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The way to the heart

PHOTO: S. SUBRMANIUM

EAT WELL Kaushani displaying her potato cutlets and laddoos

Listening to young Kaushani Desai we are reminded of what our grandma told us about healthy cooking and how. But today we rush to have readymade food for lack of time or willingness. Kaushani, who teaches herbal cooking, doesn’t ‘force’ one to do it. She just says, “If you cook food at all, just change the way you do it, and the ingredients”. Boasting no aristocratic bearing, Kaushani’s convincing ‘herbal cooking’ course does wonders to your mind, kitchen habits and the belly.

Hailing from Gujarat, Kaushani, who has successfully propagated the Ayurvedic way of life through herbal cooking courses in Europe, West Asia, Africa and Pakistan, etc., was in NCR this past week to conduct the course.

The six day, three-hour daily course is divided into theory and practical cooking. It takes care of the digestive, toxic and the disease process in the body and also teaches the medicinal values of different spices. She says, “I take care of three things to cook best; the aesthetics, taste and aroma, and nutrition. I keep at bay five white poisons; milk, sugar, refined oil, flour and ghee.” Just sample her yummy potato cutlet. “It is steamed and mashed potato, mixed with bottle grated gourd, pumpkin, roasted on iron pan and given a peanut coating,” she shares.

Kaushani has also written a recipe book which has not been published yet. She gives you simple tips on herbal cooking that is not only light on stomach but also calms the mind.

She says, “Because of our stressful life, we forget that the old way of cooking is the best. We should not cook in aluminium pots and non-stick cookware because they are carcinogenic; instead iron, earthen, stainless steel pots are best to cook and keep food. Small things like using black pepper instead of red powdered chilli, adding methi to pumpkin to lessen its gas effect, adding a little ajwain to roti or rice if you are eating it with some spicy vegetable as it will nullify the hot effect. Instead of sweets bought from the market, we can make date laddoos at home. It is quick preparation of fig powder, walnut, almonds, coated with coconut powder and mishri,” says Kaushani.

Kaushani’s course also emphasises meditation as Kaushani is a teacher with Art of Living group.

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