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Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ, sarve santu nirāmayāḥ, sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet. Na’haṁ kartā, Prabhuḥ kartā, Mahāprabhuḥ kartā hi kevalam. Oṁ śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ,... śāntiḥ. Śrīdīpane bhagavāne kī je, Śrī Deveśvara Mahādeva kī je, Śrī Madhavānandajī bhagavāne kī je, Śrī Viśvagurumahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsvāmī Maheśvarānandajī Gurudeva kī je. Hari Om. Today we will have a presentation on how to prepare chapati. Chapati is the most common form in which wheat is consumed in the southern part of Asia. It is originally known as a roti. Roti is any kind of flat, unleavened bread. Chapati is a special kind of roti made of whole wheat flour and prepared on a special pan called a tava. In comparison to leavened bread with yeast, mainly consumed in the West, chapati is the better choice because it does not contain yeast. Yeast causes the gluing of the inner tissue of the intestine, which gradually reduces the absorption of food into our organism. Now, let us look at the field in our ashram, which spans three hectares. The earth here is of a special kind and difficult to cultivate. We must be especially careful not to deplete it and give it time to recover. That is why we use crop rotation, exchanging a couple of types of grains like corn, wheat, barley, and sesame. Every three years, we change the surface of the field, moving cultivation to another place. For cultivating wheat, we do not use any mineral fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides. We cultivate the land completely organically. Before sowing the seeds, we must plough the field thoroughly and make channels for water in a flood system. Wheat fields must be flooded seven times per season. In the picture, you can see two different types of wheat. On the left is an old kind of wheat called lāl-gyo, which we use in our ashram. On the right are wheat grains bought from the market. The old type of wheat is smaller, has a reddish colour, and is harder to cultivate, but it contains many more vitamins. Chapatis made from shop-bought wheat soon become hard and dry. After Diwali in late October comes the time to sow the seeds. If the field is flooded enough, the wheat becomes nicely green by December and January. Many of us could experience the beautiful energy of the field at that time. By the end of March, winter dries the fields, turning them a golden colour, a sign that the time for reaping has come. This will take place here in ten days, and we look forward to it very much. Reaping is done manually with the help of local people. The wheat is put into bundles, which Indian women carry on their heads. These bundles used to be cleaned by hand, but today a machine connected to a tractor is used. We put the bundles into a threshing machine, which separates the ears from the grain. The wheat is then additionally cleaned with a special fan to remove small particles. Before storage, it must dry sufficiently in the sun. This year, we will store the wheat for the first time in recently built silos—the larger one for wheat and the smaller for barley. Before the wheat comes to the kitchen, it must be cleaned once again outside. We let it fall from a certain height so the wind carries away chaff. Then, with a special sieve, we remove particles, dust, and larger pieces of grain. Finally, it is cleaned manually. The wheat is then put into special metal boxes in the underground kitchen basement, where it is prepared for grinding or cooking. Grinding was done manually in the past but is now done by machine. This grinding machine has two stones with thin notches. The grain is placed between them, and when the machine is operated, friction turns the grains into flour. We do this slowly and regularly, grinding only as much as we need for the day to preserve all the vitamins and prevent the flour from oxidizing. Flour that is one month old is biologically dead, containing no vitamins or the prāṇic energy present in the grains. The nicely ground flour is now prepared for making chapatis. First, we sieve it. Then we add water and salt and begin kneading the dough. The dough must be kneaded well, as this is essential for a soft chapati. This preparation reminded me of my youth, shaping plasticine, which required energy and concentration to soften. Once prepared, the dough must rest for 20 minutes. During this time, we can prepare the fire. We sacrifice some flour to Agni, the god of fire. Then we place the tawa on the fire to heat it without any oil. Now all basic things are prepared, and we can begin the practical learning. Some students began making balls for śravaṇī, approximately the size of table tennis balls. They are shaped nicely between our palms and placed in a pot with flour to prevent sticking. Other students began rolling the dough balls. We had to roll from the center to the edge to make the patty nicely round and symmetrical, careful not to press the dough too hard with the rolling pin. Otherwise, we would not get the famous balloon, a sign that all previous steps were done well. The dough should be approximately 3 mm thick, as a chapati that is too thick can hinder digestion. We roll it on both sides. When the dough is nicely shaped, we place it on the hot tawa. The time comes to use a kitchen cloth and turn the chapati to the other side. This side is well-baked when bigger brown spots appear. Then we can put the chapati, with the side that was first on the tawa, next to the fire on the embers. If the baking is successful, a nice balloon or puffing up will appear, meaning air has entered and the chapati is baked inside. We turn it around a couple of times on the embers so the edges also bake, careful not to let it become black, which means it is burned. Baked chapatis are placed in a thicker kitchen cloth to keep them warm. All this can be done in an ordinary kitchen at home. The only difference is that we do not put the chapati on embers but directly onto the flame. We must be careful to put it back on the pan the moment it puffs up and use a cloth to press the edges so both sides bake. As you could see, the whole process took place on the floor, which gives a touch of simplicity to the Indian kitchen. The presence of fire gives a feeling of warmth and a wish for being together, spending time in company—especially in winter. Many students participated, so all steps of making chapatis could take place simultaneously. All of us could try every stage, making learning fun and creating a very nice memory. One of the most important things before we eat is praying. It is important that we eat in a sāttvic way, with a pure and serene mind. That is why it is recommended that before we eat, we dedicate the food to God so it becomes prasāda. Pure food builds a pure mind, so we must be especially careful to purify our food. It is hard to remove negative thoughts that occur while preparing food. Besides, we do not know how well it was produced, how organically, or how fairly it was sold. Therefore, it is essentially important that before we eat, we give it to God and purify it in that way. In our ashram, before we eat, we dedicate the food to Annapūrṇā, the goddess of food. We thank her for all the food given to us, for the divine light. Through prayer, we become aware that everything comes from the perfect, every part of the perfect is also perfect, and everything returns into the perfect. We wish for peace within us, around us, and in the whole world. The first chapati we make is given to cows or dogs, an expression of unselfishness, showing we do not care only about our own hunger, as animals are also part of life. The second important thing is serving the chapati warm. We can put a thin layer of ghee on the side that was first on the tawa. The ghee gives a slightly sweet taste. Then we fold the chapati and place the oval part on the outside of the thālī or plate. Chapati is not just food on our plate; it also serves as cutlery, as traditionally in India, food is eaten with the right hand while sitting on the floor. As mentioned at the beginning, chapati is only one kind of roti. Roti is generally a soft, unleavened bread without yeast, best eaten a couple of minutes after preparation. There are many kinds, for example, rogaṇī rotī, prepared with the addition of milk, cream, or basil; corn roti; or roti with various spices. Then we have nān, prepared from white flour. It contains yeast and is prepared in a special oven called a tandoor or in an ordinary oven at home. Usually, it has no additions and is eaten as is, though variants with garlic or onion exist. Parāṭhā is a flat whole wheat bread prepared with oil, usually with fillings like potato, cauliflower, or paneer (a special Indian cheese). The dough can have additions like chili, cumin seeds, mango powder, and fenugreek, and it can have various shapes: round, triangular, or rectangular. We know many kinds, for example, ālū parāṭhā with a filling of potato, spices, and onions; gobī parāṭhā with cauliflower and spices; a sweet variety with almonds, pistachios, and cashews; or parāṭhā filled with paneer. Next is purī, a light, fried wheat bread especially known in northern India and Pakistan. It is often served for breakfast with potatoes or various vegetable dishes. The best one is puffed up with a nice golden colour and served immediately. We know a variety with yeast, which makes it softer and fuller. Kachorī is a snack known in these countries. There are various kinds, for example, sweet kachorī with sugar, coconut, and potato. In Gujarat, they prepare kachorīs from special dhal and spices. In Rajasthan, they add ginger paste. In Pakistan, this dish is especially popular during Ramazān. Moving to the south, dosa is especially known. Dosa is a fermented crepe made of rice flour and black lentil, full of carbohydrates and proteins. It is appropriate for people who cannot consume gluten and is usually eaten for breakfast or dinner. Various things are added, like chili, onion, and vegetables. In South India, it is especially known and eaten with potato. Bhājā chapātī is made from millet. It is a bit thicker and harder, fills the stomach quickly, and is also suitable for people who must not eat gluten. Lastly, I would like to mention papadum, which is thin and crunchy, eaten as a snack or cracker. It is usually served with various sauces like onion sauce or spices. It can be eaten small as a snack, or we can eat a bigger one filled with something. This would be everything from me today. Thank you very much for your attention, and enjoy your meal.