carrot raita & an offering

caminho boa vista

There is a spot on this property where three mighty cedar trees root together in a triangle, creating a vaulted, protected central glade below. This space draws you in, inviting a connection, a pause to listen, quietening our minds and becoming present in that moment of beauty. One of the trees has a girth of almost 2 meters and is so tall it makes a visible home landmark from as far as the Moorish Castle lookout. The thick branches welcome you in, reaching out and upwards for the sky. They stand firm against the fierce gales that hurl off the Atlantic in the summer months. On windy nights, they moan, shake and call to us in our cosy beds.

When we first moved here, we held fires under those trees; later, it became a place to rest, a place to contemplate and gaze up into the branches; still, later, a circle of flowers was planted, and one year, we hung a swing from one arm, spending hours daydreaming, spinning, soaking up the feeling of being held by them. Now, it has become a place of offering: Abi and her boys created a mandala, a gesture of their gratitude – made from things collected from the walks we did that week, from the land and sea, and the joyous celebration and wondrous family feeling of coming together in our home. Creating something in nature – a careful image, an honouring of beauty, an act of appreciation – can help you tap into the inner light and deepen your connection to it.

It also caught my attention each time I passed by it; now, I pass much more slowly. I slow down and bow my head a little; it offers me perspective, a feeling of being filled with light and allowing that light to flow through and out into this world.

Thank -you, Abi, Issac, Aaron & Seth.

benefits

Raita is a very soothing dish, with the overall property of being cooling for the body.  It is recommended to serve with 1 – 2 cups of cooked rice and becomes a very cleansing and satisfying meal to have in the evening.  In Ayurveda, it is said to evoke a good night sleep.

tips

• For a variation in taste, ¼ tsp lemon juice can be added and made with grated cucumber instead of carrot.
• This raita can be used as a dressing over a salad or roasted vegetables or accompanied with a spicy rice or grain dish or dal.
• Fresh curry leaves can be found at your local Indian Store and, when stored in the freezer, keep their flavour for up to 6 months. After being fried briefly in oil, they become a uniquely flavourful and crunchy surprise and benefit from their wonderful medicinal qualities.

carrot raita

Use heaped spoon measurements unless otherwise stated.

preparation 10 minutes

serves 2 person

Our teacher, Ganapati Aarya, shared the recipe as part of the Jivana Yoga Diploma.

ingredients

1 cup regular yoghurt

1 cup filtered water

½ cup carrot, finely grated

½ tsp ginger, finely grated

¼ tsp rock salt

voggarane

2 tsp melted coconut/peanut oil

¼ tsp black mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

10 fresh curry leaves – torn in half

2 pinches turmeric powder

preparation

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the yoghurt, add the water and whisk again until well combined.
2. Grate the carrot and ginger using the finer side of a box grater or parmesan grater. Stir into the yoghurt and add the salt. Set aside.

prepare the voggarane

3. In a small pan over medium heat, add the oil and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric powder and fry for 30 seconds, swishing the pan around to allow the spices to fry evenly. Then turn off the heat and add ¼ cups of the yoghurt mixture to the voggarane, swishing the pan to allow the spices to fry evenly.
4. Pour into the yoghurt mixture and mix well.

Serve with 1 – 2 cups of cooked rice, garnish with fresh coriander.

Goodness shared by Stacey