Is Quinoa a grain or not?

Friday, August 28, 2009

Quinoa is actually not a grain although it is consumed much as one would consume grains like rice, wheat, or couscous.  It is a grain liek crop that originated in South America several thousand years ago.  Quinoa has a high protein content and is an excellent choice for vegetarians, especially to try something new.

Quinoa cooks much faster than rice. Stir fry some vegetables and season with mustard seeds, turmeric powder, urad dal, and chana dal.  Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Feel my Pulse for Protein

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Pulses are legumes.  They are an excellent source of protein.  Lentils or dal (Indian word) belong to the pulse family of crops.  Pulses and grains, like rice and wheat, consumed together provide an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates.

Vegetarians in many cultures have long consumed a variety of lentils.  Especially in the Indian sub-continent, lentils and other pulses are very popular and are used to cook a variety of dishes.  Several studies have shown nutritional and health advantages of a diet incorporating pulses and grains.

While lentils are grown throughout the world, India is the largest consumer of lentils and also produces half the world's production.

Am I a Vegetarian

In the past, on several occasions, I have had to define the term vegetarian for others.  When I have asked to be accommodated as a vegetarian, I have been asked, sea food is fine right?  On one occasion, I was asked, fish is ok right?  It is amazing what different people think being vegetarian means.

I only have one definition.  A vegetarian is a person whose diet consists of only plant-based food and diary. The diet does not include any type of animal food including meat, sea food, poultry or even eggs.  There are vegetarians who do incorporate eggs in their diet and are called ovo-vegetarians.  Others are do strict that they do not consume any diary at all.  They are called vegans.

Hope this clarifies my position on who is a vegetarian.

Cheers,
- Venkat

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Tiffin?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

All of us are used to breakfast, lunch, dinner or as some say it "supper".  So what exactly is a tiffin?

Tiffin has its origins in India at the time of the British colonial rule.  These days it has taken on multiple meanings. It refers to a light snack in between the traditional lunch and dinner times.  It also refers to a meal, usually lunch, that is packed or boxed and carried to work or shipped to someone.  The container that holds the "tiffin" is called a "tiffin carrier".

If you are hungry in between meals, reach out for a tiffin.

Cheers!!

Welcome to booaah!

If you are already here reading this blog, I am sure you must be wondering about the name "booaah".  The word was coined by my daughter when she was 1.5 years old to denote something to drink.  The word stuck and we use that word in my family even today to denote a drink.  The word is pronounced boo'aah.

I wanted to share with everyone my experiences of being a life-long vegetarian, cuisines, exotic places, diets, cooking tips, health tips, recipes, and anything else that would make us all healthy, wealthy and wise.  After all, Health is Wealth.  I will poll the audiences from time to time on various topics.  I am also open to suggestions on what the audience would like me to cover in a particular post.

In addition to being a life-long vegetarian, I have traveled extensively all over the United States as well as Europe and India.  I have managed to stay vegetarian through all my travels and living in different countries.  I have also managed to devise interesting recipes with a fusion of multi-ethnic cuisines.  I wanted to share the information I possess through this blog.

Here's to Your Health!

Cheers,
- Venkat