick Holford's "Optimum Nutrition": Grind 100g respectively of flax seed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds and sunflower seeds and mix. Store in the fridge to prevent mixture going rancid. Consume 1 tablespoon of this mixture every day (I like mine in smoothies and with my meals).

4) Leafy greens

5) Caffeine

6) Foods rich in nitric oxide, such as cayenne pepper, jalapenos, dark chocolate and beets

What Not To Say To Someone Who Doesn't Eat Meat

This is cute; the Huffington Post came out with an article of sorts yesterday, featuring the pet peeves of vegetarians and vegans. I have to admit that my top two are: "Don't you miss meat?" and "Are you sure you're getting enough protein?".

What are yours?

Indians turning vegan

India has long been known as one of the best destinations to go for vegetarians, due to its large vegetarian population. Unfortunately, Indians are also large consumers of cow's milk, making this practice a no-no among vegans, who are against the exploitation of cows for milk and meat. 

Being a vegetarian and a Hindu, I can understand why vegans (especially those who are Hindu) are against the exploitation of cows for their milk. Factory farming is cruel and an animal as gentle as a cow shouldn't have to suffer so humans can eat. Although I'm not yet ready for veganism, I can appreciate and respect it and that's why I was happy to read a recent article about Indian-born Indians who are turning vegan.