19/04/2023
I got trained as a cook in Turkey where sitting down for a meal means you have at least 4-5 things to eat. This is the minimum number that only is appropriate for a bachelor cooking for himself or a housewife turning a quick fix for the unexpected guests. No matter rich or poor, you make sure the variety is there. Anyway, my mom used to say, “The poverty starts in the consciousness” as she turned an 8 course family lunch on a regular day even when the times we’re tough.
Later I found that this Turkish culinary abundance comes from the Vedic tradition, still visible in the Middle East and very much so in India. Some may say, their climate favours gastronomic abundance. But no, it is not the climate, it is the certain level of culture and knowledge. And that knowledge says that your meal has to satisfy all the senses by the variety of tastes, smells, colors, textures and even the sounds the food makes as you munch. So it is not a huge plate of pasta or, God forgive, a chunk of something much less kosher, but a number of smaller nibbles that brings true satisfaction to the body and mind.
Making a number of smaller dishes has long become my standard at home. Even when I have a rest day and absolutely no desire to cook (yes, it happens even with the best of us🙈) I still cannot settle on a one-dish meal.
I have made this plate today and it took me 30 minutes. You could make it more fancy but I was happy with it as is:
1️⃣🌿 Mustard green and radish salad from our farm garden with olive oil, black salt and chunky chaat masala
2️⃣-3️⃣🍞My rye sourdough with white bean paste, capers and lemon thyme
4️⃣🫕 Pumpkin cream soup with cashew cream
This is my definition of a lazy day lunch: satisfying and effortless. Minimum 4 things.
If you are curious about the recipes (and who is not😉), write the number in the comment. I will happily share.
