And I just cooked in my kitchen! But somehow, I won. For us, the outside world ceased to exist. We had no idea what we were doing from one day to the next. It was incredibly stressful, emotionally, because I constantly felt like I was not meant to be there. I was so out of my depth. See, the show became our lives.
Every challenge became fraught with so much meaning; you either survived or you were cut. It may have been only four or five minutes on TV, but in real life?
We stood in front of those judges for four hours taking in their critique. He had a plan for my life, and my identity was in him. The judges, the producers, the show, the network — none of them had any influence on what was going to happen in my life.
That was up to God. That helped me keep my head on straight — even though I cried a lot on national television! I just moved to North Carolina. The water is crystal clear; in fact, you can actually find crystals in its banks! My family loves walking down to the creek and hunting for crystals. One night there was a strong rainstorm, and the next day, we walked down to see if the creek was full.
It certainly was. It was green and murky. The water was stagnant, and there were tiny bugs hovering over its surface. As I scanned the creek, I spotted a bottleneck, a tiny mouth that had clogged up and was keeping the water trapped and unmoving. And so my daughter and I got a shovel. We started dragging the rocks and the sludge and the fallen tree branches out of the way. The bottleneck opened a little. And as soon as it did, the water bounded forth giddily, happily pouring out of that stagnant part of the creek.
I think God is asking us to use this time to look inward. I believe God is asking me, and maybe you too, to use this time to consecrate ourselves to him. What does it mean to consecrate? It means to dedicate ourselves to a divine purpose.
It means to separate ourselves from worldly things. We are distinguishing ourselves from the world so that his sacredness can be revealed in us so the world can see it. This is a time of separation — yes, physical separation. But maybe God is inviting us into a deeper separation.
Are there areas of our lives where we are holding on to things that are stopping our ability to flow? What are the things in your life that are causing you to become stagnant? What is keeping that fresh flow of living water from flowing through you — from rushing through you?
I want to invite you to be quiet. Ask God to show you what has caused the water to be stagnant. Pray through Psalm and ask God, like the psalmist does, to search your heart and to lead you in the way everlasting. Know that God is in this refining process with us, and he will carry us through.
Thank you so much for letting me share with you what God is speaking to me in this time! Rice is one of my go-to culinary consolers — I come from a long line of rice farmers in India, so whenever I cook up that fluffy little grain, I feel connected to my family, my ancestors and my homeland. Rinse rice 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear. Soak in water, in a strainer, for about 20 minutes. Strain rice and allow to drain well. Warm ghee in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add whole spices and cook until they sizzle and become aromatic. Add the drained rice to pan. The rice should smell ever so slightly nutty. Add hot water and season with salt.
Stir, cover the pan and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour peas into a bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside. When your timer goes off, turn the heat off and fluff rice with a fork. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place lid back on top.
If the rice felt a little wet when you fluffed it, leave the saucepan on that burner so the residual heat cooks off the excess water. If the rice felt good, then pull the saucepan off the burner keeping cloth and lid on. Allow the pot to sit, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and kitchen towel. Sprinkle with peas, peanuts and cilantro. Sprinkle with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little more salt. Stir well with fork and serve. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments how it worked for you.
I pray that God is touching your heart during this time. I am so thankful that he knows us and loves us. He sees us. He sees what stymies us. And he loves his children enough to help us flow at our full potential. Aarti is a celebrated producer journalist and food personality. She and her family sponsor a girl in Ethiopia through Compassion. I knew there was a good reason why I like you!
Thank you so much the sharing that and reaching so many. Be blessed Aarti! I enjoy your glowing smile and personal warmth. It touches my widowed heart. Thanks for being you! I am glad you moved to my area.
So much to do and see in Raleigh. I hope to you one day around town. Thank you so much for sharing your faithfulness and spiritual journey with God. So nice to read how God has helped you through your hard times, he is always there if we listen to him.
I have always enjoyed watching you and many of the chefs on Food Network. I also live in the beautiful NC. The rest is history! Aarti is an ardent advocate for women battling postpartum depression, having overcome her own battle with it following the births of her two daughters, Eliyah and Moses. A passionate Christian, she also speaks to women of faith about overcoming fear and the sacred nature of breaking bread. Meet Aarti. Pre-order my new Family Recipe Journal!
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