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Think of Food. That delicious dish you had eaten earlier.

You may already have a smile on your face. A memory might have flashed across your head. Those crunchy snacks that made our rainy monsoons cozy, the dessert that made our dinner date perfect, the street food that added flavours to our friends day out, the pickles that smelled the love of our mother and grandmothers, the little cakes that surprised us on birthdays, the instant foods that saved our exam days, those secret recipes that blended bonding into our relationships or a dish that fills in the void of Loss – Food could always walk into the secret corner of eternal gratefulness in our being.

Food is not limited to the content that we gulp down in hurry before rushing to work, while in business meetings or the chattering social Dinners. Food is also not just those packets of branded super content that we blend with our brainwashed concepts of health. Food could mean more than those stacks of frozen bags sleeping In the convenience of our cold storage and the comfort of our microwave machines.

Food has become that bridge between me and my childhood when the days were lit by the soul stirring smell and taste of lunch boxes that my parents packed with love. Food could bring me back to those joyous moments of connection and sharing Friendship. Food has been the attraction for many of the most meaningful conversations with some dearest people in my life.

Haven’t we all missed some of our comfort food while being in various parts of the world? Be it traveling to a remote place to grab a bite of the most authentic flavor or cajoling our family to prepare our favorite dishes,Haven’t we all made rigorous efforts for the console of food?

For me, Food is an intimate companion for life. Food is my mother who taught that love is the secret ingredient. Food is my friend who consoles me when I am disturbed. Food is my therapist who uplifts my emotions. Food is my doctor who keeps me Healthy in body and mind. Food is my Master who taught me Gratitude.

The ancient literature of India quotes that Food is God. Isn’t it marvelous that Your thoughts and emotions depend on the quality of food you consume?

One becomes Uplifted when one consumes what is Godly and give what is Godly.

We are living in the era where the world has consumed our brain with information explosion of marketing gimmicks. The stores are flooded with superfoods, instant foods, diet trends and replacement foods. We have confined ourselves to eating what is convenient, exotic  and tasty.

So I believe that it’s time to take a turn.Let us travel back in time to when Food was Pure and Intimate, When Food was God. Let us bring that Food back in our lives. Let us transcend from the information we gathered about food from internet to the wisdom of Preparing, Consuming and Sharing Intimate Food. Let us make an effort to become the Scientists and Artists of Intimate Nutrition.

Intimacy is Born from Love, watered by Respect, nurtured by Values from tradition and thus provides us Strength and Joy. Aren’t we grateful for those Intimate Moments, People, Places, Experiences and Memories? Hasn’t the Purity of Intimacy claimed Eternity in our Being?

I believe it’s Time to add Food to the list of our Intimate. That Food which is Resourced, Prepared and Consumed with the Purity of Intimacy becomes a Medicine. Such food gains the power to Heal our Body and Mind. Intimate food becomes our step towards Immunity.

Let us explore the secrets of Food. To begin with, let us relearn about Purity of food. Purity of Food is not limited to buying Organic products and Washing them before cooking.

There are 5 types of purity related to food.

1. Purity of Ingredients – Organically Grown, Seasonal and Local Ingredients could be included in regular consumption over the Exotic and Expensive products.

2. Purity of Utensils of Preparation– Use Organic Iron, Steel, Brass, Mud and Wood based Utensils for cooking rather than aluminium and Teflon based utensils. Thoroughly wash and dry the utensils immediately before and after Cooking.

3. Purity of Place – Let the place of Cooking be Clean and Organised. Avoid piling Garbage, leaving Unwashed vessels and left overs of previous meals unattended, leaving products disorganised and the floor dirty.

4. Purity of the Person – Ensure your Personal Hygiene before beginning to cook. Let there be Gratefulness and Peace in your mind while preparing the food. Engaging in cooking while emotionally disturbed, mentally confused or conversing a gossip is discouraged.

5. Purity of Process– Let Cooking be an Art and not a task for you. While preparing food, avoid using Incompatible food components together. Avoid reheating cooked food multiple times. Take some time out to learn the process of preparation of food beyond just combining and heating various ingredients and flavours.

Welcome to an intimate and soulful journey of transcendence with Food. To begin with , here is the recipe of a drink I use often in my house during Spring, Winter, Monsoon and when Kids are sick.

Thulsi Health Drink/ Tulsi Kaappi

Ingredients:

1. 1. Cleaned Tulsi/Holy Basil leaves- 1/2 Cup(fresh)
   2. Pure water.              -2 glass
   3. Black Jaggery.   -100gm
   4. Black Pepper powder.  -1/2 Teaspoon
   5. Fried Cumin powder. -1/4 Teaspoon
   6. Dry ginger powder.   -1/4 Teaspoon
   7. Cardamom powder.          -1/6  Teaspoon
   8. Pure desi cow ghee  -1 Teaspoon.

Preparation time : 3 minutes.

Cooking time : 7 minutes.

Preparation:

• • In an organic clean pot, Boil the water with ingredients 1 to 7. let the tea continue to rolling boil for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off.
  • Filter the tea into a cup. Add one teaspoon of ghee to it. Consume Warm.

Properties:

• • Improves Digestion.
  • Boosts immunity.