Vegetarian Cuisine
WHEAT FREE CREPES
A great option for those who are wheat or gluten intolerant. These quick crepes are so versatile, delicious for breakfast, a light lunch/dinner or a dessert. Be as creative as you like, fill them with something savoury or sweet and fold them, then top with a savoury sauce or sweet syrup, if desired. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
1½ cups stirred soy flour
1¾ cups rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 -2 teaspoons honey
2¾ cups water recommended or more
4 tablespoons oil
Oil for frying
Directions:
Combine the soy and rice flours, baking powder and salt. Add the water a little at a time, stirring so batter is smooth and desired consistency reached. Use more water if mixture is too thick or stiff.
Gradually beat in the honey and the oil, the batter should be very runny. This makes for a lighter crepe. A thicker batter, if preferred, will give you a pancake type texture.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and brush with oil.
Add enough batter to thinly coat base of pan and flatten the mixture with back of a spoon.
Fry until the Centre bubbles, turn it over and cook until golden brown.
Repeat with remaining batter to make 4-6 thick/large crepes or 10-12 thin/small crepes.
Serve hot.
Options:
For sweet crepes, serve with maple syrup, honey or a berry sauce on top.
For a more lavish crepe, use a fruit filling accompaniment such as fresh strawberries or other berries, or fried or baked banana* or apple. Serve with cream, vanilla ice cream or plain thick yoghurt.
For savoury crepes, a suggest filling would be ricotta cheese and sour cream mixture in equal parts with sautéed mushrooms.
This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram, sourced from The Yoga Cookbook: “Food for Body and Mind – Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres” – 1999.
Utilize your time profitably in spiritual pursuits. – Sri Swami Sivananda
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| NOVEMBER 2020
01 Full Moon DECEMBER 2020 11 Ekadasi A spiritual seeker’s attitude should not be narrowed down by any kind of distinction, be it of class, religion, caste or colour. – Sri Swami Sivananda |
Glossary
HATHA YOGA: Ha – the energy of the Sun, masculine energy, active energy; Tha – the energy of the Moon, receptive energy, cool energy. Yoga (Yuj) – union; the union of universal consciousness with individual consciousness.
Hatha Yoga is a systematic course of exercises, dealing with Shat Karmas, Asanas, Pranayamas, Mudras, Bandhas and exercises on concentration and meditation. Hatha Yoga is a path toward creating balance. Hatha Yoga is like the tortoise that supports the World. It relates to the restraint of breath (Pranayama), Asanas, Bandhas and Mudras. ‘Ha’ and ‘tha’ mean the union of the sun and the moon, union of Prana and Apana Vayus. ‘Hatha’ means any tenacious practice till the object or end is achieved. Trataka, standing on one leg, (a kind of Tapas) and similar poses are all Hatha Yoga practices. Hatha Yoga is inseparable from Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga begins where Hatha Yoga ends. Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga are interdependent. Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga are the necessary counterparts of each other. No one can become a perfect Yogi without a knowledge and practice of both the Yogas. Hatha Yoga prepares the student to take up Raja Yoga.
A Hatha Yogi starts his Sadhana with body and Prana; a Raja Yogi starts his Sadhana with his mind; a Jnana Yogi starts his Sadhana with Buddhi or intellect and will.
A Hatha Yogi gets Siddhis (psychic powers) by uniting Prana and Apana and by taking the united Prana-Apana through the six Chakras (Centres of spiritual energy) to Sahasrara at the crown of the head. A Raja Yogi gets Siddhis by Samyama, i.e., combined practice of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi at one time. A Jnana Yogi exhibits Siddhis through pure will or Sat-Sankalpa. A Bhakta gets Siddhis through self-surrender and the consequent descent of grace. Kriyas, viz., Neti, Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Tratak and Kapalabhati belong to Hatha Yoga. All need not practice these Kriyas. Those who have got much phlegm in the body should practice these Kriyas. Learn these under an expert Hatha Yogi. Hatha Yoga is not the goal. It is only a means to an end. Take to Raja Yoga after possessing good health.
Do Asana, Kumbhaka, Mudra and shake the Kundalini. Then take it to Sahasrara through Chakras in the Sushumna. O children of light! Will you drink not, will you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
Brother! Attain good health. Without health how can you live? Without health, how can you earn? Without health how can you get success in Yoga or any undertaking? Possess wonderful health through the practice of Hatha Yoga. Drink the nectar in Sahasrara and live in the immortal abode of Siva.
No Hatha Yoga, no success,
Not Hatha Yoga, no Samadhi,
Not Hatha Yoga, no health,
Not Hatha Yoga, no Veerya,
Not Hatha Yoga, no beauty,
Not Hatha Yoga, no long life.
– Sri Swami Sivananda
You are in the hands of God. He holds the string. He is the Sutradhar. – Sri Swami Sivananda