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Use Teja Lele’s book Live Smart: 100 Hacks For A Healthier And Happier Life to jugaad your way to self subsistence
Teja Lele’s new book Live Smart: 100 Hacks For A Healthier And Happier Life (HarperCollins Publishers India) is a post-COVID baby.
Once architect, now editor, Teja has written extensively on travel and lifestyle. She attributes her adaptability to her years as an army brat, and has been DIYing forever, revelling in the joys of making over and upcycling in a country that is known to be challenged by assembling furniture and given to outsourcing most household tasks to a readily-available army of helpers and specialists.
She writes in the introduction to the book of how she must have been a homesteader in a previous life, while admitting that she has none of the fortitude, grit, knowledge and expertise of her forebears. What she does possess is “the Indian propensity for jugaad - a flexible approach to problem solving using limited resources in an innovative way. The pursuit of a self-sufficient lifestyle may not be easy, but it is possible to hack – or jugaad – your way to self subsistence. And, in this part of the world, we excel at it.” A ‘life hack’, she goes on to explain, “translates into a tip, trick, shortcut, or method that increases productivity and efficiency.”
This new book has over a hundred hacks that Teja has pulled together. There’s also a handy Basic Survival Skills Quiz included, which will serve to help you work out how well you’d do. We predict your score will make you want to try every hack in this book.
Excerpts from an interview:
The Basic Survival Skills Quiz is an eyeopener. What has been the reaction of friends and early readers? Were they startled, surprised?
Most of us consider work or other aspects when it comes to skills. Life skills – the most important of them all - don’t enter the picture at all. Many people who took the quiz were surprised, no, shocked, at their lack of wherewithal when it came to simple to-dos around the house. The quiz helps gauge problem areas and the book provides them with easy, actionable hacks to solve these problems.
As a ‘modern homesteader’, you probably have loads and loads of hacks to share. How did you whittle it down to these 100?
No one book can ever claim to be a complete guide to modern homesteading. Millions of hacks are used every day by people across the world to make their life a little bit easier. So putting together the hacks I work with and the hundreds I learned from people I spoke to while researching would have resulted in a massive tome. For this book, I decided to collate what I thought were must-know hacks in five key areas: Home, Food & Kitchen, Beauty, Health & Wellbeing, Reuse & Recycle. Once they were all written up, my editor had to force my hand to whittle down the number to a hundred!
What were you looking for when choosing the ones to include?
Necessity, need, and ease. The pandemic made it clear that it was imperative to know how to do basic repairs and tasks around the house. The help was no longer ringing the bell every morning like clockwork; it was evident that we were the ones we had been waiting for. With this thought process, I zeroed in on 100 hacks that we should aim to know if we were to get the adulting business right. Some are super easy, some are moderately difficult; but all are doable.
Now that the pandemic has passed, do you think people will continue to strive to be self-sufficient?
India has never had a very strong DIY ethic in terms of home-related tasks and undertakings. That’s why even IKEA joined hands with Urban Company to facilitate furniture set-ups to ensure that we didn’t struggle. But things are changing. More and more of us are enjoying the joys of DIY at home – the state of flow, the focus on reusing and recycling. Millennials and Gen Z are aware of their environmental footprint and keen to do their bit to reduce it. It all starts at home, it all starts by being self-sufficient.
Do you think there are differences between men and women when it comes to being self-sufficient?
There might be differences, but I believe they have been created by societal norms and ways of functioning. There is no reason any one gender should be more or less self-sufficient. We all can do it all.
Are women traditionally drawn to some things over others? Do you think this is changing?
Since they have been branded homemakers for centuries, women tend to be drawn to all things home-related. Traditionally, this meant food and recipes, but now involves almost every facet of the home. Economic power means that they hold sway over home and appliance buying, décor and design, family health checks, and other important decisions that were usually taken by men. Now, every woman has multiple tabs open in her mind all the time – much like her laptop – and she’s interested in almost everything that enhances her life and the life of her loved ones. It’s a good change, for sure, but it means more tabs!
Please pick three hacks that will be particularly useful to women.
Women put themselves last on the priority list despite knowing that it’s important to prioritise themselves. The most important thing in today’s cluttered, busy world is peace of mind, which makes it important that they learn to meditate (hack 85). We are all driving in the fast lane, but what would you do if the car’s battery dies on you? Learn to jumpstart a car (hack 25)! Last but definitely not the least, become a pro at CPR (hack 64). This is one hack everyone should know.
Was there any one hack that you were surprised to find was easier than you had thought?
Cleaning up almost anything if I had vinegar at hand. And, of course, my swear-by method to remove any food stain: a dab of dish/hand soap, setting aside overnight, and scrubbing clean.
What’s next on your plate?
Next up will be a children’s book. I am also playing with the idea of an urban thriller involving a set of BFFs.
BONUS: Excerpt from Live Smart: 100 Hacks For A Healthier And Happier Life
Revamp Leftovers
It doesn’t matter what kind of leftovers you have resting in the refrigerator. Almost everything can be repurposed and made into a brand new dish.
Here’s How
Samosa chaat: Uneaten samosas/pakodas can be repurposed into a dahi chaat with the addition of sev and chutneys. Or else, tear them into pieces, and toss with sautéed onions, tomatoes and rice for an Indian ‘dumpling meal’.
Rajma enchiladas: There are more roles that a bowl of leftover rajma can play other than being the accompaniment to fluffy white rice. It translates into yummy enchiladas when combined with leftover/fresh rotis/tortillas, cheese, and veggies.
Rajma chili: A bowlful of rajma could be a hearty next-day meal when combined with veggies such as carrot, bell peppers, squash, sweet potato, and tomatoes. Throw in ground meat/ other beans and add chili spice.
Coleslaw: This is a good way to use up leftover carrots, beetroot, cabbage, and radish. Use the thick side of the grater to grate the veggies. Add sprouts if handy, and combine with a dressing of mayonnaise, lemon juice, and a dash of mustard.
Fruit-and-nut couscous: Fridge stuffed with small packs of dried fruit and nuts after a festival? Chop into small pieces and add to cooked couscous/dalia with fresh herbs and lemon juice. Perfect side to grilled chicken or boiled egg salad.
Jam cocktail: The easiest way to repurpose the last bit of jam or marmalade is to make it into a cocktail. Add a shot of vodka/ gin to the jar and shake well to combine. Add Cointreau, the juice of a lemon, a sprig of mint, and top off with juice. Salut!
Fromage fort: Give leftover bits of cheeses a glam makeover. Blend them with garlic, a dash of wine, and herbs to make your own fromage fort (‘strong cheese’). Works well as an appetiser or an entrée.
Pasta frittatas: Mix a cup of leftover spaghetti with tofu/paneer, chopped veggies and spices to shallow-fry yummy cutlets or frittatas. The recipe can be replicated with any kind of pasta preparation, and results in a yummy, any-time snack.
Leftover pasta soup: Boil diced veggies in water/stock, and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and herbs. Tip in a few spoonfuls of pasta for a satiating one-pot meal.
Pasta cheese balls: Mash leftover pasta. Mix in a generous amount of cheese and add chopped coriander. Bind with a spoonful of besan/cornflour and deep fry in hot oil.
Pizza frittata: Got a couple of slices of leftover pizza? Cut them into small pieces, toss in a few chopped veggies, and mix into beaten eggs. Add your fave spice mix, and set it loose on a pan.
Also See: Bringing The Heritage Cuisine of Kerala To Every Table
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