Author: Sattva Tattva

Until we decide to change something, we never know the extent of our knowledge or ignorance. It is important to be open and willing to test this out for yourself.
Swami Vivekananda once said:

“Experience is the only source of knowledge.”

You can read more about where this quotes from here.
In response to last month’s blog post about the importance of Sattvic food, a reader sent me this question:

“Ma, people are telling me not to stop eating onion and garlic because it will affect the sperm count.”

Here is some information about the kinds of food that enhance sperm production and the sperm count in men: (more…)

One of my newsletter subscribers asked me this question: “Why does sattvic diet avoid onion or garlic?”

Thank you for asking this question. I am answering this question in the blog because it might help other people also.

People often tell me, “We are vegetarians. So, we eat sattvic food.”

One common misunderstanding about sattvic diet is that any vegetarian food is sattvic food. The science and philosophy of sattvic diet is based on several inter-related practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, and to some extent, Jainism. (more…)

When I traveled to Turkey, it took me only 20-minutes to convey to the tuk-tuk driver that I was looking for an eatery that served vegetarian food. The success was not due to my ability to speak Turkish or Arabic.
In my garbled talk in English and a mixture of Hindi and Urdu, I blurted the password that made the communication successful. Dal!
A bowl of warm dal with butter and salt was my first meal in two days. (more…)

Food means different things to different people. For my grandma, food was medicine. She said,

“A good cook needs no medicine.”

What she meant was, a vigilant mother cooked for the health of the family. If a child is having sore throat, she would cook up foods with ginger and pepper. The food would not only support the recovery of the child, but it would also provide immunity for the whole family. In this instance, food is both a medicine and a meal. (more…)

Growing up, I saw turmeric used for numerous purposes around the home.

We used it to drive away ants and other insects. We used it as beauty aid. Our kumkum, the red dot between our eyebrows, was made with turmeric.
We ate turmeric when we were sick. We ate turmeric when we celebrated. Our thanksgiving, Pongal, festival was incomplete without live turmeric plant. We offered turmeric in worship. We gave turmeric to ladies when they visited the home. I cannot recall a time when turmeric was not a part of my life. (more…)

Our friend M—— told us his tale of how he came to love Indian food. Growing up in a traditional Western household, he ate a lot of meat and potatoes. At that time, he thought it was tasty.
Then, he went to college in the East coast. As a student, he soon realized that he faced three challenges. First, to find cheap food. Second, he needed to find source of food that would fill him. He had a healthy appetite! Third, ideally, he wanted to find a place that did not place limit on the number of servings. His quest lead him to the Indian restaurants in the downtown. (more…)

Since 2009, when I started Dine for Charity, I have highlighted the need for and importance of vegetarian diet. I have also taught vegetarian cooking classes. In my classes, I have always found that the versatility of the vegetables and the flavors of spices have been received with much positive joy. Many students have continued to use the recipes long after the class has been completed. Many have requested me to compile the recipes into cookbooks.
I am starting a new chapter in this journey with the launch of new series of cookbooks under Return to Source. You can find more details about the project here. (more…)