VSCA Blog February 2010

Here is a fun way for you to introduce the "Vindaloo Against Violence" theme into your school canteen. All you need is a microwave oven and a packet of mini papadums!

1. Purchase a packet of mini papadums from your supermarket or grocer.
2. Open the packet.
3. Place single papadums side by side around the outer edge of the carousel or turntable in your microwave.
4. Do not overlap papadums. Do not stack up. Do not place in the centre of the turntable.
5. Microwave on high for just 1 minute (60 seconds).
6. Papadums will expand.
7. Remove from microwave.
8. Only prepare what you need and serve them freshly made on the same day.
9. Place any spare uncooked papadums from the opened packet into a sealed airtight container for storage.

That's it! Just so quick and easy!

Serving suggestions

* Serve single mini papadums as a crunchy snack for 20c each.
* Serve 3 mini papadums for 50c or 6 for $1
* Serve with dips (like hummus, tatziki, sweet chilli sauce or fruit chutney)
* Serve with vegetable sticks
* Serve broken bits in a bag as "Chips for Peace"

Papadums are quick and easy to cook. And very profitable for a minimum of effort! Absolutely no need for any oil. Definitely NO deep frying - no frying of any kind. No greasy clean up. No special utensils or equipment. No dishes to wash. Great if you don't have time or space to cook fancy things!

What are papadums?

Papadums are common in South Asia. They vary from region to region and from family to family, but may be made from lentil, chick pea, rice, flour or potato. Papadums also usually contain some salt and vegetable oil. (For those concerned about peanut allergies, you will need to check the vegetable oil is not peanut or groundnut oil.) They may contain a raising agent like bicarb soda and they may be flavoured with chilli, cumin, garlic or black pepper. We suggest you begin in your canteen with a "mild" or plain version for a start!

In North India, the lentil variety is more popular and is usually called 'papad'. Alternative names and spellings may include pappad, papparde, pappadom, pappadum, pappadam, popadam, pompadum, poppadam, poppadom, appadum, appalum, appala, appoll, papari, pamporo, puppodum.

Whatever you call them, and however you spell it, you can introduce "Papadums for Peace" into your canteen.

Mini papadums are readily available in a 100g packet (approx 100mm square). The unopened packet has a long shelf life of 18-24 months. A 100g pack contains approx 25 - 30 mini papadums and costs around $1.50. You will find them in the rice or curry paste section of your local supermarket. You also may find them in an Asian or Indian grocery. (Remember that they may be spelt in any number of ways.)

Large papadums also are available and are in a pack of 10 for approx $3.00 and a variety of flavours. We feel this large size is not so practical to serve in school canteens.

Lijjat means tasty

In India, 'papad' is often associated with the empowerment of women. Many women are involved in running small and organised businesses to produce papad, pickles and other snacks. This provides them with regular income from minimal financial investment.

Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is an Indian organisation that generates self-employment for women. Roughly translated, it means Mahila = Women, Griha = Home, Udyog = Industry, Lijjat = Tasty.

Commonly known as "Lijjat", it is primarily a women's cottage industry. It is solely run by women and produces large quantities of papadums on the open market. All its working members are co-owners and fondly referred to as "sisters" who equally partake in profit and loss. Men cannot be members (or owners), but may be salaried employees (eg. accountants, drivers or security guards).

Lijjat was begun in 1959 by 7 semi-literate housewives in Mumbai who wanted to start a business using the only skill they had - cooking. Within 3 months, about 25 women were making papads. Soon they bought some equipment like utensils, cupboards and stoves. Broken papads were distributed amongst neighbours.

By the second year, around 150 women had joined the group. By the end of the third year, it had more than 300 members. Now Lijjat has headquarters in Mumbai, and 67 branches and 35 divisions all over India. In 2002, it employed 42,000 people. From a tiny struggling business that started by producing 4 packets of papads, Lijjat now has an annual income of over 3.15 billion rupees (or around $80 million US). Lijjat marked its 50th anniversary on 15 March 2009.

Lijjat has contributed in many ways to women in Indian society. From 1980, scholarships have been awarded to the daughters of the member-sisters. In 1999, Lijjat started promoting literacy and computer education for member-sisters and their families and classes now are held in all of its branches. In one rural branch in Valod, member-sisters set up a women's educational and hobby centre with courses in typing, cooking, sewing, knitting, toy making, child welfare, first aid and hygiene. This branch also helped to build the first ever tarred road in that area.

In conjunction with Mother Teresa, Lijjat member-sisters took part in activities at Asha Dhan, an institution to care for destitute women. Lijjat women also have distributed nutritious food for poor children, donated money for conducting community marriage, provided prize money to spread primary education, undertaken drives for blood donation, and organised health camps and plantation drives. They have undertaken rehabilitation in several earthquake affected areas, and Lijjat donated over 4.8 million rupees after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. So much goodwill started in 1959 with the production of those 4 little packets of papadums! You can continue this in your school canteen with Papadums for Peace!

Happy munching and peace to all!

References:
Vindaloo Against Violence: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=266109388050
Papadum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papadum

Has your canteen taken part in 'Vindaloo for Peace'? Do you sell papadams? Email your comments to blog@vsca.org.au or click the pink button at the top left of this page to tell us what you think!

© VSCA 26 February 2010

A journalist recently asked us this question: "How would VSCA describe a perfect lunch box?"

Got us thinking! It's an interesting question and we found it raised more questions than answers.

Are we talking about a lunch for primary or for secondary students? Brought from home, or commercially provided (whether from within or outside the school)?

How would you begin to assess a lunch box? Nutritionally? Educationally? Safety?

Our experience of working with authorities setting school canteen policies in Victoria over the decades has proven the difficulty of pinning down just what is - and isn't - an "acceptable" school lunch - a fraught and enormous task. Then there is the further challenge of spreading the message in a way that actually will lead to healthier eating at school, and health benefits for society. Three years after the launch of the Victorian government's 'Go for your life' policy for school food, one thing is clear - we have seen many "creative" interpretations of which canteen or lunch box foods constitute 'Green', 'Amber' or 'Red' choices.

One thing VSCA has observed, in working with canteens and schools for the best part of 30 years, is that decisions about school food are complex!

Food and eating are complex for each of us, with far more functions than simply nourishing the body. And even that is not a straightforward matter to adjudicate! One body's meat is quite literally another body's poison - for example, when it comes to allergens like peanuts.

Food can mean many things to many people - survival, social, multicultural, political, interesting, comforting, divisive, pleasurable, celebratory. It can be an expression of emotion, an integral aspect of identity and family life. Perhaps most controversially of all for schools - food can be seen as a "treat" or reward.

...who is responsible for deciding what children can, should, or do, eat at school?

Food at school is further complicated by matters such as profit and loss, and the allocation and availability (or otherwise) of resources such as equipment and labour. And then there's the question of who is responsible for deciding what children can, should, or do, eat at school? Parents, education authorities, the food and advertising industries, the government, or hands-on service providers such as school canteens or commercial canteen lessees, local shops, or out of school hours carers?

What could VSCA say about the content of a perfect lunch box? It looks good, smells good, tastes good, is fresh, is hygienically prepared and is safe to eat, is fun and appealing and appetising, is affordable, is varied, is nutritionally balanced, is just right for that individual student at that time on that day as part of a total food intake, is washed down with a good drink of water .... and is made with love and care?

But is this really the question we should be asking? Is there such a thing as a 'perfect' lunch box, a 'perfect' meal, or 'perfect' food, in this far-from-perfect world? What do you think?

Email your comments to blog@vsca.org.au

© VSCA 27 January 2010