Kitchen Wisdom

She has always bucked the trend, or rather, the fads. As her famous client, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, puts it, Rujuta Diwekar has been a strong advocate for sticking to traditional food wisdom ever since “she disrupted the diet scene and made ghar ka khana and bikini bod mutually exclusive”.

Diwekar has not only always promoted home-cooked food, but also the simple fare that dadis-nanis cooked and which kept us free from the grip of lifestyle diseases. In a freewheeling conversation, the celebrity nutritionist talks about her commonsensical approach to diet, why we should not give up on our food heritage, how home-cooked food can tackle the rising obesity among kids and much more:

In your first book, ‘Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight’ (2009), you wrote that people would eventually realise that getting into shape has more to it than losing weight. Have people learnt this diet approach?

This learning is a continuous process. Every time someone follows an extreme diet but gets off it, whether in two weeks or two months, is part of that learning. They realise that they don’t want to lose weight at the cost of losing their health, and they come back to their regular eating habits.

We’ve been led to believe that one can only achieve fitness and good health through extreme measures. We don’t realise the power of home-cooked food because when something is simple and accessible, we feel it is too good to be true.

In the age of influencers and overload of information, how easy or difficult is it to retain this common sense?

Common sense, physiology, or even nutrition science has not changed. So, it is important that we keep repeating and advocating the right things, even if this information is not going to be viral or trend. The trends will remain viral only for a short time, but the body has to function lifelong. So it is my professional responsibility to keep saying and doing the right things.

A commonsensical approach is even more important in this era of overload of information. People are confused and conflicted about something as simple as whether to eat roti-sabzi or daal-chawal or not; to use haldi as a condiment or have it in shots. Any information that causes confusion is misinformation. The right information will lead you to clarity.

How would a lay person know if it is the right information?

There is no knowledge deficit. It is available within our collective wisdom whether it is in folk tales, idioms, rituals, art, etc. But the problem is that it is available in our mother tongue or in local languages. And we have made English the language of science. However, according to the gold standard in nutrition advice — food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) — common name of foods should be used. People feel whatever sounds complicated may be scientific. But it is not. Whenever any experiment or test is repeated or reproduced, the results should be same.

You have always promoted local, seasonal, traditional…

People should eat according to their personal preferences, cultural traditions, within their budget, which basically means eating more home-cooked food and less packaged products and supplements. That is a good way to stay healthy.

But the social media narrative is always promoting to eat avocado toast over poha or parantha, grilled chicken breast over regular daal-chawal, matcha tea over adrak chai. We are constantly being asked to give up on our uniqueness, to dilute our diversity, to adopt a more standardised protocol of eating correctly. This protocol only helps the industry. But a diverse way of eating correctly helps the general population. And what helps people may not help profits. And what helps profits is always bad for people.

So, we should only go with the dietary advice that doesn’t change with time. And the only advice that doesn’t change with time is the commonsensical advice, the kind that not only you can follow, but also your grandchildren.

In recent years, particularly after Covid, obesity and type 2 diabetes have emerged even among children. What would you like to advise the parents?

Health is a multifactorial concept. But the fundamental point remains that children should be eating more home-cooked food. It is something most parents know. Also, a child should never be shamed or scared into getting in shape. Secondly, we must build gender-neutral kitchens, where men should have an equal if not more contribution. A lot of women may not have a formal job but they are also working at home. Gender-neutral kitchens can enable women to work formally and earn better, as poverty is also one of the reasons behind obesity.

Also, junk food is far cheaper and easily available. Our policymakers need to come up with policies and regulations on marketing and heavy taxes on junk food. We also need better town planning policies that can provide safe spaces for children to play and walk or cycle to school.

Policy intervention is also needed for better connectivity of farm produce to urban markets. This will only aid the wisdom of eating seasonal produce.

Together, policy intervention and parental contribution can bring more focus on home-cooked food. Because if we raise over-weight kids, the risk of obesity and diabetes will continue.

You have been also raising the issue of front-of-pack labelling.

A global crusade is on that junk food packets should have health warnings, similar to cigarette packs, that eating processed food is injurious to health. That’s why the industry pushes it back because it knows that warnings are effective. Front-of-label packaging with a health warning should be the way forward if we have to protect our children. Some 20 years back, outside schools, thelas would sell local fruits. Now you see shops with shiny junk food packets. The dietary diversity is going down.

This is your first book of recipes in 16 years…

‘Mitahara’ (mindful eating), releasing in mid-July, is my 11th book. I was always sceptical about coming out with a recipe book because every region eats differently. But during Covid, when I started cooking, I felt that it is life-changing, just like love. In this book, I have written about my holy grail to health that if you want to be healthy, cooking is non-negotiable. Most recipes in ‘Mitahara’ are nutritious, and simple. You can make a wholesome meal in 20-30 minutes. Even food-delivery apps take 30 minutes to deliver, and they deliver mostly junk food. By cooking, you not only save money, but your health too.

What’s your take on using traditional grains for modern snacks?

See, millets are healthy. But we are turning them into cakes, cookies, two-minute noodles or burger buns. We are not going back to our roots or reviving the wisdom of making these traditional seeds or grains into a bhakri or roti, or laddoos.

A day in the life of Rujuta.

I wake up around 5.30 am and start my day with black raisins. I have a cup of coffee and read the Upanishad. Then I exercise for about an hour. Breakfast is either poha or upma. At 8.30, I walk to my office that starts at about 9. I like to have my lunch in two parts at about 11.30, and then at 1.30 or 2 pm. Lunch is typically bhakri, bhaji, usal. Then between 4 and 6 pm I and my team have a fresh snack that someone comes to cook daily. I leave for home by about 6 pm or so. Dinner is early by about 7. Mostly daal-chawal or khichdi and ghee. I sleep by 9.30.

Any message/tips for our readers…

I think people from the North, especially Punjab, are probably the most progressive and forward-thinking. In fact, my partner Gaurav Punj is from Kharar. And he grew up reading The Tribune. Punjabis adopt everything quickly, but shouldn’t give up on paranthas or roti and makhan for oats or toast without butter. The cost of giving up on food heritage can be costly. Punjab needs to continue to practice its culture even on its food plates.

A recipe from ‘Mitahara: Food Wisdom From My Indian Kitchen’

Narali bhaat

Traditionally made on Narali Purnima, celebrated to mark the beginning of the fishing season, when coconut is offered to the god of the sea

Seasonal special | Serves 3 | Prep 10 minutes | Cook 30 minutes

2 tsp ghee

5 cashews

5 almonds

1–2 laung (cloves), optional

100g (31⁄2oz) rice, soaked in water for 10 minutes

60g (2oz) grated fresh coconut

150g (51⁄4oz) jaggery

½ tsp jaiphal (nutmeg) powder, or elaichi (cardamom) powder

Method

Drain the soaked rice and set aside. Discard the water.

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee for a few seconds and add cashews and almonds. For a fragrant touch, you could also add laung. Let them sizzle, then add the soaked rice and fry everything together.

When the rice is halfway cooked, fold in the grated fresh coconut and continue frying until the mixture turns golden-brown.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, combine water and jaggery and bring the mixture to the boil. Once it starts to boil, pour this jaggery syrup over the rice mixture and stir well to blend the flavours. Sprinkle in jaiphal or elaichi powder to enhance the aroma.

Secure the lid and bring the pressure cooker to full pressure on medium heat, for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally before opening.

You could garnish with chopped nuts and a generous dollop of ghee before serving.

Health