The Importance of Eating Together

My Dad used to say to me “Anjula the single most important furniture in your house is a large table with as many chairs you can get around it”. As I’ve got older, I’ve realised how right he was.For many families nowadays, eating food in front of the TV and computers has become the norm. I think this is a broad trend, with more people becoming relatively more isolated. We seem to have drifted away from these precious times spent around the table eating, chatting, laughing and most importantly just socialising.

So here’s the thing – what if we were to get our family and friends around that dining table much more often, bringing back more of those special moments where we talk about anything and everything? Creating the opportunity to share anything funny or sad that happened to you at work can help so much, especially when there’s great food around the table and you’re surrounded by people that you care about you. The food certainly doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate.

In my view, socialising can play a huge role in maintaining your health and wellbeing. I always find it fascinating that when many nutritionists or health experts talk about ‘healthy eating’ – they rarely touch on how important eating with family and friends is. Very few people mention how even 45 minutes sat together around the dinner table can be genuinely good for us. For my family these are many of the happiest times that we share and treasure.

When my own family and I are sat around the table, our conversations go from ridiculously funny laugh-out-loud banter to the highly curious rise of Donald Trump, and our own family holiday plans. The boys may mention work to their Dad and talk through what’s going on at work. My husband will always try to give them measured advice and food for thought on how to handle different situations.

All of the above comes out at the dinner table, and of no one fails to say how good the food is, which makes me feel pretty happy too. Recently the boys reminded me of the time that I attempted to repair one of their school shirts, sewing the sleeve to the body of the shirt so that they couldn’t get their arm back into the sleeve. I really love it when nostalgia and happy memories are brought back to the table. At the same time, we are creating more happy memories.

Eating together is so important for the kids too, because they have the opportunity to share their day. When eating in their bedrooms or in front of computer it can generally be ‘easy to make food’ which is often high in calories and fat. Too much of that aligned to the risk of obesity and loneliness is definitely something to consider.

With my family, if any of us are stuck in traffic on our way home, we always wait for each other before eating. When you’re frustrated, battling through traffic on your way home, it’s not good to then arrive home and eat alone!

Even if there’s a disagreement at the table, at least your child has let his or her feelings be known, rather than keeping it to themselves. I am not painting a picture of perpetual bonhomie at the table, rather shared time which on balance should be hugely positive. The simple act of eating together at the table just twice a week can play a key role in maintaining a happy family unit.

So come on folks – think about that dining table which you chose; put it to full use and maximise that special shared occasion. Create even more happy memories for yourselves and for your children to tell their children. After all that’s what life’s all about, and you only live once! Make it count.

A final thought – it’s definitely worth investing in a slow cooker, so that you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen cooking and preparing. Try this slow cooked recipe below…

Anjula

Punjabi Slow Cooked Chicken Curry

Preparation time 20 minutes, cooking time 4 hours and 30 minutes. Marinate overnight.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

450 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered
450 g boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
For the Marinade
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 tbs ginger, minced
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs fenugreek leaves
150ml natural unsweetened yogurt

Key Spices 

1 1 inch piece of cassia bark
2 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Warming Spices 

4 green cardamoms, lightly bashed
1 black cardamom, lightly bashed

Wet Ingredients

3 tbs coconut water
2 tbs groundnut oil
2 medium size onions, diced
400 g good quality tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tsp jaggery, grated
1tbs white wine vinegar
2 oz unsalted butter
2 – 4 fresh finger green chillies, pierced
140 ml hot water
50 g cashew nuts
Sea salt to taste

Garnish

Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Zest of one small lemon
1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Method

For best results marinate the chicken overnight in a large covered bowl, in the refrigerator.

Remove from the fridge, and bring the chicken up to room temperature.

Blend the coconut water and cashews to make a paste. Set aside.

Add the oil to a sauté pan, and sauté the onions on a low heat for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, jaggery, white wine vinegar, cassia bark, turmeric, red chilli flakes, bay leaf and sea salt to taste. Continue to sauté for just 5 minutes, remove from the heat, add to the bowl of marinated chicken and stir well.

Place the remaining key spices – cumin, coriander seeds and black peppercorn in a dry frying pan, and roast on a low heat until fragrant. Place in a pestle and mortar and grind coarsely.

Add to the chicken, and stir in well.

Add the cashew paste, and stir in well.

Place the chicken, butter and green chillies in the slow cooker, pour over the hot water.

Cover and cook on a low heat for 4 hours. In the meantime heat the warming spices in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Set aside.

After 4 hours of slow cooking, lift the lid and add the roasted warming spices. Put the lid back on the slow cooker for a further 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender.

Add the coriander, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir well.

Serve with chapattis or rice.