Kurma

If you're a regular Kurma blogee, you would have heard this before. If not, read on...

Olaf Hendriksen from The Netherlands asks:

"Why are Krishna devotees not allowed to eat garlic and onion?"

Short answer:

Devotees don't eat garlic and onions because they cannot be offered to Krishna. They are members of a botanical family (alliums) that stimulate the central nervous system and are counter-productive to devotions.

Long answer:

You may know that onions and garlic are botanical members of the Allium family - along with leeks, chives and shallots. According to Ayurveda, India's classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories - sattvic, rajasic and tamasic - foods in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other Alliums are classified as rajasic and tamasic, which means that they increase passion and ignorance. {"Garlic and onions are both Rajasic and Tamasic, and are forbidden to Yogis because they root the consciousness more firmly in the body", says Dr.Robert E.Svoboda}

Those that subscribe to pure brahmana-style cooking of India, including myself, and Vaishnavas - followers of Lord Vishnu, Rama and Krishna - like to only cook with foods from the sattvic category. These foods include fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, dairy products, grains and legumes, and so on. Specifically, Vaisnavas do not like to cook with rajasic or tamasic foods because they are unfit to offer to the Deity.

Rajasic and tamasic foods are also not used because they are detrimental to meditation and devotions. Of course some of the Alliums have specific health benefits; garlic is respected as a natural antibiotic.

In recent years, the cardiovascular implications of vegetable Alliums has been studied in some detail, although the clinical implications of onion and garlic consumption from this point of view are not well understood (Block 1992; Briggs et al. 2001).

Nevertheless, despite medical comings and goings, alliums are still avoided by spiritual adherents because they stimulate the central nervous system, and can disturb vows of celibacy. {Garlic is a natural aphrodisiac. Ayurveda suggests that it is a tonic for loss of sexual power from any cause, sexual debility, impotency from over-indulgence in sex and nervous exhaustion from dissipating sexual habits. It is said to be especially useful to old men of high nervous tension and diminishing sexual power.}

You may be aware that many strict vegetarian Buddhists also do not eat any of the Alliums for the same reasons as adherents of India's Ayurveda - they disturb meditation. If you visit any strict vegetarian Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, or Japanese restaurant anywhere in the world you will most likely find no Alliums in any of the cooking.

In ancient Tao writings, one sage Tsang-Tsze described the Alliums as the "five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables" , and that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs - liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart.

Tsang-Tsze said that these pungent vegetables contain five different kinds of enzymes which cause "reactions of repulsive breath, extra-foul odour from perspiration and bowel movements, and lead to lewd indulgences, enhance agitations, anxieties and aggressiveness," especially when eaten raw.

That in a nutshell is why I don't cook with garlic and onions.

(ps...If you're up to it, here's some more astonishing stuff about garlic.)

(pps...and even more bad news about garlic.)

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Namita Gupta from Kuala Lumpur writes:

"I have experience of making naan bread in a gas-tandoor. Now I am trying to prepare it using microwave oven (with convection function). Please can you give me the method how to make one."

My reply:

Well I never use microwave ovens, of all varieties. They are rubbish, unhealthy and useless for all breadmaking, in my opinion. Sorry to be so frank but I would never dream of trying to cook Naan in a microwave oven.

If you can find a regular oven, here is my recipe for Naan without a tandoor.

Punjabi Baked Flatbread (Naan)

This popular leavened bread, especially enjoyed in Punjab in north-west India and Pakistan, is cooked in a traditional coal or wood-fired clay oven called a tandoor. Many versions of this flat bread are found throughout central Asia, from Iran in the East to the Soviet countries in the North.

The breads, enriched with milk, yogurt and butter, are slapped onto the inner walls of the hot oven where they cook quickly, partially puffing, and taking on a smoky flavour. The occasional charred spot from where the flames lick them adds a delightful crisp textured crust. This recipe calls for a household griller, which does a pretty good job.

If you have a tandoor oven, all the better. Naan are traditionally sprinkled with kalonji seeds that are also known as nigella seeds and occasionally misnamed as onion seeds. Kalonji seeds are available at Indian and specialty grocers.

DOUGH RESTING TIME: about 4 1/2 hours
PREPARATION TIME: about 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 6 minutes per bread
YIELD: 6 naan

1/2 teaspoons dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup yogurt
4 tablespoons melted butter or ghee
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kalonji seeds
about 1/2 cup extra warm water
2 teaspoons extra kalonji seeds

Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in a small bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes frothy.

Mix the frothy yeast mixture with the warm milk, yogurt and melted butter or ghee. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon kalonji seeds in a large bowl, and add the blended wet ingredients. Mix well, adding a little of the extra warm water at a time until the mixture leaves the side of the bowl and becomes a non-sticky, kneadable dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and set it aside in a warm place for about 4 hours or until it is well risen.

Punch the dough down and knead it briefly, adding a little flour if it is sticky. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and form each piece into a smooth ball. Place the balls on an oiled plate and cover them with plastic wrap. Allow the balls to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Pre-heat the griller to the highest setting. Place a shelf 12.5cm (5 inches) under the heat source, and pre-heat your baking sheet. Roll and stretch a ball of dough into a teardrop shape, about 25cm (10 inches) long and 12.5cm (5 inches) wide at its base. Repeat for one more ball of dough and spray the bread with water. Sprinkle on half the extra kalonji seeds.

Place the breads under the griller and cook them for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they rise and turn golden brown. Avoid placing the breads too close to the griller, otherwise the breads may not fully cook inside before browning. If you wish, allow the breads to become slightly toasted, with a few charcoal flecks.

Remove the breads from the oven, cover them with a clean teatowel and repeat the procedure for the remaining breads. Serve the naan hot or warm.

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