Sattva : Issue 14

All things 'comfy cozy'

Sep 01, 2021

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.

When my son was little, he would use this adorable phrase comfy-cozy in the context of being tucked in comfortably in bed or how his new t-shirt felt. As I started writing this edition of Sattva, I thought that this phrase makes perfect sense. The weather in Bengaluru over the last few weeks with regular rains has been pushing me towards all things comfy-cozy and that’s what today’s newsletter is all about.

A case for day beds

If one piece of furniture at home spells comfort, it is the day bed.

If you are a 70-80s kid from India, you’ll remember something called a ‘diwan’ which was usually a part of the living room of most middle-class households. The diwan was a purely functional piece of furniture, serving as seating during the daytime, napping in the afternoons and it would allow for one or two people to sleep at night (two, if it had a pull out feature). It also had inbuilt storage in some cases.

You could call a day bed as a more aesthetic and stylish version of the diwan.

I have one in my room which is my reading space, relaxing space and also the zoom / Instagram live space. Some days when I am down with a cold or feeling under weather, I also sleep there at night to semi-isolate myself in these times. I’m pretty small at 5 feet 3 inches, so it’s the perfect cozy nook for me to take a nap. A day bed in the living room or guest room makes for an extra sleeping space for a guest.

Why relax on the day bed if you have an actual bed you may wonder. I for one hate to lounge on the bed in the day time as it makes me feel like a slob. The day bed is just comfortable to relax for a short while like 30 minutes without going into a full blown binge sleep. For those of you working from home, you can place a small portable table in front of the day bed, support your back with enough cushions and it turns into lovely working area, as long as you are working from a laptop.

How to pick a good day bed?

You can choose from metal, wood and wicker. The wrought iron designs from Ikea are simple and elegant, and you can add your own personality and style to it by changing up the upholstery and cushions. Depending on your needs, you can buy one with built in storage or a trundle bed that opens out to provide sleeping space for two guests. If you plan to place this day bed in a sunny space like a balcony or patio, choose one with a frame / poster day bed where you can hang muslin curtains to keep the sun out, very much like a Balinese resort.

Here are the ones that I have shortlisted for you. Please note that I have not tried any of these (except the first one) myself. These are just the ones I found to be most aesthetic.

Featured:

1. Antique wooden daybed from Maram, Bengaluru / home

2. Ikea – black wrought iron

3. Wooden Street – poster day bed

4. Wooden from Sunrise Furniture – we got a bedroom set from them in 2009 and it has been a great purchase

5. Ira furniture – wicker

6. Royal Interiors – white wrought iron

7. Fabindia – wood

The best lounge wear

Now let’s talk about the most comfortable lounge wear.

The 2020 pandemic made me into a kaftan convert. I have never worn a kaftan before 2020 in my life. When I started wearing them as nightwear, I realised that it is probably the most comfortable home wear there is. Unlike pajamas, there’s no elastic clutching at your skin. It’s one size fits all. It’s airy when made from soft and light weight cotton fabric. In short, it’s something you’ll want to live in. Unlike a regular night gown, these kaftans looks elegant for you to attend to the doorbell or to go borrow sugar from a neighbour, because its part lounge wear, part night wear.

For kaftans, I have a whole hearted recommendation. The Sweet Slumber Store kaftans. I have been wearing them every day for around 6 months now, regular machine wash, iron, and wear. They’ve only gotten softer and more comfortable. If you are undecided between kaftans and pajamas, then check out their range called the ‘kafjamas’.

Bhanu Garg, a lawyer turned entrepreneur runs this enterprise from Dehradun. She has generously offered Sattva readers a coupon code if you do choose to buy one of the lounge wear pieces from Sweetslumberstore.com.

Use sweetsaffrontrail10 at checkout.

A super algorithm for soup

If we are talking all things comfort, can a bowl of steaming hot soup be far behind. Served with a golden grilled cheese sandwich, this is my ultimate comfort food on cold evenings, or with a salad if I don’t want to go overboard.

Using this basic table above, you can prepare a new soup every single time, using whatever vegetables you have on hand. I prefer blended soups which is why I don’t peel any of the vegetables that go into the pressure cooker. Even butternut squash soup turns out creamy when cooked with peels. It’s lesser work, more fibre and more thickness to the soup as well.

In blended soups, I prefer to use masoor or moong dal. Large beans like chickpeas and rajma can be cooked separately and added to the soup in the end for a chunkier texture. If you’re making the soup as an appetiser, then leave out the ingredients in the protein section of the table to keep it lighter.

Recipe for Tomato-Lentil Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tomatoes, quartered

1 carrot, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp galangal powder

1 small piece cinnamon

1 stock cube

4-5 tbsp split masoor dal, washed

3 cups water

Sugar, as per taste

For garnish:

1 tbsp butter (optional)

1 tsp mixed herbs

Method

In a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients except the garnish. You can also start with some oil, saute all the ingredients for 1-2 minutes and then proceed to pressure cook. Pressure cook for 10 minutes (after one whistle, keep on lowest heat for 10 minutes). Open the cooker and allow the contents to cool thoroughly.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the contents to a blender or mixer and blend to get a smooth puree. Pour this into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

Check and adjust for salt. Add some sugar to balance out the taste as per your liking.

Serve into bowls and garnish with some butter and crushed mixed herbs.

Bonus recipe: Thai style butternut squash soup

I made a delicious butternut squash soup last week.

Here goes the rough recipe.

Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooked. Saute chopped butternut squash (scrape out seeds and core), onion, garlic, galangal powder, coriander seeds (or stems), cinnamon stick, bay leaf and lemongrass for 1-2 minutes. Add 3-4 cups water and salt. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Remove to a blender once cooled and process to get a smooth puree. Transfer to a saucepan. Add lime juice, coconut milk, black pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Serve hot.

You can see how both soups have followed the soup algorithm from the table above.

Butternut squash is available these days in Bengaluru on BigBasket as well as in Namdhari stores. If you haven’t tried it before, don’t miss it this season.

Upcoming events

4 Sep, 2021 at 6 PM | I am conducting an online food writing masterclass for Museum of Art and Photography. It is free but sign up is required. Here is the link to register. If you know of any family or friends who would be keen on this masterclass, please share this information with them.
6 Sep, 2021 - 2 PM - 3 PM | I’m speaking on a panel as a part of the inaugural edition of Bharat Nutrition Week on ‘Good food for diseases free and longer life’. Link to the event
11 Sep, 2021 - 4 PM - 5 PM | Instagram Live on Everyday Superfoods with @jeevgoodness and @viji_moo
I would love to see you in one or more of these events.

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!

Books: Everyday Superfoods | The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian

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

Sattva