The Beauty of a Home Cooked Meal

There is something mystical and grounding about a simple home cooked meal. The kind that does not require a lot of effort or several fancy ingredients, is simple to prepare and is considered as “comfort food”. It’s not glamorous, but it is satiating. Satiating not just to the stomach but to the soul.

In different cultures, this could mean different things. In India, it many a times refers to a simple bowl of kichadi (tempered lentils + rice) or some curd-rice with palya (sauteed veggies).

I believe that cooking a meal for ourselves is one of the greatest acts of self-love. It is showing up for our bodies and putting consciousness into nourishing our very being. Immersing ourselves in the quiet pause between cuts of our knife, allowing the steam from the boiling pot to blow on our faces and taking in the aroma of the food as it is being prepared. These are all elements of establishing a deep connection with the very elements that will ultimately become us.

In an era where take-out and home-delivery options are infinite, our minds very easily try to convince us that it’s ok to just take the easier route. While of course that is ok sometimes, it is part of enjoying the pleasures of life. But, can we stop and question – why has it become the default?

One line of thinking is: why bother giving food so much attention? We shouldn’t think so much about food. That’s not an elevated way of being. Work is more important – says the part of you that does not want to bother to take that mindful pause, that just wants to keep going in an infinite loop. I simply don’t have time.

Time has a way of rearranging itself around what you are prioritizing in life. If this is something that matters to you – most of the time – you will find the time.

I think it also depends on what angle you are approaching it from. Yes – constantly being obsessed with food, tracking, macros, micros can be an overkill at times. What I’m trying to hint at is really trying to feel into the vibration of the food. Then it’s not about numbers, it’s about feelings and energy. It’s not about how much you eat, but how easily you are satisfied.

This also allows us to treat our food with respect, for we have put real effort into preparing it. It hasn’t been brought to our home at the click of a button. We will not waste as much, we will become more mindful of what our needs actually are.

Simple home-cooked kichadi