In a candid chat with IANSlife, Mira, who has collaborated with Tata Sampann for a session on how spices help build immunity, speaks on all things food. She also reveals Shahid's favourite food, her lockdown diary and gives advice to mothers on how they can build their kid's immunity. Read excerpts:

 

Are you a foodie?

 

Mira: Yes! I am a big foodie and my preferences have evolved over the years. Earlier I used to eat a lot of junk food and I feel that a part of me still loves Delhi street food and momos. But, these days I have become more mindful of what I eat. It is not just about the cuisine, it's more about the produce that is being used to cook our food--- whether its organic, is it seasonal, is it sustainably farmed, my choices regarding food have become more mindful now... Now I think food for me has become a lifestyle, before it used to be something fun that I used to look forward to.

 

Your favourite cuisine?

 

Mira: I really enjoy Thai food, but most of the time I enjoy eating home cooked food. Whenever I want something different then definitely my go to is Thai cuisine.

 

Do you cook for Shahid and your kids sometimes?

 

Mira: I cook for my family out of love and these days it is more often than it used to be before.

 

How do you ensure the balance of taste and nutrition while cooking for your kids?

 

Mira: I have always been interested in health, wellness, and now recently with the whole Ayurvedic way of cooking. Indian food has always been wholesome, it consists of grains, spices, seasonings, vegetables, dairy products for protein, and some pickle or chutney, which makes our food automatically balanced. One does not need to pay a lot of attention to ensure that the food is nutritious and tasty.

 

What does Shahid like to have while at home and with family?

 

Mira: It's just simple home food every day. Once in a while, we cook pizza with cheese. He also loves Rajma Chawal!

 

Like most of us, have you also followed an immunity booster recipes during this pandemic?

 

Mira: One kadha that I have is haldi, ginger, and black pepper in hot water. It helps me spice up my health and boost immunity. I prefer using Tata Sampann spices in my kadha because they keep the natural oils intact which is very important.

 

Has the pandemic changed your family's eating habits?

 

Mira: I have become more mindful of what we all eat. It is not just about the cuisine, but it's more about what is the produce that is being used to cook it, whether its organic, is it in seasonal, is it sustainably farmed; my choices regarding food have become more mindful now.

 

Being a mother of two, what advice would you give to mothers to build their kids immunity?

 

Mira: I think my topmost advice would be to start young and to involve your kids in the process of making these home remedies, I think when one gets kids excited about things that's when the kids most benefit from it.

 

I give my kids things like amla juice and haldi doodh regularly and we started all this when they were really young. So my advice for all mothers would be to inculcate natural remedies that you may have and those that our mothers have taught us and start early, because when they grow up, get into school and see their friends making faces it gets more difficult.

 

How did you spend most of your time during the lockdown?

 

Mira: I have used this time to bond with everybody at home and I think everybody is spending time in the lockdown doing all the things around the house that we necessarily never gave importance to. Whether it is cooking food or keeping your house in a certain way, spending time with your family, spending time with kids these are the things I am enjoying.

 

What I am also enjoying is learning new recipes, cooking food, teaching the kids how to cycle and watching movies/series with Shahid, and also catching up with relatives.

 

Did you learn anything about yourself during this time?

 

Mira: I really started doing and enjoying Yoga and it is something that I have discovered that I'm very good at. It's a skill that I want to learn. I have also taken some ayurvedic courses and I'm very passionate about it.

 

I have also realised that there are many more things that I want to learn because once you are done with regular duties and responsibilities for the day, you realise what you've missed out on. The lockdown has given me some time to take on courses and read books which I hadn't had the leisure of doing So, these skills that I really wanted to develop like Yoga and running are the things that I have discovered.