Cooking
Like an Urban Yogee
Be an Urban Yogee... in the kitchen!
You are what you eat, said the wise ones. So what you eat, how you prepare it, when you consume it... all of that either makes you... or breaks you.
Why Organic?
nature nurtures you best
You've heard and read about organic being good for you, but do you know why? The answer is - a powerful biological engine.
The 3 Gunas of Food
food have doshas too
Everything edible can be divided into 3 categories, based on its effect on the mind, body and soul of the person consuming it.
The Right Pots & Pans
tools of the trade
The utensils you cook in are as important, if not more, as what you cook. Ensure your food is being prepared right, served right and stored right.
Mitahaar
get your food right
Central to yoga and ayurveda, the concept of mitahaar is right kind of food in the right amounts, at the right time of the day and in the right season.
Faraali Food
alkalise & detox diet
A little known, must-have category of naturally alkalising foods that keep you healthy, faraali foods are a core part of a sattvic yogee diet.
Fermented Food
traditional probiotics
All disease starts in the gut, and keeping your gut bacteria happy is something the ancient cultures knew a lot about (even without microscopes!).
Yogee Cooking Essentials
Make your food your medicine, so you don't need to make medicines your food.
The Urban Yogee's kitchen is not just for food preparation - it's also basecamp for wellness and healing, for looking good and feeling great! Everything in your kitchen has benefits for you, when used in various ways - in your food, applied on your body or added to your immediate living environment. The pages below detail uses and benefits of each of these ingredients and how they can be used as food or as home remedies and cosmetics.
The Ideal Spice Box flavours & more
The very first thing to be attended to when setting up a kitchen, this source of all the flavours in your food can also be a source of healing. Learn about every one of the must-haves for your kitchen's spice box - and why it should be there.
Herbs nature's taste-makers
Fragrant herbs, fresh or dried, are nature's little packets of taste makers which add that extra pinch of health and vitality to your diet. Most can also be used as natural pharmacopia, if you know how to use them as medicine.
Fats & Oils cooking base
The cooking medium is as important to healthy cooking as is the freshness of the ingredients. Know your oil from your fat, and the good from the bad. In every instance though, the less the processing and refining, the better it is for you.
Grains & Cereals staples
The bulk of the diet of every civilisation and culture round the globe, grains and cereal have long been the base of food pyramid. Although now, with labour saving devices and the corresponding decrease in physical activity, this tier should float higher up (on the food pyramid).
Breads modern staples
Modern day staples are made from the traditional staples of grains and cereals, but easier to make and sell commercially, and thus have become the modern day staples. While premade foods are not very Urban Yogee, breads are made fresh daily, both commercially as well as artisanally. You can always find chemical and preservative free breads from home bakers near you.
Legumes - Beans & Peas, Lentils & Pulses get your protein
Rich source of healthy protein for vegetarians and vegans, legumes are plants whose roots fix nitrogen in the soil that they grow in, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers as well as preserve soil fertility and prevent soil erosion. These should really get their own level on the base of the food pyramid!!
Veggies & Greens nourishing nutrients
Minerals, vitamins, trace elements, fibre, even some proteins and carbs, vegetables have it all! Best had locally grown and seasonal, skip this food group at your own risk! Go green to get healthy, and eat all the vegetables!!!
Fresh Fruit Bowl vitamins & more
Probably the earliest form of sustenance for humans, even before they settled down to agrarian life, fresh fruits stir something deep within our genetic memory. Saisfying, easy to digest and nutritious, these provide essential vitamins and trace elements like no other fruit does.
Dry Fruits energisers
The best snacks ever, fruits that are sun-dried when in season make for a form of highly concentrated nutrition that is portable yet nourishing. They can safely be used to indulge both your sweet tooth and salty cravings.
Nuts & Seeds power-ups
Apparently these days an apple wont keep the doctor away, but a handful of seeds and nuts will. Or so we are told. Chock full of good fats, heart and liver friendly, these longevity extending, wellness boosting power-ups fit in the palm of your hand. Seems the best things in life, and for life, do come in the littlest packages!
From the Dairy all things lactose
Milk is a must in a yogee's diet. In fact, it forms the base of the yogee food pyramid - milk based products are not far behind. And now there is so much more to milk - A2 or A1? Holstein or Jersey cows? Or should it be Indian cows? Camel or goat milk?
Beverages pitchers of health
We are more than 70% water, yet liquids dont seem to have tier of their own on the food pyramid. Hmmmm.... Beverages are a source of sustenance as much as food. Infact for good health, ayurveda and mitahaara advocate filling your tummy a third with solid food, a third with liquid and a third to be kept empty for air.
Condiments table additions
Accompaniments added to the plate, these bring that extra zing and flavour to your meals. The dullest of meals can be made most exciting by judious use of sauces, relish, pickles and other condiments.