Tempering......healthy affair with spices.

                                                                                 

                                                                          

• Tempering is the method used heavily in traditional Indian cooking. Tempering of spices is a traditional method to extract the full flavor from spices. Essentially this method is when whole or ground spices are heated in hot oil/ghee (butter) and then added to a dish, which makes the dish more fragrant and flavorsome and brings the essence of the spices to the fore. The symphony of various spices in hot ghee has its own taste and smell which defines Indian cuisine.
• But have you ever wondered why we add a tadka or chhonk in our dals and other dishes? Is it just for taste or does it holding any other benefit as well? The truth is, a tadka not only adds flavor to our food but also holds many health benefits in it. Not only does tempering add flavor but it also unlocks the nutritional benefits of the spices.

        Synonyms

• Chaunk/chhaunk/ chounk/ chonk ( छौंक)  in Hindi
• তড়কা(tarka)/বাগার(bagar)/ ফোড়ন(phoron) in Bengali
• Tarka (ਤੜਕਾ) in Punjabi
• Thaalithal (தாளித்தல்) in Tamil
• Oggaraṇe (ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ) in Kannada
• Fonna(फोण्ण) in Konkani
• Vaghaar (વઘાર) in Gujarati
• Fodni (फोडणी) in Marathi
• Thalimpu (తాళింపు) or popu ( పోపు ) in Telugu
• Baghaar (Urdu: بگھار)
• Baghara (in oriya)

        Etymology

• The Hindi name, chhaunk (the initial consonant, "chh" (छ) is a heavily aspirated "ch" sound), is believed to be onomatopoetic, imitating the muffled sound of the just-fried spices being added to a dal or other dish.

        What are the uses of tempering?

• Herbs have their own healing properties and some like cumin, turmeric etc. are excellent for digestion. So, it makes complete sense to add it your dishes like dals, veggies, etc.
• It also gives the food a mouth-watering taste and adds a visual appeal to boring, routine food.
• Phytonutrients present in turmeric, curry leaves, cumin, etc are important for our body, they all have medicinal values. Since the hot ghee or vegetable oil helps the spices unlock their healing properties.
• Hot fat has an amazing ability to extract and retain the essence, aroma and flavor of spices and herbs and then carry this essence with it when it is added to a dish.

        What is the science behind tempering?

• Tempering is the method of heating fat and throwing in whole spices until they release their essential oils.
• Solubility of compounds - The aroma and heat of spices are caused by organic compounds that are synthesized by plants. These compounds are usually hydrophobic in nature. When spices are tempered in oil, these compounds are readily solubilized in the oil and the aroma and fragrance is dispersed through the dish along with the oil. Added to this, some spices like mustard seeds or sesame seeds contain oil inside the seeds, when added to hot oil, these seeds pop and splutter, this releases these fragrant oils into the cooking oil.
• The aromatic compounds in spices dissolve much better in oil than in water, thus frying in ghee enhances the fragrance because of the high temperature, and also extracts the flavor to the oil, and hence it can be dispersed through the food efficiently.
• Frying all the potent spices in hot oil releases the flavors of the spices and the aroma, and cooking the dish in this flavorful oil adds the subtle taste of the spices to the dish, without overpowering the actual dish itself.
• These are fried to a crisp during the tempering process. This adds an element of crunch, which is an added dimension of texture to the food. Adding raw or boiled spices will not be able to achieve this texture.

        How is tempering done?

• In authentic Indian cooking, the key to making a truly delicious meal is not only choosing the right spices but also adding them in the right order and tempering them correctly.
• Tempering is done primarily by heating a little oil or clarified butter and adding the relevant spices until they change color or crackle. Here again although the basic concept of tempering is the same all over the country, each region or for that matter every family has its own distinctive way of tempering, and each claims proudly & possessively that theirs is the best way to temper food!
• Tempering is followed across India from north, south, east and west. Though the ingredients may differ slightly, the benefits still remain intact. Here’s what you need to do.
• Heat a tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan. When it is simmering hot, keep the gas on a medium flame and add mustard seeds. Once they start to crackle, add jeera. Once the jeera becomes slightly bigger in size, add onion, garlic. Stir continuously till they become slightly pink. Now add spices like haldi(turmeric), hing(asafetida), mirchi(chili) powder or red chilies, etc. Mix them well and then turn off the gas. Now add this to your pre-cooked dal, mix and serve immediately. This is a standard dal tadka. Depending on the dish, the ingredients change. For example, in some dishes, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste is added in the tempering.

        Where tempering of spices is well known?

• Tempering is a common technique used in the countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

        When is tempering done?

• Tempering is either added at the very beginning or at the very end of the dish depending on what it is. For example, in dals, tempering is often added in the end while other preparations have it at the start.
• When making a simple dish of rice with cumin, heat the whole cumin seeds in hot oil and then add the rice and continue cooking it. Tempering also can be used at the end of the cooking process. 

        What are the Ingredients used?

• Ingredients typically used for tempering include cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fresh green chilies, dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, asafetida, cassia, cloves, urad dal(split black gram), curry leaves, chopped onion, garlic, ginger or bay leaves. When using multiple ingredients for a tempering they are often added in succession, with those requiring longer cooking added earlier, and those requiring less cooking added later. In Oriya cuisine and Bengali cuisine, a mixture of whole spices called Panch phutana or panch phoron( http://vaishali2013.blogspot.in/2014/02/healthy-panch-phoron-5-spice-mix.html) is used.
• The ingredients used in a Tempering varies dependant on the area the dish originated from.  Dishes from the North of India tend to favor cumin whilst dishes from the south prefer curry leaves.
• There is no fixed authentic combination, but go with what you have and what you like, it's completely up to you.

                                                                             

     

        Spice Box or Masala Box

• An Indian kitchen is incomplete without the tempering box or masala box. The general ingredients that go into the various compartments of this box are: cumin, mustard, split black gram, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder. The seventh container in the centre can be filled with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Asafetida is often kept in a tiny bottle within the box, but with its lid closed since it has a very strong aroma. Some boxes are fitted with a rimmed tray for dry chilies and bay leaves.
• Each of these ingredients has something to offer in terms of good health, especially for proper digestion. Given below are the basic uses of some of the spices used for tempering.
• Turmeric is used for its great healing, cosmetic as well as antioxidant properties for building immunity. Turmeric is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anthelmintic. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
• Black gram is added for its heating quality,
• Health benefits of cumin are that it dispels gas, eliminates toxins, is a mild laxative, and is anti-inflammatory.
• Mustard seeds are supposed to relieve muscular pain it also has anti inflammatory properties.
• Asafetida health benefits are many; it is an antiepileptic, antimicrobial, mild laxative, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antispasmodic, and anti-flatulent agent.
• Fenugreek seeds are excellent digestives, especially after a heavy meal. It has been also used as a general tonic to improve metabolism and health.
• Curry leaves  improve the quality of digestive juices secreted during digestion. Their action starts with intake. Their smell, taste and visual impression initiates salivary secretion and initiates the peristaltic wave, which is the first step in good digestion. They are mildly laxative and thus can tackle multiple digestive problems caused by food intake.
• A lot of these spices are known for improving digestive health and healing powers.So, next time you open that masala box, pause and take note that it holds lots of secrets to our health!

       Tempering Tips

• You don’t need lots of oil/ghee. One or two tablespoons are enough.
• Ideally use Ghee, sunflower or vegetable oil.  Olive oil in this case is not the best choice, Olive oil breaks down at high temperatures, and the oil needs to be very hot for this.
• The whole process only takes a few seconds, so make sure you are prepared before you start.
• The oil or ghee should be very hot at first, then reduced to medium, then add the spices. You know the oil is hot enough when you can see a slight shimmer.
• Tempering method is a good way of delivering the spice flavor as fat is a good transporter for them and closing the lid means trapping the fragrant vapor.
• Fresh curry leaves are gorgeous. Aromatic, earthy, pretty, they make a curry. The dried variety pales in comparison but is still worth using if fresh is hard to come by.
• When it comes to mustard and cumin seeds, it’s important to make sure they all pop in the oil and I’ll tell you a little secret to avoid being burnt by the mini fireworks display on the stove. Holding a lid over the pan is a much more elegant way to avoid injury.
• If you are not sure whether the oil is hot enough (look for a slight shimmer), Tempering requires your undivided attention, so it is not to be juggled with distractions An annoying but unavoidable truth of tempering is that if you burn the spices, you must get rid of them, wipe the pan and start again because burnt seeds are perfectly capable of ruining the whole dish.
• If you are making a curry, then temper at the start.  If you are making a dal, rasam or sambar then it is best to temper at the end.  If you are tempering at the end of a dish, then use a separate pan and simply add to the dish.
• Not sure what to temper?  You can try powdered spices, cumin seeds, red dry chilies, mustard seeds, grated ginger or garlic, bay leaves or cloves.  The choice is yours.
• The perfectly acceptable way is to drop in a couple of mustard or cumin seeds to see if popping occurs.  Always maintain control of the oil temperature. Turning the heat down or even off once the seeds have popped is advisable to prevent burning things.
• If you’re going to add your vegetables or other ingredients to your tempering, be sure to choose a large enough pan to hold everything.
• Trying to prepare the tempering too far in advance or storing in the fridge will result in loss of flavor and aroma.
• No water is ever added to a tempering.
• The only thing you need to bear in mind is to control the oil content while making the tempering. Many people end up using too much oil which obviously adds to weight gain and other health issues. People with stomach ulcers, acidity, heart problems, mouth ulcers, pimples, excessive body heat, etc must keep it to a minimum. 
• If you burn the spices, you’ll have to throw your mixture out and start again, as the burnt flavor will ruin your whole dish.  The key to tempering is heat control.
• Once your tempering is complete, you can start to add your other ingredients such as onions, meat & vegetables
• As you add more ingredients the temperature in your pot will start to drop, so you may need to add more heat
• The ingredients are usually added quickly one after the other. Start with those that require longer cooking and move to those that require least cooking.
• The splattering of the spices and changes in the color will let you know that the tempering is complete.
• Dry Roasting spices are not recommended as volatile essential oils in the spices are lost when dry roasted. Fat is a good carrier of flavor. Well here you have the combination of both.  The heating of fat to fry the spices/aromatics and then pouring it over the food and trapping that essential oil vapor by closing with a lid.  You’re maximizing the spice flavor.

        Other methods

• In addition to showing us the typical tempering ingredients, u can used some unusual techniques for tempering, such as adding hot oil to already roasted spices, which really helped transform dishes from mundane to magical.

        Conclusion

• Almost every Indian recipe, except Dessert, is tempered with crackling spices. Anyone who aspires to learn Indian cooking has to learn the art of tempering. Usually heating is associated with the word temper. But in the context of Indian cooking, the term ‘temper’ takes on a very different meaning.
• Every good cook knows that spices and seasoning can make or break a dish! For many people, choosing and adding the right spices can be the most intimidating part of learning a new style of cooking. In traditional Indian cuisine, spices are an integral part of every dish, not only picking the right ingredients, but adding them in the right order and using a specific technique is also crucial. With just a little bit of understanding and practice, you’ll see how easy it is to add a whole new level of flavor to your cooking which also has healthy implication.
• Tempering tends to enhance the original flavors of a spice, making them bolder and more intense, almost as if they've become surer of themselves. The aroma of a tadka (tempered spices) is irresistible,it fills a room instantly, a sort of crazy treat for the nose. 
• It's a quick, intense three or four minutes of crazy stirring and definitely not burning the spices, until your housemates, partner and neighbours come in, salivating, and it's done!

Restraining the natural urge is hazardous !

                                                                                     

Ayurveda is the holistic ancient science which primarily focuses on preventive aspect of ailments. Ayurvedic texts attributes the cause of various disorders to the suppression of natural urges in our body. This is due to the fact that suppression of natural urges causes vitiation of the humors (doshas) of the body mainly vata(humor) and further cause accumulation of toxins (ama) in the body.

Human existence is essentially attributed to constant, continuous oneness of body, mind and soul. We are alive when these constituents are together. When soul and mind departs from body, we call it death. In order to maintain healthy operations of these constituents some urges are created naturally. These urges are known in ayurveda as ' Vega'.

For urges to be in action various nerves, muscles, sphincters take part. The urges can be suppressed for some period by the power of mind. We can also create some urges by stimulating mind. But, ayurveda does not recommend this forceful suppression and initiation of urges. It is regarded as one of the major factor to commence disease process.Quite unknowingly, or sometimes simply for the sake of public mannerism, the body urges are withheld. Yet, this practice does more harm than good.

        Suppression of urges (Vegadharan)

• The word ‘vegadharan’ is derived from two words.Vega (natural urge) + Dharan (suppression)
• The human body is a wonderful complex system which has a number of ways to balance or eliminate the materials which could be harmful to the body. In order to facilitate the elimination of these substances, the body is equipped with urges that appear naturally. These are the natural calls from body which a person must attend to, as and when they appear in order to maintain the balance in the body, and to eliminate an element that might cause imbalance.
• Most of us suppress these urges (or) on a regular basis. We wait until a convenient break to eat during our workday regardless of hunger, or we stifle a sneeze so as not to be rude. We learn our culture’s prohibitions around certain urges at a young age, like those around flatulence, belching, or tears. By the time we’re adults, we often don’t register that we’re suppressing urges; we may not even notice an urge at all, so trained are we to schedule the activities they are calling for. I know a few people who won’t feel the need to defecate unless they are near a familiar bathroom (even if several days pass). Hunger is another common victim here. Many of us never feel hunger, since we eat according to the clock, and meal time may come well before or after the urge to eat arises.

        Point to be noted..

• This  process is timely carried out by body at regular intervals & controlled by nervous system, suppression of which not only stops the elimination of waste products but also brings strain and disorders of nervous system causing many diseases.
• This develops in those who have regular habit of suppressing urges over long period and not instantly.

         Which are they?

• According to Ayurveda, there are thirteen types of natural urges in the body which should not be suppressed. Holding these urges back can cause discomfort to body.
• Vega can roughly be classified according to their functions such as
• Excretion (feces, urine, fart, vomit, sneeze, belch, cough etc.)
• Reproduction (semen)
• Intake of food and liquid (hunger and thirst)
• Expressing emotions (tears)
• Refreshing mind n brain (sleep, yawn)

              “Vegan na dharayet vata vin mutra kshavathu truta kshudham

                nidra Kasa shramashwas jrumbha ashru chardi retasam”

                (Ashtang hriday.su.5/2)

        13 Non-suppressible natural urges 

• Ashtang hriday and Charak describes 13 non suppressible urges but there is a slight difference that  Acharya Charak has explained ‘Udgara vega’(urge to belch) instead of ‘kasa vega’(urge to cough).

         Urge to pass urine (Mutra vega)  

• This is one of the most commonly withheld urges, especially with women and children. It needs to be kept in mind that when you repeatedly hold on to this body’s urgency, you might initially be simply a receptor of occasional malaise and discomfort. 
• But be cautious, because you are unknowingly nearing more threatening afflictions such as: recurrent urinary infections, pain in the lower abdomen and genitals, and renal stones.                                                                                                                                                                             Urge to eliminate feces (Purish Vega)
• If you ignore the call of the nature, then be ready to face ailments like cramps in the calf muscles, chronic headaches, chronic colds, excessive wind formation, pain in abdomen, and even the emergency condition of heart block may crop up.
• The school going children ignore it and they do not go to toilet early in the morning because they are in a rush to go to school. Housewives also hold the urge to defecate because they are too busy to serve the joint families and handling their children. 
• Men are also busy in travel, business meetings, jobs and achieving the targets so that they do not give attention to the urge.
• Sometimes the urge comes for a few seconds and then goes away. This is the time when one should go to toilet without bothering for anything else. This helps to keep the weight also under control
• Repeatedly Ignoring this leads to constipation. Constipation is considered to be root cause of most of the ailments.                                                                                         

       Urge to eliminate semen (Shukra Vega)   

• Although Ayurveda promotes preservation of semen as it is considered as shukra dhatu, its forceful suppression is not advised. Sex is an act which gives pleasure to all living beings on the earth.
• Suppression of urge to void semen can cause issues such as genital pain and dwelling, pain in the heart, impotency, scrotal enlargement and also urinary problems.                                                                                                                                                                                          Urge to pass out flatus (Vata Vega)
• Repressing the urge to pass wind is unhealthy although it looks embarrassing .This is another common self-restraint that has its own tale of health adversities. 
• Some routine discomforts caused by suppression are easy fatigue, urinary retention, pain in the abdomen, improper evacuation of body wastes, and chronic indigestion.

        Urge to vomit ( Chardi Vega)

• We often tend to eat in a hurry which results in improper digestion of food. This often shows up as nausea which we invariably suppress. The defense mechanism of the body always tries to expel the toxins or harmful substances from the nearest orifice in the form  of vomit. 
• The urge to vomit when forcibly suppressed retains the toxins in the body causing various allergic skin disorders, eye disorders, anemia, fever, cough, breathlessness, dark pigmentation & swelling over the face or eyes and itching all over the body.

        Urge to sneeze (Kshavathu Vega)

• A simple sneeze once in a while won’t affect your personality. On the contrary, hold on the same and be accessible for maladies like: occasional headaches, stiffness of the neck, vertigo, and blurred vision. This small ignorance may in the long run rob you of the perfect sense of harmony or more dangerously, it may one day turn into disease like facial paralysis.

        Urge for eructation/belching (Udgara Vega)

• Ever gave a thought to controlling your burps so often? Better do it now. Let me caution you that in the long run, this seemingly harmless practice might be reason enough for tremors, gripping pain in the chest, anorexia, and excessive production of flatus.

       Urge to yawn (Jrumbha Vega)

• Human brain requires sufficient quantity of oxygen for normal functioning. When brain is deprived of oxygen the normal urge is to yawn so that one gulps sufficient quantity of air. Problems caused by controlling yawning are similar to that of suppressing sneezing.

                                                   

       Urge to eat (Kshudha Vega)

• Hunger is mostly suppressed for want of time to attend to other works which we feel are more important.Never try to starve your body by ignoring its demand for food.
• Controlling and suppressing natural hunger is believed to be harmful for health and fitness. This may cause maladies like anorexia, emaciation, vertigo, giddiness, body aches, depression, and decline in the brainpower.

       Urge to drink  (Trushna Vega)

• Extreme thirst is a common urge for want of clean drinking water. Regular controlling thirst or delaying drinking of water causes emaciation, generalized debility, deafening, delusion, giddiness and heart diseases.

       Urge to shed tears or cry (Ashru Vega)

• We all control weeping although they threaten to roll down. Yet we tend to brave out the situation hiding our emotional face.
•  Repeatedly holding on to tears may lead to health problems as grave as: torticollis, eye ailments, chronic headache, chronic nasal congestion, vertigo, and anorexia.
• Cry is a gift of nature to ease the tension from human mind. Often we feel shy to cry before others and suppress this urge.

                                                            

       Urge to sleep (Nidra Vega)

• The sleep is an indicator of good health as it brings the normalcy in body tissue and relaxes the person.The properly taken sleep brings happiness, nourishment, strength,Virility, knowledge and life to the individual.
• Do you occasionally deprive yourself of a good night sleep? Yes, this is part of our lifestyle today. Blame it on overwork or nightlife. But let me tell you this is again one of the most deleterious practices that you are unknowingly inuring yourself with. Problems like: general malaise, lethargy, indecisiveness, heaviness and pain in the eyes and head, lack of enthusiasm, habitual insomnia, and digestive maladies might be just round the corner.
• Early to bed; early to rise makes man healthy, wealthy and wise is a forgotten truth. The gift of globalization has forced man to be awake all night in order to earn his livelihood.

        Urge for fast breathing  by overexertion.(Shrama  Shwas Vega)

•  Suppression of this urge may lead to heart diseases, respiratory tract disorders, and fainting.

        Urge to cough (Kaas Vega)

• Suppression of cough causes more coughing and further leads to dyspnoea, anorexia, heart disease, emaciation, and hiccups.

        New Urges developed in today’s era

• Apart from these urges, there are some urges like menstrual cycle in females; the trend is on rise to take tablets and injections for forceful suppression and initiation of menstrual cycle. It is not advisable to interrupt our natural hormonal cycle again and again. 

                                                                                        

       

        Crime against wisdom (prajnaparadh)

• There’s another larger message for us to take away here. Suppressing one of these bodily urges is considered a “crime against wisdom,” a vital concept in Ayurveda called prajnaparadha. 
• “Crimes against wisdom” refers to the unhealthy things we do knowingly and deny our inner wisdom for e.g. accepting the invitation for lunch when you know you really need to rest at home, or eating the heavy burger when you know it will give you indigestion for sure. 
• While the plaintive plea of a bodily urge can be lost in the cacophony of a busy day, it is comparatively loud next to the quieter voices of inner wisdom that speak of quieter needs. If we want to hear these voices, we have to encourage them. We can start by recognizing our bodily urges as wisdom, and doing what they ask. Healthy body demands never deceive.

       Initiating an urge is also harmful

• Prematurely initiating these vegas is equally dangerous The best way is not to suppress or artificially initiate any natural body process.
•  Forcibly initiate an urge, as it can create an imbalance in functioning of vata dosha (body humor) causing related diseases.

         Line of treatment for such diseases..

• According to Ayurveda, the first line of treatment in all diseases is "avoid the cause". Therefore, all diseases that can be caused by the suppression of the various natural urges can be prevented simply by not suppressing any of them.
• Remedial measures for the above mentioned conditions can be done by Ayurveda physician based on patient’s findings and history taking.

         Conclusion

• In our modern lifestyle, we find ourselves actually suppressing some or most of the natural urges of the body - we forcefully suppress the urge to sneeze when sitting in a meeting, the urge to eat when busy with work, the urge to pass urine while watching a favorite show on television, or the urge to eliminate flatus (fart) or yawn while in public.
• God created animals as well as humans, humans are presented with intelligence and brain power which is very advance, resulting in extraordinary discoveries to assist in its functions in many ways, but in this process we went far away from nature. We are in hurry all the time and we don’t have time even to respond to natures call.
• In today’s cultured & civilized world sneezing, coughing, yawning, passing flatulence, crying etc. are considered as uncultured and non civilized manners. But these urges when constantly and repeatedly suppressed lead to serious disorders. So it is very important to respond to these urges in time, do not ignore when the next nature call comes, and attend to it on priority.
• This health promoting and sickness preventing guidance is emphasized only in Ayurveda. It is such a rich piece of health advice, recorded several millennium ago and still relevant in today’s modern world.

Wisdom behind eating with your hands…

Introduction
Nowadays, in many Indian households the practice of eating food with the hands has been replaced with the use of cutlery ,either spoons or knives and forks, depending on the dish. It is thought to be more modern, hygienic and convenient; however most people don't realize that there is a rationale behind eating food with your hands. Many westerners find eating with hands unhygienic, primitive and disgusting but the connection of eating food with hands is not only with the body but also with the mind and soul.

There Is a Philosophy Behind This Indian Practice of Eating With the Fingers. In India, Eating is perceived as being a Sensual Activity. The Idea Is That One Should Be Able to Enjoy The Process of Eating With as Many of the Senses as Possible - Taste, Smell, Sight, and Touch.

This is a prime example of how many things within Indian culture may seem weird and unusual at first glance, but once a closer look is taken it is surprising, but a vast amount of knowledge is revealed. Some call it ‘primal eating’ since it is plainly assumed in times before utensils, people used their hands to eat.Eating with the hands evokes great emotion, it kindles something very warm and gentle and caressing. Using a fork is unthinkable in traditional Indian eating. It is almost like a weapon.

How it started?
Fork usage primarily came from Italy where eating hot pasta with bare hands was a problem. During the Renaissance, Italian culture became the trend and the table manners of eating with fork & knife spread elsewhere. Fork & knife, make real sense when you have bulk meat that you want to cut. Also, when the foodstuffs are little more homogenized, these devices work better. 

In western culture youngsters were expected to master the art of food poking, scooping and balancing, even though using our hands was so much more convenient and practical.  Over the time they became conditioned that utensils were the way. The natural instinct to pick food up with our hands was eventually snuffed out as they became accustomed to and better at the art of utensil use.

Where it is seen?
Eating with the hands is common in many areas of the world, including parts of Asia and much of Africa and the Middle East.

Indian foods are so diverse in form and structure that no group of metallic devices would really do the complete job. You need to use all the dexterity of your fingers to manage the food. It is not without reason that we are given opposing thumbs. The kind of food you eat decides the kind of utensils you use. There is no one size fits all. If it is a burger or a sandwich, you better eat it with bare hands as it’s difficult to eat every fry with fork and trying to cut the burger with a knife.

Indian food tastes best when eaten with your fingers.  There is a tactile dimension added to the eating process.  Besides, Indian foods are designed to be eaten by hand.  Breads are to be torn and wrapped around foods.  Rice is customarily blended with curries so each mouthful is unique.  If you eat off a banana leaf trying to use a knife and fork would shred your plate.

Vedic knowledge

Eating  food with  hands is an ancient practice, one that dates all the way back to the time of the Vedas. The actions involved in eating have been derived from mudras (hand positions) that are the basis for yoga, meditation and classical Indian dance. According to the Vedas, the digits on our fingers and toes represent the five elements. It is believed that these five elements work on the food, cleansing it of any negative vibes and preparing it for us to eat.

Each finger aids in the transformation of food, before it passes on to internal digestion. Gathering the fingertips as they touch the food stimulates the five elements and invites Agni to bring forth the digestive juices. As well as improving digestion the person becomes more conscious of the tastes, textures and smells of the foods they are eating, which all adds to the pleasure of eating.

       Panchamahabhutas in fingers

• Thumb: Fire (Agni) 
• (You might have seen children sucking their thumb; this is nature's way of aiding the digestion at an age when they are unable to chew.)
• Index finger: Air (Vayu/Varun)
• Middle finger: Heaven/ Ether /Space(Akash)
• Ring finger: Earth (Prithvi)
• Little finger: Water (Jala)

                                              

      Science behind Eating With Hands

         Touch: 

• Unlike when you eat with a spoon or fork, your fingers come in contact with your food before you put it in your mouth. Nerve endings in your fingers sense the temperature and texture of the food, thereby prepare your brain for what you are going to be eating and triggering the release of the appropriate digestive juices and enzymes.
• Ayurvedic wisdom teaches that our bodies can respond to this food-touch by producing the needed enzymes and digestive juices before the food even meets our lips and that the fingers themselves even contain enzymes which start the digestive process upon first touch.
• When food is touched with the hands, there is automatically more careful attention placed on it – how you will retrieve it, what the temperature is, how much you can carry, how the hand must be held in order to keep the food in it.

          Attention and satisfaction:

• When you eat with cutlery, it is a more mechanical process than when you eat with your hands. When you eat with your hands, you have to actually pay attention to what you eat. Using utensils can become more mechanical, done without even thinking, as there is no actual physical contact with the food until it touches the lips.  
• Not only do you experience the food more and enjoy it better, you are also more aware of what you are eating and how much. Mindless eating is one of the biggest causes of weight gain, whereby eating carefully is a much healthier option.
• You often need to look at the food and focus on what you are putting into your mouth. Mindful eating improves the assimilation of nutrients from the food you eat, enhances digestion and gives you satisfaction leading to better health and a calmer, stress-free life.

          Healthy Bacteria:

• We have some bacteria, known as normal flora, found on our skin. These bacteria are not harmful to human instead they protect us from many harmful bacteria from outside environment. It is required to establish normal flora in various parts of our body like in mouth, throat, intestine, gut etc for the betterment of health.
• Eating with spoon for long time can change the arrangement of normal flora. With this, the pattern of normal flora can be changed in the gut. It results reduced synchronous immunity to environmental bacterial germs.

          Temperature sensor:

• Your hands also act as a very effective temperature sensor. When you eat with a spoon or fork, the food goes directly from the plate to your mouth, so you may not realize if it is too hot. When we touch our food before putting it into our mouths the millions of nerve endings on the tips of our fingers are getting a temperature and texture reading that is immediately sent to the stomach. So you are less likely to put food that is too hot into your mouth, effectively preventing you from scalding your tongue.

          Limitations of spoon n fork

• Dosa is one of the famous southern delicacies. It is 10 times thinner than a pancake and has to be eaten with sauces of different densities. You need a superhuman effort to use a fork to eat this. 
• Many of the Indian foods come stuffed. Here is Vada pav (equivalent to burger) It’s not possible to eat vada pav with spoon n fork 
• In short, there are liquids, semisolid, powders, stuffed food, extremely thin layers and so on in our cuisine. A combination of this is too much to handle for a knife & fork.

          Etiquette of eating with hand
         Cleanliness of hands

• Hand Is Most Hygienic, When You Wash Properly with particular attention paid to the fingernails. Having long fingernails in India is considered unhygienic.
• Eating with one’s hands does automatically create a greater need for napkins and soap. There is really no getting around the cleanliness issue when eating with ones hands. However, when approaching food with the knowledge that utensils will not be used there becomes a higher likelihood that hand washing will compulsorily take place before the meal. 

         Good Manners

• There are conventions of good manners when eating with the fingers, but they do change a bit from area to area. 
• The most basic is that in the North of India it is polite to dirty only the first two segments of your fingers.  Since Northerners eat a lot of breads and generally have drier curries, this doesn't pose much difficulty. 
• In the South, where they eat lots more rice, and enjoy very soupy curries, you can get your whole hand into the action.  Try not to get carried away, though.  Having curry juices running down toward the elbow would be considered a bit low class.

         Use your right hand

• It is very important to eat with your right hand only.  
• Your left hand is reserved for other functions (toilet related) and should not handle food, especially other people's food.  
• Usually, your left hand rests on the table or your lap while you eat. Though it is acceptable to take a piece of bread, say, in your left hand and tear off pieces with your right, it is better to only use the right hand, pinning the bread with your little finger and tearing with your thumb and forefinger.  
• You can use your clean left hand to serve yourself (using a utensil) or pass a plate of food.  Don't plunge either hand into food in a communal serving dish.

          For left handers

• The question of what a left-handed person should do is a bit complicated.  If it is at all possible, try and eat with your right hand. 
• If it is too awkward, use the left, but perhaps explain to your dinner companions that you are left handed and cannot eat with your right hand. 

          Things to remember

• Don’t bring the plate to your mouth; bring the food to your mouth. Lower your head instead.
• Take small amounts of food each time.
• Make sure the food does not touch your palms and don’t put your fingers into your mouth.
• Use your thumbs to push the food inside.
• Don’t lick your fingers.

          Conclusion

• The hands are considered the most valuable organ of action(karmendriya). As mentioned in the given below vedic prayer…

          Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi Karamadhye Sarasvati |

          Karamuule Tu Govinda Prabhaate Karadarshanam ||

• Meaning-At the top of the palm dwell Devi Lakshmi ( goddess of wealth) and at the middle of the hand dwell Devi Saraswati (goddess of knowledge) , At the base of the hand dwell Sri Govinda (Lord Vishnu is the Sustainer of life)  ; Therefore one should Look at one’s Hands Early in the Morning and contemplate on them. Hence, this verse suggests that the divinity lies in our hands.)
• Many things within Hindu culture seem weird and unusual but once we go deep into it, we find that a surprising and vast amount of knowledge is hidden in it.
• Indian mothers like to feed their babies by hand. And there is really nothing in the world as tasty as a ball of food fed to you at any age by your mother. Its composition is perfectly and instinctively calibrated by her fingers. You may have noticed that elders in the family hardly ever use utensils to measure all the different type of masala(spices), and would instead prefer to use their hands to measure the quantity instead.
• Using our hands to eat is a well established tradition and a fact none of us are ashamed of. Millionaire here eats the same way a pauper does. You eat with conviction and passion when using your hands.
• Eating with your hands is not only potentially healthier than utensil eating; it can be a lot more fun!  Next time you have a big meal with your friends or family, try serving it up without spoon n fork and see the response. It’s sure to make for lively conversation and a lot of laughter!

          Stay healthy !