The Mystical Unicorn

Growing up, my personal experience with environment conservation efforts, coupled with acute egocentrism, led me to believe that everyone else had had my eco-conscious upbringing, that everyone had a biogas unit, a compost pit, saplings and a home garden, solar heating, rainwater harvesting, a waste segregation system, a laundry timetable and a reduce-reuse-recycle habit in their homes. Imagine my culture shock when I moved to C.L. Layout in Bangalore for my B.A. degree. Solar heating is a rarity, waste restriction and segregation were unheard of, and eating out daily is the norm. It is not as much a matter of negligence as it is of convenience. I took no time to develop these errant habits, and it showed – my room began to exist as a mess, my skin broke out in pimples, and my already delicate constitution was further endangered by takeaway McDonald’s and parcelled paneer rolls. I saved time. I saved money. I was always instantly gratified. I spent my days in a haze of environmentally...

INGREDIENTS: 300 mL super-thick coconut milk 1 large banana, sliced 4 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp pancake syrup 3 tbsp maida 50 mL ice-cold water INSTRUCTIONS: Blend coconut milk and banana slices generously   Mix sugar, cinnamon, flour, syrup;  Heat in microwave for 40 seconds Keep a cloth-type strainer on the rim of the blender Pour ^mixture into said cloth-type strainer Pour the ice-cold water into the strainer, use a spoon if necessary to push the contents into the blender Remove strainer (:P) and blend Pour into airtight container and stick it in the FREEZER, After two hours, blend semisolid contents. After two more hours, blend contents. Leave undisturbed for three hours. Devour.