Yesterday we began renovating our kitchen and bathroom. The last two weeks have been spent planning a smooth transition to renovation mode, setting up a make-shift kitchen with a two element electric stove, the fridge, coffee maker, utensils, basic groceries, and planning simple meals that might make their way into a recipe book entitled "simple vegetarian recipes for renovators". I feel joyful in my temporary kitchen which takes me back to my childhood days of playing house. In addition, the "hardship" from making do is romantic since it makes me feel quite righteous and triumphant against odds. You see this "kitchen" is not centrally heated and the access to it from the rest of the house is past the rubble of the areas being renovated. Given our below zero temperatures it feels like a Delhi kitchen in the winter or worse. I have to bundle myself up, shoes, coat and all before commencing work in it. Adding to the "hardship" element is the necessary trudge to the bathroom down the hall, past the rubble to wash dishes. I find myself more mindful, with greater awareness of all that I take for granted and greater empathy for people whose lives are makeshift due to abject poverty, war or both. In a very practical sense, this attentiveness helps me plan ahead given that cooking is a lot slower and often requires coordination with pressure cooker, rice-cooker/steamer, since I have a low capacity stove and no oven. I wake up super early, while it still seems like night outside, to cook breakfast and lunch before leaving the house. As I increase the space in my house, I am experiencing greater space and silences between my thoughts. Maybe from the mindfulness?!

Here's one to get you started

This dish reminds me of days spent eating spinach, picked from the shores of the river Cauvery, cooked in a stone pot on a firewood stove. Takes me back to my uncle's house in Mayavaram where i spent summers as a child!

In a little pressure cooker add a tablespoon of oil and once it is heated add half a teaspoon of mustard seeds, one teaspoon of black gram dhal (urad), 1/4 spoon fenugreek seeds, pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves, a couple of dried red chillies- add 1 bunch chopped spinach, quarter cup cooked red gram (tur) dhal. Add quarter cup water, let the steam come out, add the weight and turn off after one soundb. Lightly hand blend with salt. Great with hot rice and mango pickle.