07 November 2022
A chat with author & wellness consultant Mira Manek
Mira Manek is an author and wellness consultant with her own Café in London. To celebrate Diwali, we were delighted that she shared her delicious Rose Falooda Bites recipe with us - a sweet milky dessert flavoured with rose and served sprinkled with nuts and rose petals.
Mira has recently published her second book Prajna, Ayurvedic Rituals for Happiness which focuses on morning to evening rituals rooted in Ayurveda and includes a selection of simple healthy and delicious recipes. We had a chat with her about her favourite spices and her own rituals for happiness.
1. What is your favourite spice and why?
I love any spice and every spice, but I think cinnamon is probably my favourite as it’s naturally sweet - and I have quite the sweet tooth!
2. Do you have any top tips for using spices in sweet dishes as well as savoury?
Saffron, cardamom and cinnamon are spices I always think of as dessert spices or even in breakfast dishes. The sweetness of sugar or jaggery really brings out the flavour of these spices!
3. Do you have a favourite recipe from your cookbook Saffron Soul?
I love the recipes which combine a traditional dish with something new such as the Shrikhand cheesecake, where I take a lovely spiced yoghurt dessert and layer it on a date and nut base. The masala grilled aubergine is similar, where I take a traditional masala mix which is usually filled into aubergines and made into a curry, and instead I layer it on aubergine slices and grill it.
4. Your latest book, Prajna, is all about rituals for happiness. Which one are you finding most useful at the moment?
Waking up early and spending 20 minutes meditating while listening to something has been my newest ritual addition. It sets my mind up for the day. I also say a quick thank you when I wake up and when I go to sleep, to the universe and to God, for whatever the day has brought, and find a few lovely things to focus on.
5. What would be your desert island meal and who would you like to share it with?
A Gujarati meal, the way my mum cooks it, and I would share it with my grandparents!
For more information on Mira, please visit her website.
