Sattva: Issue 03

30 days of walking, increase kitchen storage, unclog drains and more

Sattva (सत्त्व) is a beautiful Sanskrit word that has many meanings—spirit, true essence, good sense, wisdom, quality of purity, energy, consciousness and mind, among other things.

Through this fortnightly newsletter, I want to bring to you all things good, which will make your life better. My focus will be on topics such as mindfulness, productivity, slow living and sustainability, accompanied by genuinely useful recommendations of products, books, music, links to read, and of course food and recipes. Through these, I hope to instil some Sattva in your life.

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Hello fellow Sattva seekers! I hope you enjoyed the previous issue. If you used any of the info in the newsletter or have something to share, do write to me on Twitter or Instagram at @saffrontrail.

30 days of walking

A new month and a new season are upon us. This is a good time to do some spring cleaning around the house (don’t miss a useful tip at the end), start a new habit, sow some seeds in pots and move towards a diet with more fresh ingredients.

I have hibernated for all of Jan and Feb. To get back to regular physical activity, I have decided to do 30 days of walking in March. Keeping a fixed time for the walk, deciding on the clothes to wear, shoes and socks on the ready, planning the music or podcast playlist all ahead of time prevents procrastination. This also helps in creating a ritual around the activity, making it easier to stick to the plan. Also, choose a time slot in which you are sure you will not be forced to abandon the walk because of reasons like calls, meetings or any other chores. For me, early morning works best for these reasons.

Sunrise on my morning walk

Walking can be made into an exercise in mindfulness.

Once in a while, leave your phone at home and observe the trees, plants, flowers and birds all at the peak of their activity in springtime. If you manage to catch a sunrise or sunset, soak up those moments. This morning, I spotted a pink sunrise, a flock of red-whiskered bulbuls flying around with twigs to build a nest and the jacaranda tree almost full of purple blooms. I cannot think of a happier or more positive start to the day. I shall try and post some updates about my daily walks on Instagram, and hope this might inspire you to try the 30 days of walking with me.

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Increasing your kitchen storage almost instantly

Last year I went through a phase of feeling like I desperately needed more kitchen storage. An open kitchen, no ceiling level cabinets and no pantry mean that I’m constantly running out of space to store cookware, groceries, etc. Shelf dividers came to my rescue and have helped me make better use of the space I already have. These are especially useful if you have taller cabinets that can easily be divided into two shelves. It removes the need to inconveniently stack containers or bottles on top of each other.

If you live in one of the cities where an IKEA store is or delivers to (I envy you so much!) then here are my choices - Variera shelf inserts, one and two.

Otherwise, there is Amazon. This pair of steel divider racks are adjustable to suit varying widths. You can also use these as stands to drain washed cups and small utensils. This countertop or in-shelf unit is also something I use to organize small bottles of oils, spices and also in the bathroom.

Bonus tip: If you have dead space between your cabinets and ceiling, use it effectively while making sure it looks aesthetic too. Use coir or bamboo baskets, large woven tote bags and pretty paper/cardboard gift boxes to keep stuff that you cannot throw away but don’t need to use very often. My extra baking trays, ice cream maker, spare glass bottles, incense stick stash are some of the things I keep in this space. Make sure to label the storage in a way that you can easily find the stuff you are looking for. Adding a couple of shade-loving plants kept in water alongside the storage boxes makes this space visually pleasing too.

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What I’m cooking

Cabbage Pizza

• Kkampoong Tofu / Korean style crispy tofu in the most addictive sauce

• Cabbage pizza (Don’t go by the name, this is delicious and can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Inspiration from one of my fav Korean vloggers Nyangsoop

• I made this sookhi (dry) chutney for bhel puri. It is something I didn’t know existed and if you are a chaat lover, this is life-changing. Thank you Chef Sanjyot Keer for introducing us to this magic. It’s the first recipe in this 15-minute long video.

• This baked pasta and veggie dish is all kinds of delicious to dig into as soon as it is out of the oven.

• Green tomato chutney and green tomato hot sauce -this lactofermented hot sauce is the bomb.

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What I’m reading

1. The importance of home gardens and other lessons from a pandemic / Goya Journal

2. Baked Feta 'TikTok Pasta': We Need To Talk About Where It Really Came From

   / Huffpost Taste

3. Chefs share mistakes you’re probably making when microwaving food / Business Insider

4. Why I am trying to cook less in 2021 / Bon Appetit (I could so relate to this)

5. Sustainable practices by fashion brands / NY Times

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Media mentions, Instagram Lives and Clubhouse chats

My second book, Everyday Superfoods will be out this month (YAY!). Here are some of the articles and interviews around the topics of superfoods, sustainability and more. Also, say hello if you are on Clubhouse.

• Pune Mirror: Hemp and awe (an extract on hemp seeds and their nutritive value from my book) 

• Talking about sustainability and superfoods with Lonely Planet India  

• Interview in Business Insider India on what are the Indian superfoods, about the superfoods trend and more

• I’m doing a super fun weekly chat on Clubhouse with Krish Ashok, author of Masala Lab. It’s at 9 PM IST every Saturday. So if you are on Clubhouse, come find me and let’s hang out :) I’m @nanditaiyer on Clubhouse.  (presently available on iOS only)

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Unclog the pipes, minus the harmful chemicals

Since we touched upon spring cleaning, I’m going to leave you with a tip to unclog the kitchen drains without using harmful chemicals. The kitchen sink drains tend to get clogged with food waste and whatnot. A lot of the products available in stores contain harsh chemicals that can give off irritating fumes, corrode pipes over time and also pollute groundwater. You can do this using ingredients that you will find in the kitchen. Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of baking soda over the drain. Pour half a cup of vinegar over it. Wait for it to stop bubbling, and then pour 2 cups of boiling hot water down the drain. Wash the sink well and it’s ready for use. 

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I would love your feedback on the newsletter. If you like what you read, please share it with your family and friends. I am grateful for your help in reaching my newsletter to a wider audience. See you in two weeks time!

Nandita Iyer

Books: Everyday Superfoods | The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian 

Blog: https://saffrontrail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saffrontrail

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This newsletter may contain affiliate links for some products. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you purchase something by clicking on my link, at no extra cost to you. It helps support the newsletter. 

None of the product mentions are sponsored unless explicitly mentioned. Thank you :)