One bibimbap too soon: weird diet continues

Two weeks ago I heartily accepted the challenge of a priest somewhere in India. His requirement - Swati and I eat no meat, onions or garlic as part of a religious ceremony to bless my future marriage. I wrote about it in an earlier post.

However, the past two weeks have been tough. Especially since reading the New York Times Salmon Bibimbap recipe earlier in the week. We could hold out no longer. And on Wednesday evening we declared an end by enjoying this tasty dish, even though we were technically early. "It was Thursday in India," Swati countered (the official end of the fast).

It seems though we may have jumped the gun. The next day I received a call from my mom apologizing for her earlier miscommunication. Apparently, "the diet is suppose to last one month, not the two weeks," she said matter-of-factly.

I was outraged. My immediate reaction was anger, "You don't realize how hard this is to be gluten-free and also not eat fish!" Then negotiation, "Okay, well technically fish is not meat."

Now I've come to accept it. The way I figure, you don't want to anger the universe, especially when the happiness of your marriage is on the line. Although it bugs me that no explanation was ever given. Or any warning.

But in terms of the diet. The no meat part is relatively easy as its straight-forward. The real challenge to the diet is avoiding the 'sneaky' stuff, garlic and onions, especially when eating out. I've just accepted the fact that I can't be perfect on this one.

The good news - I have been cooking more and finding inspiration in unexpected places. Like the website Manjula's Kitchen, featuring an Indian 'auntie' that shares how to prepare delicious vegetarian dishes according to her Jain diet (yes no onions and garlic). Her spicy okra recipe was a personal favorite.

If only Manjula could setup shop in Brooklyn. That would be nice.

Weird diets: No onions and garlic

No meat. No onions. No garlic. That apparently is suppose to be my diet over the next two weeks. If you think it's strange, believe me. I do too.

Even more odd - this diet was not recommended by a nutritional counselor or holistic professional, but rather a priest from India. My parents, it seems, have arranged for a religious ceremony in India to bless my future marriage, and this diet was one of the conditions.

Why? You might ask. Good luck getting an answer out of my parents or even the priest. It seems I'll have to rely on Google for this one.

So I did some research and what I found surprised me. Apparently, there are lots of individuals who regularly take these foods out of their diets. The Buddhists and Hare Krishnas, in addition to being strict vegetarians, believe onions and garlic cloud one's mind with "passion," preventing transcendence. The Jains, also strict vegetarians, avoid these foods in addition to all root vegetables as they contain too many "life-forms," albeit microscopic.

What these cultures fail to recognize is garlic can also be extremely healing. It has documented anti-viral and antibiotic properties. And really what's so wrong with passion? It can lead to some great things too!

I am trying to see this as an opportunity to experiment with new foods. One positive change - I've been using asafoetida in my cooking, a pungent Indian spice that resembles the taste of onions and garlic. But the urge to rebel remains high...and they never said anything about leeks or shallots. :)

*Photo courtesy greenwood100 from flickr