Amidst all these discussions, our humble Maharashtrian, healthy food hardly gets any recognition.
Throwing some light on the traditional Marathi dishes that never make it to the top & are probably unknown to the rest of India...
Masale bhaat/Tendli bhaat/Vaangi bhaat - Differently flavored rices made on different occasions. Masale bhaat has earned a place in the naivedya platter as an offering after a pooja in Marathi households. It's served with grated coconut as a topping.
I wonder what we would do without Puran poli & toop(ghee). Savored lovingly especially during Holi where ghee is used to balance out the dryness that may be caused by the Chanaa flour.
Matki usal (Sprouted matki curry) that goes wonderfully with chapati, rice, bhakri. There's also a Misal version of this that's eaten with pav (bread). Very much known to people because of its popularity.
Thalipeeth (Savory Multigrain Pancakes) - A power-packed breakfast made with multiple grain flours like jowar, rice, wheat, bajra and besan. Can be a very good weight-loss food that has complex carbohydrates and is packed with nutrients.
Khamang Kakdi Koshimbir and other varieties of Koshimbir - A great way to make vegetables easily digestible with the use of spices, tadka, coarsely crushed groundnut powder and coriander.
Crispy poha chiwda- Maharashtrians love their chiwda all-year round. A popular poha snack made with peanuts, curry leaves and cashewnuts. Quite healthy if made with less oil.
Kolhapuri Bhadang is a popular fiery spicy puffed rice-based snack from the historic city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. A treat for pungent and spicy food lovers.
Super-spicy and sweet combination due to tiny addition of powdered sugar.
Aloo wadi or Patrode (Stuffed rolled colacasia leaves) that belong to both Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisine. Rich in fibre, very good for gut health as colacasia has the power to clean up the debris in the gut. Again, should be fried in very less oil or simply shallow-fried.
The healthiest, fibre-rich monsoon veggie in Maharashtra and Goa. Paatal aloo chi bhaaji - Colacasia leaves curry that ensures a good bowel movement the next day. :)
It also gives you an itchy throat which is a testimony of its gut-scraping properties. Well, not literally 😀
Shengdanyachi Aamti or Peanut Curry- A humble fasting dish that goes with Bhagar or millet rice on fast days like Navratri, Ekadashi. Very creamy and delicious!
Pithale Bhakri - Thick creamy besan dish that's eaten with Jowar bhakri and green chilli thecha in rural Maharashtra on a regular basis. Also some cracked onions go along!
Bhoplyache Ghaarge - Sweet pooris made with jaggery, pumpkin pulp, sooji and fried in ghee. A great breakfast food or a snack food.
Can be had plain or along with pickles. Surely not known to many.
Solkadhi - Konkan style Kokum curry made with Kokum and coconuts.
A summer drink that's had with rice or is simply sipped on as a drink.
Known for its digestive and Pitta-reducing properties.
Batatyacha Rassa - Potato curry- traditional and quintessential part of Maharashtrian cuisine. This curry is loved by all especially children and is one of the easiest curries to make. Had with Pooris, chapati, rice or pav.
Lastly, my fav desserts of Maharashtra - Shrikhand, Aamras, Basundi. Well, you'll have to look them up if u don't know about them.
The dessert list of Maharashtra is never-ending. And most of them with healthy ingredients. Incompatible combos aren't used much in Marathi cooking.
There are many more main dishes and accompaniments that I've not listed here.
Do let me know if you've tasted these dishes already!
Maharashtra gave a lot to India sans the noise. 🥲
Thread ends~
Jai Maharashtra! 🚩
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For optimal functioning of the body, our brain has to run several millisecs ahead of the clocks that run our genes/systems down in the body, or else the message to organs and tissues to increase or decrease secretions can be received late. 1/3
This imperfect timing confuses the organs and tissues, and makes them operate with reduced functionality or not at all. You can take an eg. of how our computers run in 'safe mode'. That's how our body starts running with reduced functionality. 2/3
The only way to let our body function smoothly is by following daily and seasonal rhythms (Dinacharya and Ritucharya) so the master clock in our brain and the clock in our body communicate perfectly & prevent hormonal balances. 3/3
This chemical called #Xenoestrogen is a sub-category of hormonal disruptor groups that gets into our body through numerous sources (mentioned below) leading to estrogen dominance in the body.
Today, majority girls/women face menstrual issues right from the start of their menstrual cycle. Scanty menses/irregular cycle, mood swings, menstrual cramps, irritability during periods aren't normal. They can be associated with low estrogen.
Now, estrogen is a natural hormone in humans that is important for bone growth, blood clotting and reproduction & all above functions. Interestingly but unfortunately the surroundings we're living in release an abundance of a chemical that mimics the effects of estrogen.
🍺 Madya (Alcohol) in general stimulates digestion, penetrates deep into the channels, is capable of entering through minute pores & cleansing them, beneficial for both loss of sleep or excess sleep, is a laxative, confers good voice & complexion.
Here's the twist!
All the benefits accrue if alcohol is used judiciously. Consuming alcohol in abnormal quantities would do the exact opposite by accelerating ageing, producing intoxication & abnormalities in most organs of the body.
It is interesting to note that the consumption of alcohol, as per Ayurveda is advised from its medicinal perspective.
"It should be little, taken after food, never on empty stomach or in summers & should ideally be taken in the company of good friends & "not alone".
Sleep deprivation disrupts the acid-base balance of the body, leading to increased body heat & increased body heat in turn disrupts your normal sleep pattern.
It's a vicious cycle that won't get corrected unless you correct your habits & routine.
What can you do?
1) 🌡️Cooling down the body is the key.
If healthy & have good digestion, eat more alkalizing fruits like melon, grapes, black raisins, drink water stored in an earthen pot, eat more veggies from the gourd family, pumpkin, cucumbers, drink ripe coconut water 🥥
2) 🐟🍳 Avoid/limit acidic foods like meat, fish, milk, eggs, butter, tea/coffee, sugar, processed & refined foods like oils & grains, MSG-laden foods like canned ready-to-make soups & noodles, soda/aerated drinks, alcohol.
In short, avoid Rajasic foods. They make you restless.
Patola (Trichosanthes dioica, Pointed Gourd)- The wonder herb & vegetable.
One among the many vegetables that are beneficial for gut health & metabolism.
Low in calories, loaded with fibre, can be safely consumed in hypercholesterolemia, obesity, blood disorders.
Too much of acidic waste in the blood that comes from acidic fruits, foods & vegetables leads to loss of calcium & phosphorus from bones. An acidic body is a fertile ground for cancer. The entire *gourd* family from pointed to ash gourd belongs to the category of alkaline foods.
🌱You can correct your body's acid- base balance by increasing the alkaline foods & reducing the acidic foods in your diet. This reduces the risk of an array of lifestyle & metabolic disorders including cancer. Modern research too proves the wonder that is "Parwal".
How to identify natural & chemically grown/GMO produce?
- Nature never produces 2 fruits that look exactly the same. Every fruit will have varied shapes & shades of colors, no 2 fruits will have the same size & color all over. There will be different shades of yellow in a mango!
Chemical/GMO foods on the other hand will be all yellow/all orange with the same yellow & orange all over- no variations. They'll ripen uniformly. They'll also ripen faster as against their natural counterparts.
- Natural fruits are smaller in size. Chemically grown, huge!
- Natural produce is loved by keedas and insects. So if you see holes in the fruits & leaves, it's because it's naturally grown and is devoid of chemicals. Insects are actually more in sync with nature & it's cycles as against us humans ;( Also, they don't contaminate your food!