Holy Days & Fasting Pancakes
I feel like the Fall snuck up on me...:)? If I recall correctly, it was hot one day and then chilly and pouring the rain the next...what's been happening in your neck of the woods?To be honest, I'm actually quite delighted that the season's are changing...because I LOVE the fall. :)I love chilly mornings, sweater days, foggy windows, colorful leaves and long painting days :)....
And, did I mention the slew of the holy and colorful Indian holidays that happen, too? Navratri, Diwali, our Indian New Year's...and so many other joyful and enlightening occasions that have so much meaning to me. Plus, they always seem to bring all my favorite people together.Every fall for the past twelve years, I've done an anusthan---a dedicated set of yogic practices done for a dedicated amount of days--during Navratri. Navratri is a 9-day period in the Hindu Lunar Calendar that is dedicated to the various forms of the Divine Mother. Vedically they are considered high energy days that are powerful for spiritual growth. This year they fall from Oct 13-22, 2015.
An anusthan is like doing a self-retreat because the effects of it are so rejuvenating. Some years, I take time off from work and completely immerse myself in a daily practice of hatha yoga, japa, meditation and spiritual reading---really just limiting my connection with the outside world so that I can focus completely on my inner universe. And then, there have been other years where I do my usual routine (i.e. my 9-5 job), but wake up a little earlier so that I can get in a few hours of practice in the morning...and in the evening I replace my TV watching with a healthy dose of uplifting/spiritual reading. Either way, I always really relish and enjoy these days....they just have a way of filling me up in a different way.Also, during these 9 days I generally try to observe a yogic fast.Don't let the words "yogic fast" fool you :)....in yoga there is no starving yourself, lol. Instead it's just about eating from a list of recommended foods that are light for your body to digest and non-agitating to the mind...hence making your meditations and effects of your practice much deeper. It should really be called Yogic Feasting instead of Fasting :) because the list of approved foods is pretty extensive.
So, in the spirit of getting ready for my annual anusthan, I thought I would share a new favorite---yogic fasting approved :)---recipe that a friend of mine gave me for Fasting Pancakes. These little delights are not only easy and delicious, but there are so many variations you can experiment with...the sky really is the limit.If you make these, make sure to leave a comment below with what your favorite combination is...and of course if you come up with a new variation...by all means, please share it!With lots of love & gratitude,Kajal
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 teaspoons of oil
- In a medium bowl, whisk together tapioca flour, almond flour, water and salt.
- Heat a medium size, non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel. When skillet is fully heated, turn heat down to medium low.
- Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto skillet and cook until surface of pancakes have a few bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. Serve warm, with a dollop of ghee, butter or cilantro chutney.
