Who is Dr. Raju

             


Dr. Raju is the great soul set out to educate people like me and you the importance of water to our bodies and the body's need for nutrition to keep it healthy.

After experiencing the power of natural life early on in his life, he was in and out of it several times, bringing back the health issues each time. Eating uncookied foods and "boiled vegetables" alone was not working! He decided to explore and figure out to cook our day to day foods, "healthily", eliminating ingredients and methods that are harmful to our bodies, and hence retaining the nutrition. This he hopes will help people to learn to eat healthy "in their homes", not just when they are sick and in "nature cure hospitals".

Ragi (Red Millet Flour) Balls - Sankati

This is very tasty and very quick to make. Use it at least once or twice a week instead of rice. Great even in the lunch box.

- Mix one cup of Red Millet flour in a bowl with one cup of cold water. It will be of a smooth batter form

- Bring 2 to 2.25 cups of water to a boil in a cooking pot

- Reduce the flame (to avoid splattering when you add the ragi)

- Pour the ragi batter in the hot water and stir continuously

- In a minute or two, the flour thickens and becomes the consistency of bread dough

- Remove from the pan

- You can eat this with any of the Rice or Roti side dishes

Note: Traditionally in Southern India, we eat this with Sambar and Yogurt. This has a few drawbacks. One, you will not be able to use it freqently since you cannot eat with "everything". The biggest drawback is, it becomes too much protein of different types and hence hard to digest for people with weak digestive systems. Try with other vegetable side dishes and eat this frequently for lunch and dinner.

Daal

Ingredients:
            Lentils: 1 cup (smaller lentils) or half cup (larger ones) - see below
            One large or two medium sized tomatoes (about 250 gms or more) - chopped;
            One large onion (about 250 gms or more) – chopped;
            10 - 15 green chillies – crushed in a mixer jar
            Green leaves such as spinach (about 200 gms) - chopped
            1 medium diced green raw mango (with the skin on) or six to ten gooseberries (amla) - optional
            Highly optional - A quarter cup of chopped mint leaves - when using large lentils such as whole chana (chickpeas) / red kidney beans / black-eyed peas etc to give it a northern-indian flavor
            If you are not using the raw mango or aam choor, use two tablespoons of aam choor powder or the juice of a lemon (add this in the end after the cooking is done)
            4 tablespoons of grounded roasted peanuts or sesame seeds (optional - add this to the daal after the cooking is done)

Method:
- Take one cup of lentils such as toor daal (pigeon peas) or whole moth beans (turkish gram) or whole mung (green gram) or whole red masoor. These smaller ones cook and mix well with the vegetables making a nice gravy - even when the lentils are not overcooked. On the other hand, if you are want to use large ones (such as whole toor or red kidney beans or whole chana (chickpeas) or black-eyed peas etc, use only a half cup of the lentils (less lentils and more vegetables). This will help make the dish contain enough gravy.

- Wash the lentils with cold water

- Take them into a pressure cooker. Add the cut vegetables. Add two cups of water. Close the lid and cook for one whistle (smaller lentils) or for 5-10 whistles (the larger the lentils).

- If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook the lentils in a cooking pot, but it will take a little longer to cook. You might want to soak the lentils for a couple of hours in this case. Add the cut vegetables listed above after 10 minutes or so of cooking the lentils to avoid overcooking of the vegetables. In the cooking pot, the lentils might need more than two cups of water. Keep adding water as needed. Cook until the lentils are tender and get mashed when you squeeze with your fingers.

- When cooking is done (after you open the lid of the pressure cooker), mix thoroughly to make sure the lentils and vegetables blend well.

- Also, if you used the larger lentils: take a quarter or so of the lentils into a small blender. Blend them coarsely and add it back to the rest. This will help ensure the dish has gravy texture.

- If you did not use the raw mango or gooseberries, add two tablespoons of aam choor powder now making sure it does not become lumpy. Alternatively you can add the juice of one lemon. The sourness of these things will help you reduce or eliminate the salt needed.

- Throw in some curry leaves and coriander leaves at this time as well for heavenly flavor.

- Add the grounded peanuts or sesame seeds

- Add one quarter tsp of salt (optional)

- Mix well

Some additional pointers:
Chopping or grinding the chillies helps extract and "mix" the spiciness of the chillies evenly so that the kids will have no difficulty eating it

The tomatoes and the green leaves help to add the color (and nutrition) and compensate for the missing color from Turmeric.

Always add green leafy vegetables to the grains, even to the whole ones because green leaves are highly nutritious.

Make sure the grains are not cooked to a paste. They should be cooked to tenderness (should get mashed very easily when you squeeze the lentils between your fingers) but keep their shape which makes it exquisite and colorful.

You can also add a fistful of yellow soy beans to the daal along with other vegetables. This will add more nutrition and some good fats that you and your children need.

Stir Fries

- Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Use a food processor to chop the vegetables. This will save you a lot of chopping time and help you cook them faster (and hence prevent sticking to the pan).

- Popu / Tadka: Roast a tsp of chana daal (bengal gram), one tsp black gram with the skin (makes it colorful and nutritious) in a non-stick fry pan. DO NOT ADD mustard and cumin. You can throw in some curry leaves now or you can add them when cooking is complete. Roast the lentils until they become brown and start to give off flavor.

- Add the vegetable pieces to the pan. Cook on low / medium heat with the lid on, while making sure the food is not burning or sticking to the pan, stirringly occasionally.

- Most vegetables should not need you to add any extra water, provided you cut them to small pieces. If needed just add a little amount water. Cook until the pieces are al dente, which typically should take you about 15 minutes. At this stage, there probably will be no more water left in the pan.

- Add ground green chillies during the cooking time.

- Add ground pan-roasted sesame seeds or pan-roasted peanuts with skin on to the pan and mix well. Cook for a minute or so and turn the stove off.

- Alternatively, if you are adding coconut, add it after turning the stove off, no need to cook it.

- Sprinkle curry leaves and abundant amount of chopped coriander leaves (you can use the stems too) for added flavor and put the lid on.

- You can also add a quarter cup to half cup of chana daal / bengal gram to the vegetables. You can either soak them for 5-10 minutes or add them directly to the vegetable.

- Another variation is to add a half-cup or so milk 5 minutes before the cooking is complete.

- You can also add Firm Tofu, cut into tiny cubes or crumpled to most of these vegetable dishes, towards the end of the cooking process or along with the crushed peppers. This will make it highly nutritious. You can also add some frozen edamame wherever you are using green peas.

- Measurements that work for us:
        half pound or so of vegetables
        quarter pound of onions (if the recipe calls for)
        quarter pound to half pound of tomatoes (depending on the recipe)
        half pound green leaves such as spinach (if the recipe calls for them)
        6 – 8 small green chillies
        4 tbsp of grounded nuts or coconut
        2 - 4 tbsp of roasted black gram powder (depending on the recipe). This will add an enticing flavor to the recipe. You can add this to most of the chutneys and gravy varieties.
        1 tbsp of aamchoor (by adding aamchoor powder, you can reduce the salt required)
        one quarter tsp of salt
        one tsp each chana daal and black gram and a few curry leaves for popu / tadka / tempering
        coriander leaves with stems – finely chopped or lightly grounded. You can easily use a quarter cup to add the aroma, color and nutrition

- Experiment to suit to your taste.

Generic Version - Fries

You can cook most vegetables using the Stir Fries method with minor variations and they all taste wonderful. We cook different types of beans, gourds, cabbage, carrots, eggplant etc. And yes, even okra can be cooked like this. Try and see!

I listed some combinations that we like.

Some of our favorites with any variations in the process of making. (All the recipes need green chillies and salt to your taste).

- Carrots sliced into thin circles with chana daal. Add plenty of coconut in the end. Use salt sparingly to preserve the sweetness.

- Beet roots sliced with chana daal. Add coconut in the end. Use salt sparingly because beets are high on sodium to start with.

- Cabbage + carrots + peas + potatoes + tomatoes with coconut and, or sesame or peanuts

- Cabbage + red bell peppers + potatoes + tomatoes + onions with sesame or peanuts

- Cabbage + potatoes + tomatoes + onions with coconut and, or peanuts

- Cabbage + tomatoes with sesame or peanuts

- Potato + onions + Menthi leaves. This smells delicious and looks gorgeous.

- Okra with coconut. This is one of the best. Also tastes great with sesame or peanuts.

- Whole green chana (Bengal gram / chick peas) with coconut. My kids end up eating it as a snack.

- Snake-gourd grated or finely chopped with coconut. This is a a wonderful dish.

- Mullangi with moong daal. You can also add nuts.

- Cauliflower + potatoes, tomatoes, onions with peanuts

- Beerakai (Chinese okra / ribbed gourd) with milk added in the end. When you peel the Chinese okra, you should peel only the ribs and leave the rest of the skin on.

- Beerakai (Chinese okra / ribbed gourd) with pan roasted sesame seeds added in the end. This is another one of our favorites. When you peel the Chinese okra, peel only the ribs and leave the rest of the skin on.

- Cucumber (no need to peel the skin of) with pan roasted sesame seeds added in the end.

- Long squash (Sorakai) with pan roasted sesame seeds added in the end. No need to peel the skin.

- Drumsticks six or so + a pound or so tomatoes + a pound or so onions + 8-10 green chillies. Add ground peanuts towards the end. This is another great recipe.

- Brinjal thinly sliced with nuts or coconut

- Brinjal and spinach with nuts added in the end

- Green Beans with coconut

- Raw banana + tomatoes and onions with coconut

- Spinach and Onions (yummy)

Dr. Raju has given 20 or so varieties just with garden leaves (thota koora) in his Food and Thought book. So I am sure you will find many of your favorites in this book.

Bitter Gourd Chips

- Slice bitter gourd into half-centimeter thick pieces.

- If you cannot handle the bitterness, you can peal of the outer skin.

- Cook the slices in a covered pan with a half cup or so of yogurt, salt and ground green chillies.

- In five minutes or so, the pieces soften and all the water from the yogurt is evaporated.

- Now spread these pieces onto a non-stick baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for half hour or so until the pieces are somewhat crispy.

- This tastes wonderful with rice and daal.

Bitter Gourd Powder

This is our most favorite. And one that requires detailed description.

- Grate a pound of bitter-gourd in the food processor and mix with a half cup of yogurt and a quarter tsp of salt and let it sit for half hour.

- Then squeeze squeeze out the juice (those who cannot tolerate the bitterness).

- Put this in a pan and add a pound of chopped onions.

- Cover it and cook for 20 minutes or so, stirring once in a while.

- In the meantime roast a half cup of chana daal in a dry pan and ground it coarsely. Also grind 8-10 green chillies and add to the bitter-gourd.

- Fry the whole mixture for another 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally without the lid on.

- When the vegetables are well roasted, mix in grated coconut, a quarter to half tsp of salt, one tbsp of aam choor powder and turn the stove off.

- Sprinkle curry leaves and large amount of chopped coriander leaves.

Our NewsGroup

We use our newsgroup to make "announcements" - upcoming information sessions or potlucks or someone just returning from their doctor with a terrific health report, whatever.

Visit the News Group and feel free to roam around. And if you want to join us, you are welcome.

Contact Dr. Raju

If you would like to discuss your health issues with Dr. Raju, you can talk to him on phone. He is available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 7AM - 10AM, Indian Standard Time.

Disclaimer

Our purpose in creating this blog and sharing our experiences with anyone who happens to land here is to “introduce” this method to you. We are not medical professionals and are not claiming to be experts on nutrition. We are simply hoping to be your pathway to Dr. Raju and hopefully help you let him show the path to better health and peace of mind as some of us followers did, and do not hold responsibilty for any damage that may occur due to your implemenation of the method.

It was daunting to think of giving up our life long food habits and desires, and make changes to our lifestyle under the guidance of someone so far away from home and many of the members of the group found it to be more reassuring interacting and learning from someone they “know”, or someone more like them - working and living in US, and this is what this blog is hoping to do – to serve as the support network for all of us.

We hold Dr. Raju as the ultimate authority of this method and request you to please contact him if you have any specific health issues and concerns before or during the practice of this method.

We cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in our interpretation and presentation of Dr. Raju's information to you. We also cannot be responsible for any loss or damage or side effects that might result by the practice of this method by any reader of this blog. Responsibility for the readers actions, or lack of those, remains with the reader.

Thank you for visiting our page and we wish you good health.

Please visit Dr. Raju's site for the complete information

Dr.Raju

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