If you follow the madgood page on Instagram, you may have seen my photo of a Paper Dosa I had at Uru-Swati years ago. We found this vegetarian Indian restaurant through the VegOut Chicago Guide, a reference for vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants around Chicago (check out their Best Vegan Restaurants in Chicago list).

Trying something new, I ordered this light and flaky crepe made with lentil and rice flour. On the menu, it read, 2’ long, and I didn’t believe it!

But it arrived, filled with spiced potatoes and with two fantastic sauces… (I later found out they are a chutney and a stew.)

My son noticed the photo (above) and asked what in the world I was sitting in front of. I explained it was from a restaurant up north called Uru-Swati that serves Paper Dosa. We were in Andersonville, so we took the relatively short drive up to Rogers Park and Devon Avenue, where some of the best Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants are known to be.

I told him, “I didn’t think it would actually be two feet, but it was.” It had been some time since I had last been there.

I looked at their website:

“Uru-Swati meaning the “Morning star of peace” is a family oriented comfortable, 14-table North and South Indian full service vegetarian restaurant serving food that is fresh and of the highest quality.

Uru Swati offers a menu of flavorful, vegetarian Indian dishes in one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. You will find traditional samosas, dosa, masala, and paneer, as well as house-made naan and garlic breads.

The recipes come from owner Hansa Chhabria. She and her husband also own Raj Darbar, a North Indian restaurant in Lincoln Park. But Uru-Swati, which opened in late May, is strictly vegetarian. As for the claim of “healing through food,” Hansa’s son, Vishal Chhabria, explains, “We use Indian spices which in ayurvedic science are proven to be helpful in aiding digestion and have antiseptic properties.”

Vishal, who has studied Sivananda yoga, continues, ‘There is no alcohol and no meat and no eggs; those kind of tamastic [non-health-promoting] foods are not part of our kitchen in any way. The energy of the kitchen is very pure and very clean. It’s very sattvic [beneficial to the body and mind], very pure.’”

Yes - this was the place. I remember the food being so nourishing and delicious. We loved the use of ayurvedic spices, and the chai tea.

So we went! And the look on his face when he saw the crepe was priceless :) We enjoyed Paper Dosa, along with a mango lassi, Dal, and different curries and paneers with Basmati rice.

We highly recommend Uru-Swati for amazing food made with intention. And we’ll be stopping by a lot more often :)

Much Love,

L and M

Pumpkin Spice… much like cilantro, you either love it or you hate it.

I happen to be in the love group, so when the Autumn season hits, I put this spice mixture in everything!

This Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe is from Catherine Boeckmann at the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Does pumpkin spice contain pumpkin? Nope! But the flavors go perfectly with any squash, pumpkin, bread, coffee or tea, or really anything you want to spice up.

According to the Almanac’s article, A Century-Long Passion for Pumpkin Spice, the Pilgrims developed this spice mixture. The Native people of America introduced them to the pumpkin an abundant crop that could help sustain them in the winter. The Pilgrims cooked the pumpkins with warm and aromatic spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove or allspice.

““They would cut the top off of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, and fill it with cream, honey, eggs, and spices. Then, they would place the top back on and cook the pumpkin in the ashes of a fire. When the pumpkin was cooked, they removed it from the ashes and scooped out the contents along with the cooked flesh. It was like a custard or pudding.””

— Almanac.com

What’s great about these spices is their immune boosting properties that help us to stay well in the winter. They help to reduce inflammation in the body and activate healing. Here are some attributes of each from GreenMedInfo’s research database.

Cinnamon: balances blood sugar, improves lipid profiles (cholesterol), and cardiovascular health

Clove: antioxidant, antimicrobial, and potential anticancer effects
Ginger: anti-inflammatory, digestive, and helps to regulate blood pressure
Nutmeg: antibacterial, pain relief, and antidepressant
Mace: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects on cancer cells
Allspice: antioxidant, antitumor effects, and helps to lower blood pressure

Try making a mix and see where it takes you!

Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe

To create pumpkin spice mix, combine the following:

1/3 cup ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg or mace
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

Tip: Sprinkle a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix into your carved pumpkin before lighting the candle. Your jack-o’-lantern will still look spooky, but smell delightful!

Looking for an easy autumn gift? Make a gift jar of pumpkin spice and add a tag with these instructions: “For pumpkin pie, add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of spice mix to your other ingredients.”

Try these other sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a Slab Pie or the Joy of Cooking’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie. If you’d like to try the spice already made, check out Pinch Spice Market! Or stop by October Cafe in Chicago where you can get Pumpkin Spice-flavored items all year round!