Every month or so for many years now, a group of my friends and I get together for an evening of laughter, fun and feasting that has included my friend Tiffany’s Vietnamese Spring Rolls (absolutely divine!), Nima’s Turkey Meatball Curry (out of this world delicious!) or most recently Vani’s Sprouted Moong Bean Salad, which was not only refreshing and super healthy, but tasted amazing.

Today I am sharing with you the Sprouted Moong Bean Salad recipe, compliments of Vani. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sprouted moong beans
• 1 medium size pickle style cucumber, cut into cubes
• 2 medium tomatoes cut into cubes
• ½ yellow pepper cut into pieces
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• ½ cup shredded cabbage

Dressing

• 1 table spoon lime juice
• 1 tea spoon ginger juice
• 1 table spoon yogurt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp roasted grounded cumin seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cilantro to garnish

Whisk all ingredients for dressing together, pour over the beans and let it sit together for about 10 minutes. Add all the vegetables in a bowl and layer the beans on top and gently toss it all together.. Garnish with cilantro.

(My apologies for this long blog post, but I did not want to break it up into more than two parts. Perhaps it is more of a short story, but I so wanted to share with you the beautiful story and history behind the Taj Mahal, and if you should one day see this amazing monument, understand and imagine in your mind the lives of the two people who were the reason for its existence)

Part II (For part 1, please refer to my Jan 7^th blog post)

Painting of Mumtaz Mahal

Though only fourteen years of age, Arjumand was stunning, and it was clear she could not lack for suitors.  Arjumand’s thick hair was the color of the midnight sky and reached down to her waist.  Her charcoal-colored eyes mesmerized him with unimagined and unspoken promises in their depths.  Her golden skin was smooth and her lips red and full.  She moved with such grace that she seemed to float about.  And when she met his eyes ever so briefly, the prince was sure that her small smile that followed was meant for him alone.  He was right.  Arjumand herself was captivated by the attractive young prince and knew in her heart that they were destined for each other.

Though Prince Khurram was temporarily rendered speechless with Arjumand’s beauty and grace, upon his recovery he inquired as to Arjumand’s name and family.  He learned that Arjumand was born to one of the noble houses of his court, and to his amazement, was not yet engaged to any man.

As the days and weeks passed, Prince Khurram could not stop thinking about Arjumand.  At this time, he was already betrothed to two other princesses in arranged marriages by his father the Emperor, but the prince did not love or even know either of these princesses.  On the other hand, he was completely besotted with Arjumand.

Upon much reflection, he requested permission from his father, Emperor Jehangir, to marry Arjumand.  His father agreed, and with the proper review and recommendations of the astrologers and the correct alignment of the stars, Prince Khurram was betrothed to Arjumand in 1607 and their wedding date was set.

Finally, the happy day approached, and on March 27, 1612, five years later, handsome Prince Khurram, at the age of twenty, married the beautiful nineteen-year old Arjumand.

Prince Khurram favored Arjumand above all others, including his two other wives, and he showered her with love and affection.  To the great delight of their subjects, Arjumand was just as in love with him as he was with her.  The prince broke all tradition by being with her as much as possible, and the two were inseparable.  The prince loved to bestow upon his bride unusual and beautiful gifts from all over the kingdom, but one gift he gave her was more than a mere object, more than even just a symbol of his love for her.  Rather, it represented not only the special place she held in his heart, but also her place in their kingdom, and the love of the Court and its subjects for her – a new name.  From now on she would be known as Mumtaz Mahal, which meant “Chosen One of the Palace.”

The years passed and eventually Emperor Jehangir died. Prince Khurram became the new emperor on February 4, 1628 and from that time became known as Shah Jehan.

Shah Jehan ruled with Mumtaz Mahal by his side.  Mumtaz was renowned for the major role she played in her husband’s monarchy. Her wisdom was legendary and she became his counselor, companion and partner and it was said, a critical advisor as he ruled his kingdom. Their combined intelligence and astute judgment created a monarchy at this time that was comparable to no other.

Mumtaz Mahal was the only one of Shah Jehan’s wives to bear him children.  During their nineteen-year marriage, she bore him fourteen children.  However, only seven of their children survived infancy.

In 1631, Shah Jehan readied himself for battle against the warlord of a neighboring kingdom; a battle that he guessed would last for many months as the enemy was a fierce one. Normally, Mumtaz accompanied the emperor to his battles, staying at a nearby palace, but she was pregnant with her fourteenth child at the time and the palace physicians did not recommend travelling in her condition. Despite the circumstances however, Mumtaz, who was strong in body and in mind, insisted on going along as she normally would and Shah Jehan was unable to deny her request.

While Shah Jehan led his army into battle, his wife Mumtaz stayed at a royal harem a few hours away. When her time came, she went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl at the harem. A messenger brought word to the emperor that he had a healthy daughter and that the queen was tired but doing well. Since the news was good, the shah decided he would wait until morning, when he would leave his troops and set out for the harem to visit Mumtaz and their new daughter.

After an exhausting but triumphant day on the battlefield, the emperor was readying himself for a few hours sleep before his journey to see his queen, when he received some disturbing news. It looked like Mumtaz had taken a turn for the worse and was in very serious condition.  The harem physicians recommended that he get there as quickly as possible to see his wife.

Immediately, Shah Jehan left the camp with his bodyguards, riding as fast as they could into the early hours of the morning. When he arrived at Mumtaz’s bedside, he was shocked and terrified to see her so weak and pale, and deep in his heart he feared that she would not make it past morning. This fear was worse than anything he ever encountered, even during his most fierce battles. How would he make it without her by his side?

For the next few hours, Shah Jehan held his beloved Mumtaz in his arms until, in the early hour of dawn, she breathed her last faint breath.  As he lay by her side, his heart heavy and breaking, his world turned dark with sorrow and pain, only the gods knew that Shah Jehan would never be the same man again.  His spirit and love of life had died along with Mumtaz. She was all of 38 years old.

It was said that following his wife’s death, Shah Jehan was so heartbroken, that he locked himself in his private chambers where all the people in the palace heard were cries of anguish.  When he finally emerged days later, he declared a mourning period throughout the kingdom.

After his first year of sorrow and pain, Shah Jehan commissioned the building of the mausoleum – the Taj Mahal – for his beloved bride and wife. The building of Mumtaz’s tomb started in 1632, one year after her death.  It took twenty-two years to build and twenty thousand laborers. It is spread over forty-two acres on the banks of the River Yamuna near the city of Agra and was designed in such a way that no further addition or alteration to it would be possible.

The Taj Mahal was built on a raised square platform of 186 feet by 186 feet. The central dome was fifty-eight feet in diameter and 213 feet in height. There are four minarets, one at each corner of the Taj at a height of 162.5 feet each.

Deep inside the mausoleum are the actual crypts containing the bodies of the emperor and the queen, while the two marble tombs above them are the two false tombs viewable to the general public.

Enormous quantities of white marble and sandstone were brought in from different areas of the Munhall empire. Precious stones from different parts of the emperor’s kingdom and beyond were brought in to adorn the walls and ceilings – pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, jade and more.

According to art historian Shobita Punja, “as you walk closer to [the Taj Mahal], its magnificence just takes over. Reflected in a long pool is the mausoleum in all its majesty. The dome floats two hundred and fifty feet into the sky, its simplicity and proportions perfect, subtle variations in the veined marble creating changes in color with every mood of the heavens. Four minarets frame the space like the setting of a jewel”
“The sky forms a curtain to the Taj,” Shobita further adds. “It’s the backdrop. At night, when the sky is black, this little marble jewel box stands glistening in the moonlight; in the early morning, when the sky is pink and orange, the white marble reflects those colors; and at sunset it has a completely different look. So the sky is as important as any other physical detail around the Taj. And the way it’s set on that platform, standing up against the huge expanse of sky, it seems as though they were evoking a sort of heavenly curtain to play a part in the scheme of things…. That’s why it’s so perfect. It’s a symbol of perfect love and of great beauty.”

The years went by and Shah Jehan never took on another wife but continued to rule his kingdom in peace for another 26 years until he became seriously ill in the year 1657. At that time, he had five sons, the youngest of which was Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb wanted the throne and for almost two years he fought his four brothers until he had eliminated all of them. In 1658, Aurangzeb declared himself emperor and imprisoned his father at the Jasmine tower of the Red Fort in Agra.  Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jehan for eight years at that tower.

From the shah’s chambers there, he would gaze daily at Mumtaz’s beautiful tomb across the river Yamuna.  He would remember the love they shared, the love which he knew even death could not contain.

After he died in 1666, he was buried in the inner crypt of the Taj Mahal, next to his beloved Mumtaz, the two lovers together at last for all eternity.

.

(continued from Dec 9 blog post)

The poor man had never met so many relatives. Nor had he been what I consider so fortunate as to taste so many kinds of authentic home-made curries!

One of the most memorable aspects of that birthday celebration was, of course, the food. This was one of those Indian occasions where a wide variety of cultural delicacies was served. My Uncle Hubert, who was quite talented at making outstanding curries, volunteered to be in charge of the dinner. Uncle Hubert immediately called three of his old army buddies to assist him, along with my nephew Oliver.

They all showed up early on the morning of November 11th, my daughter’s birthday, and set out creating a commotion, banging and clanging pots and pans and utensils and ingredients, as they put together a makeshift kitchen in my grandmother’s backyard.

All day long one delicious smell after another drifted in from the backyard, until the guests began arriving and we transferred the food from the huge pots on the wood fires into serving bowls inside.

Some of the recipes for the food Uncle Hubert and his friends made that day are included in this book: Cumin Chicken, Saffron Flavored Rice Pilaf, Slow-Cooked Marinated Beef (a specialty of my grandfather’s when he was alive), Northeastern Indian Dal, Mint, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Daikon Salad. The food was authentic, delicious, and memorable, made from my uncle’s own favorite recipes, adjusted to fit the occasion.

My grandmother performed the ancestor blessings for my daughter’s future – the blessings for good health, peace, joy, prosperity, and abundance. Our culture considers these essential to a child’s future. My Uncle Roosevelt, as the honored Grand Uncle, added his blessings as well. My daughter probably received more blessings that day than most people get in a lifetime.

To this day my husband and I treasure our memories of that visit. We have passed them on to our daughter so she knows all about her First Birthday Indian Feast.

This is an excerpt from my book The Deity Diet which highlights some of the personal experiences my American husband and children had, integrating with the culture of India and with my Indian family.

In the culture of Northeastern India, a baby’s first birthday is cause for celebration. We prepare a big feast for relatives, friends, and neighbors, who all gather to wish the baby well.

When my daughter was about to turn a year old, however, I was living in the United States with my American husband. Not a single Indian relative was here, and his family was so scattered about, it would have been impractical to get everyone together in one place.

We were fairly young and didn’t have much money, but I wanted so badly to take my daughter home and show her off to my family that we did what any proud modern-day parents would do: we racked up our credit cards and took off for India, baby in tow. Here is a picture of the happy baby before our trip.

At that time, I had six younger brothers and sisters still living at home, plus my mother, grandmother (sadly, my grandfather had passed away), a multitude of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and tons of old friends and neighbors.

You can probably imagine what it was like to bring an eleven-month-old baby into this lot, where the youngest child was my brother, age seven, practically ancient in comparison to his new niece. My daughter was passed around from one person to another, kissed, doted on, fed all kinds of very un-baby-like treats that I pretended not to notice, and was thoroughly spoiled.

And, of course, there was the complicated business of planning The Birthday Feast, who to invite, what to serve, how much to cook, who would cook it; and “should-we-only-have-tea-or-have-tea-and-then-later-on-dinner,” what music to play, who will provide the blessing, and so on and so forth. You would think we were planning a wedding.

By the time my mother and grandmother were through, it was almost like a wedding, with over two hundred guests. Most people in India think nothing of this – the celebration is both a feast and a religious ceremony – but to my American husband it was all a little mind-boggling.

(to be continued tomorrow)

Bitter Melon, also known as Bitter Gourd with the English name of Momordica Charantia, is an amazing fruit-vegetable that appears to have very interesting properties for fighting diabetes, cancer and certain infections and fevers.  It is a green cucumber like food with a rough skin and is grown all over India (called Karela) and other Asian countries.  It can be found in most grocery stores in the United States.

Bitter melon does have a very bitter flavour so it is an acquired taste for most people. I certainly acquired this taste early in my childhood from my grandmother and I LOVE bitter melon! My grandmother would steam it, mush it up, then add lemon juice, chopped garlic, onions, salt and fresh diced hot chillies to it and our family would eat it as one of our side vegetables with rice and curry.

Bitter melon has been used to control blood sugar levels throughout the centuries and science appears to support this. This gourd like fruit contains bioactive properties and could be a powerful treatment for Type II Diabetes. One of it’s benefits is that it allows the body the ability to improve glucose tolerance.

Research indicates that bitter melon has four components (momordicosides Q, R, S, and T with karaviloside XI) which create increased activity of AMPK, which is directly beneficial to fighting diabetes and obesity.

Additionally bitter melon has certain components that appear (again, according to research) to have a potential for treatment against breast cancer , prostrate cancer, and possibly HIV related infections, however anti HIV properties are not conclusive and more research is needed. Some of its other herbal uses include treatments for digestive and skin diseases.

You can add bitter melon to your diet as either a steamed vegetable or juice this great little plant. For some people it is more palatable to eat it fried. It can also be taken as a bitter melon extract.

If you are taking medication for blood sugar levels, please check with your doctor before use. It is not recommended for people with liver problems and should not be used during pregnancy as it may stimulate the uterus. This information is for educational purposes only and for diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, please consult your licensed health care practitioner.

I have had so many people ask me for this recipe so I am going to post it here in my blog. This recipe creates 4 large servings but it can easily be made into 6 servings depending on how much you want to pile your plate with it.  Normally butter chicken has higher calories but this one is about 292 calories per serving and even less calorie content if split into 6 servings.

Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 1 lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes
• salt – approx 1 tsp or to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• lime juice (1 lime)
• ½ large red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1″ piece fresh ginger, grated
• ½ cup non fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Cilantro (1/4 cup for garnish)

Directions

• Mix the chicken, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and lime juice in a bowl, cover and set aside in refrigerator.
• Chop onions, garlic, ginger and cilantro and set aside.
• Mix the yogurt, garam masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric and add to the chicken, mixing thoroughly. (Optional: you can marinade for one hour in refrigerator).
• Heat oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Add onions and fry until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add the marinated chicken and fry until all the ingredients are nicely mixed together (about 5 mins). Add tomato paste and water and cook for another 5 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Lower heat, cover and cook until chicken is tender and gravy is thick.
• In another pan, melt butter and pour it over the chicken. Sprinkle brown sugar over curry mixing gently and top off with chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or naan.

4 Large Servings (292 calories per serving)

While I was in India last Oct, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit a farm that belonged to a friend of mine and asked him if we could dig up some turmeric root so I can take a picture for my blog and here it is.

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family with an earthy, bitter flavor and a mustard-like smell. It is a root that is boiled, then dried, and finally ground into a yellow-orange powder to be used as a spice. Turmeric is the ingredient that gives curry dishes their yellow color.

On of the main components in Turmeric is Curcumin. This component has been found to have amazing healing properties. I have consolidated some highlights of Turmeric below from my upcoming book The Deity Diet. Stay tuned for the release date.

Turmeric as a healing spice has been found to do the following:
•    Produce bile that helps break down fats.
•    Detoxify the liver, and assist in blood circulation and purification.
•    Because of its antibacterial properties, used as an antiseptic for cuts and bruises.
•    Has anti-inflammatory properties and known to be effective as a pain reliever.
•    Assists in digestion and fights off intestinal parasites
•    Works as an anti-oxidant, and helps reduce cholesterol and fight arteriosclerosis.
•    Fluoride in turmeric is highly effective to strengthen teeth & prevent cavities.
•    Used as a beauty treatment by brides in India, known to enhance the complexion.
•    Turmeric’s distinct aroma and taste adds color to, & enhances the flavor of curries.
•    Turmeric is also used in eggs and in salads.

One of the significant benefits of turmeric is its potential for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. According to a UCLA study, India has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. The incidence of Alzheimer’s among Indian adults aged seventy to seventy-nine is 4.4 times less than that of the United States. Research indicates that curcumin, the main component of turmeric, inhibits accumulation of destructive beta amyloids that form the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Further studies are being conducted.

The next time you cook with Turmeric, think about the positive impact you are contributing to the health and well being of your body.

To your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie

A wonderful thing happened to me recently. I belong to this amazing group called Ladies Who Launch (LWL). I consider myself very lucky to be involved with this group as they have been an invaluable for encouragement and feedback on some of my ideas and endeavors as I was launching Himalayan Boot Camp. They are also a great source for recommendations on resources ranging from web designers to insurance agents and more.

A few weeks ago, as I was finishing my book The Deity Diet and looking for people in the health and nutrition field to review and endorse it, I sent out an email to this talented and diverse group of women, asking whether anyone would like to check out my manuscript and endorse my book.

Parenting coach Chandra Giovanni, who I had never met but whose name I have seen often in emails back and forth in the LWL circle forwarded my request to Dr. Susan Lark, an authority on health, nutrition and balanced living and a bestselling author of 13 books. To my delight, a few days later Dr. Lark responded back that she had reviewed my manuscript and would be happy to endorse my book.

I have received just as notable endorsements for my book from other experts in the fitness and nutrition fields, to note just a few fabulous people to which I am thankful. What marvelous people surround us every where.

I would like to pose the following questions to my readers – have you experienced the power of women working together in your life? Were you at the receiving end? Or were you one of the women who helped someone else out? What motivated you to help? I am curious if you were blessed in some strange wonderful way.

I would love to hear your story. Feel free to comment or write me an email and I will take the top two stories and blog about you and your experiences. And remember, anytime I blog your story you receive a free autographed copy of my book.  Lets connect and interact, it makes it so much more interesting that just myself as the lone writer of my blog.

Until next time, here’s to your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie

I would like to share with you an absolutely delicious and healthy recipe that my guests at my March 15 boot camp (Scotts Valley, CA) loved. I have been getting requests for the recipe from some of them so I thought I would just post it here.

This is such an easy spread to make so here it is:

• 2 cups of edamame beans
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2” section of fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup of water

Blend everything together into a paste. Depending on how thick you want it you may need to add a little more water.

If you want to make it a little spicy, add some cayenne pepper or fresh chillies. You can get edamame beans in most grocery stores (under $4 at Costco for a large container).

You can enjoy this spread on whole wheat crackers, or with fresh fruit for a nutritious snack or light meal.

Hope you enjoy it.

To Your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie

I am so excited to share that I made my television debut on The View from the Bay!  It was a lot easier than I expected.  I thought I would be more nervous, but I wasn’t.  I learned about cooking on TV.  You actually prepare everything ahead of time and basically pretend to cook!  Live television is fun.  At one point, Spencer poured all the oil into the ingredients when I wasn’t looking and when I went to stir fry the curry I didn’t have any oil.  In fact, I think I told Spencer to put the oil in because I wasn’t paying attention.  Ah!  Fortunately, the team was very experienced.  Spencer made a joke while locating more oil and it turned out great!

I hope you enjoy watching my television debut!

Best regards ~
Connie