The poster announcing cookery classes for Ayurvedic food in Fort Kochi is as intriguing as it is welcoming. A hub for tourists, the area has laid out the best of Kerala on a platter for travellers who come to the must-see destination. Hence all things Indian and true-blue Kerala are up there, possibly in introductory versions. Alkiya Tanveer a Kashmiri from Srinagar whose family runs Orane Arts on Princess Street has been holding cookery classes for six years and her latest diversification is into Ayurvedic recipes and food. Says the 30-year-old mother of two, “I am passionate about cooking and am learning more about Ayurvedic food. I am self-taught. I come from Kashmir and the Himalayan region has its recipes and eating habits derived from nature and a natural lifestyle. The foreigners who come here are eager to learn Yoga and meditation, so I thought of starting a course that will only strengthen such a lifestyle.”
For Alkiya the meaning of Ayurveda, a vast and ancient medical science, is the meaning of life. The rush of modern day and its fast lifestyle has resulted in wrong eating habits and her classes deal with the way food should be consumed for healthy living. Eat only when hungry, eat in a clam atmosphere, concentrate on the food, involve all your five senses while eating, eat local and sit cross-legged on the floor while eating are some of the tenets of Ayurvedic food intake. According to her, “sitting cross legged on the floor, eating calmly, with all one’s mind into the foods that one is consuming is imperative.” She laments the casual attitude people have nowadays towards eating, while on phone, watching TV, using laptops and such. The popularity of junk foods too she says is alarming and the need of the hour is to address these issues.
To aid digestion she advocates chewing a small piece of salted ginger, drizzled with lemon juice before a major meal. Mixing of cold and hot foods is taboo and she recommends eating only freshly prepared foods. As against the prevailing notion that Ayurveda food is only vegetarian, she says non-vegetarian food can be consumed but should be according to the body type, and that there are three body types in Ayurvedic science.
A student of business studies Alkiya’s love for natural lifestyle and for the richness of traditional knowledge led her to explore the wellness properties of ayurveda. In her classes she shares not only some Kashmiri recipes but also cooks local vegetables in Ayurvedic style.
Kashmiri food is Mughalai, she says and uses spices like turmeric, black pepper, cumin and coriander. Alkiya’s husband Tanveer Phumboo has been in Kerala for the past 15 years and runs handicraft stores in the city.
To beat the summer heat Alkiya shares a few recipes with pomegranate and gourds.
Pomegranate chutney:
Sweet chutney: Add green chillies to pomegranate juice and blend in a mixer. Add sugar and place on flame till it thickens slightly. Add little rose water.
Spicy chutney: Add onion, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt to taste, garlic and ginger paste to pomegranate juice and mix. It will have a sauce consistency and is very effective in cooling the body.
Ridge Gourd vegetable: Wash and cut the gourd. Season cumin seeds, green chillies in a pan and sauté for three to four minutes. Put the gourd in. Add sliced garlic and salt to taste. Cover and cook. The vegetable gives off water as it cooks. Add turmeric and black pepper powder and cook till the water dries up.
Kashmiri salted tea- noon chai
The traditional Kashmiri green tea is good for summer heat. Take green tea and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, add salt and substantial amount of milk. Boil further and serve hot.
