Scope

The Hindu Compliance System gives direction on cooking science which is compiled from Bhaga Shastra. Bhaga Shastra classifies foods into rajasik, tamasik and satvik types. Rajasik food makes one feel agitated, aggressive, lustful and egoistic. Tamasik food makes a person lazy, sleepy and depressed. Satvik food gives clarity to the person and brings him peace of mind leading to bhakti (devotion), tripti (fulfilment) and ananda (bliss).


Six types of tastes are described in the Bhaga Shastra – salt, sweet, sour, hot, bitter and pungent. It states that every meal should include all these tastes so that the appetite is satisfied and the tongue is neutralized by all the tastes being together. As per the instructions in Bhaga Shastra, in order for all parts of the body, mind and brain to function properly, a balanced diet of all these tastes is a must.


Further, the purpose of having all six tastes is to balance the tridoshas in the body, namely vaata (acidic), pitta (alkaline) and Kapha (phlegm). Every ingredient used in Hindu cooking is classified as per its dosha properties.


For thousands of years, Hindus have been cooking food that is organic, nature friendly and with numerous benefits.  This standard will help organizations, businesses like hotels, restaurants etc. to cook the food as mentioned in Hindu Scriptures.

Ingredient and Process of Cooking

Vadai is a category of savoury fried snacks. It is known by different names in different languages – wada, vade, vadai, wadeh and bara, refer to the same snack type.Different types of vadas are made from different ingredients, ranging from lentils to potatoes, chickpeas, rice flour, etc. They are often served as a breakfast item or a snack, and also used in other food preparations (such as dahi vada and vada pav). The most popular vadai is the ulundu vadai also called medu vada, which is made from dehusked blackgram dal. Rich in protein, the ulundu vadai is a favorite offering to the deity Kalabhairava, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu.

This snack finds mention in early Indian texts belonging to the Sangam period of Tamil Nadu and also in the Manasaollasa, a 12th century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshwara II, who ruled over large parts of present day Karnataka. Many Indians, who were sent as indentured laborers to various Carribean islands, Mauritius, Fiji, etc. by the British, who now form an important part of the Indian diaspora there have made bara an important part of their
cuisine. Bara is made of split mung beans/green gram (moong dal).

Vadai (Vada) may be made from split dehusked or husked lentils/legumes, sago or potatoes. Commonly used legumes include pigeon pea, chickpea, black gram and green gram. Vegetables and other ingredients are added to improve taste and nutritive value.

For legume-based vadas, the legumes (dal) are soaked with water, and then ground to a batter. Other ingredients, such as cumin seeds, onion, curry leaves (sometimes previously sauteed), salt, chillies or black peppercorns are added. Often ginger and baking soda are added to the seasoning in shops to increase the fluffy texture and improve fermentation. The mixture is then shaped and deep-fried, resulting in vadas with a crispy skin and fluffy centre.

Vadais are preferably eaten freshly fried, while still hot and crunchy. They are served with a variety of dips including sambar, wet or dry chutneys and dahi/mor (yogurt/curds) Medu/ulundu vadai are typically served along with a main course such as dosa, idli, or pongal with coconut chutney and sambar as accompaniments.

Following ingredients are required for making Rice, Urad Dal, Thick Curds, Butter Vadai :

  • Urad dal/black gram – 1/4 padi
  • Salt – ½ palam
  • Rice – 1/8 padi
  • Pepper – 3/8 palam
  • Cumin seeds – 1/8 palam
  • Ginger – ¼ palam
  • Thick curds – 1 and ½ palam
  • Butter – 1 and ½ palam
  • Green chillies – ½ palam
  • Soak urad dal in water for 2 hours and drain the water. Grind this in the grinder by adding salt to it. Mix pepper, cumin seeds, de-skinned ginger, thick curds, butter, finely cut green chillies, all these to the ground flour.
  • Soak rice in another vessel. Drain the water and grind well. Mix it like pancake batter. Take a lemon sized ball out of the ground urad dal and dip it in the rice flour batter. Fry it in ghee or oil until it is cooked. Repeat the procedure for the rest of the ground lentils.

References

Hindu Bhaga Sasthiram: Click Here

Hindu Compliance Body

The Hindu compliance body was established under the executive order of The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, dated August 14, 2020, order number 10010, under the title Reviving the Hindu Compliance System and Body to create, promote, spread and teach the standard procedures for all products and services that are in compliance Hindu Shastras.

Copyright

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