Thursday, April 29, 2010

Peanut Halwa




Ingredients :-

Peanut - 1 small cup
Few Badam
Sugar - 1cup
Maida - 3tsp
Milk - 3tsp
Ghee - 3tsp (can add as more as u want :))
Water - 2cups
Elaichi - 7 to 10
small Pinch of red colour

Procedure :-

  • In a pan dry roast the peanuts and badam for few mins till they turn light brown colour and take them aside.


  • When they are cool add elaichi's to it and grind it into a powder (ok if some badam pieces are left over).
  • Now take them into a plate, add maida, sugar to it and mix well and keep aside.




  • Heat a pan add water, milk, colour and let it boil.
  • When boiling add ghee and the powdered mix and keep mixing (else lumps may be formed) till it is mixed thoroughly without any lumps.
  • Keep mixing and it will become a little watery(means the sugar is dissolving) you can see air bubbles coming out and then it starts thickening.




  • Now as we are mixing it forms a thick lump and immediately dump it into serving bowl (it will become thick more as it is cooled) and decorate it with chopped Badam and pour some powdered mix (the one we prepared before) on top of it.
  • Now when it is cool you can cut it into pieces and serve it.



  • All the pain that you went through stirring vanishes as soon as you have a bite of the halwa. :)Believe me it melts in your mouth and cant wait to have a second bite of it.


Im very excited to participate in this as its my first event. Im posting this recipe to for MMLA edition #22 hosted by Ruchikacooks, originally started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Vankai Batani Curry







Ingredients :-

Brinjal - 8 to 10 no.
Peas - 1/2 small cup
Tomatoes - 1
Onions - 1/2 small onion chopped
Green chillis - 4
Ginger - small piece
Pinch of Turmeric
Red chillis - 2
Oil - 2tsp
Mustard seeds, Urad dal, Chana Dal, Jeera - 1tsp each
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste




Procedure :-

  • Heat the oil in a pan, to it add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, chana dal, curry leaves, red chillis and when the mustard seeds starts spluttering then add onions, chillis and ginger and fry for sometime.
  • When the onions are light brown in colour add the peas (soaked for 1/2 hr) and saute it, keep the lid for 5mins.
  • Now add the tomatoes and when they are little soft add the brinjal pieces and keep the lid.
  • After 5mins add turmeric, salt and then 1/2 cup water to it and keep the lid again.
  • Now switch off the flame when the water evaporates and serve it with chapati or with white rice.


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Beerakaya royyala kura/ Ridge gourd shrimp curry


Ingredients:-

Beerakaya/ Ridge Gourd - 2 (big)
Prawns - 1.5 lb
Onions - 1/2
Chillis - 5
Few Curry leaves
Jeera - 1tsp
Chilli powder - 2tsp
GInger garlic paste (GGP)- 1tsp
Turmeric - 1/2tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure :-

  • Clean prawns and marinate it with chilli powder, turmeric, GGP, salt and keep it aside for 1/2 hour.
  • Now heat the pan add oil and add the marinated prawns, keep the lid and cook it till all the water evaporates that comes out from prawns and take it aside.
  • Now in the same pan add some oil, add jeera, slit chillis, chopped onions,curry leaves, ridge gourd pieces, pinch of turmeric, salt and keep the lid.
  • Now the water comes out from the ridge gourd so no need to add any water and when it is half cooked add the fried prawns, little water and keep the lid again. Now within ten more mins ridge gourd shrimp curry is ready.
  • Serve it with rice, chapati etc.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Vegetable Egg Frankie

Hello all after a weekend break i have come again with a new variety dish today. But firstly before that lemme just tell you how i came across this item.

When i used to work in Bangalore one day my friend and me were thinking what dinner can we do that is nice and not too much heavy. Im new to Bangalore so she gave a thought that she will make me eat something different which i have never ate it before. As im not very much fond of non-veg she ordered me an EGG FRANKIE which is really first time im hearing off.

Its a mumbai famous dish which i liked it a lot when i had it that day. But dont know how we prepare that. But by the taste and the way it looked i tried at my home with my own recipe.May be this is not the right way to do but no worries when i ate it, it is almost the same taste i had it that day. So without any fear i'm posting this recipe to you all. So Hope u all will try this and enjoy it too!!!!!



Ingredients :-

Eggs - 2
Maida - 1/2cup
Goduma pindi/ Wheat flour - 1cup
Capsicum - 1/2
Carrots - 1 small
Coriander - few
Tomatoes - 1
Chillis - 2
Onions - 1/2
Oil - 3tsp
GGP
Pepper powder - 1tsp
Salt to taste



Procedure :-

  • Take a bowl, add maida, goduma pindi, salt and by adding little water at a time mix it well and make a dough as we prepare for chapati and keep it aside.
  • In another bowl break the eggs, add pepper powder, GGP, salt and beat well and keep it aside.
  • Now heat a pan add 1tsp oil to it and add onions, and finely chopped chillis, and then all the listed veggies and just saute it for just 5mins and switch off the flame. Need not be cooked fully. (when little raw it will taste good and healthy too :))
  • Now with the dough you prepared before roll it into round shape as chapatis and put it on the heated tawa and fry.
  • When it is one side fried flip it over and pour some egg batter that we prepared on it and again flip it over to cook the egg on it and take it aside. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
  • Now it will be like one side chapati and the other side like an omlette.
  • Now you need to spread the curry on the omlette side and fold it like a roll and serve it hot.
  • Our hot and healthy quick frankie is ready.

  • Note:-Chicken lovers can use chicken keema curry in the place of the veggie stuffing.





Friday, April 23, 2010

Rava Dosa with coconut chutney..


Ingredients :-

Biyyam pindi(Rice flour) - 2cup
All Purpose Flour (Maida) - 1 cup
Goduma Rava - 3tsp
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Green Chillis - 3
Ginger - Small piece
Jeera - 1tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure :-

  • Take a bowl to it add all the flours and mix well by adding water slowly and not at a time.
  • Now add onions, chillis, ginger, jeera, salt and mix well and very thin layer of batter is prepared and keep it aside for one hour.
  • Heat the tawa and pour some oil on it and sprinkle the batter on it so that it covers the tawa and fry till golden brown then flip it over and take aside.
  • And remember that it has holes on the dosa, if not, it means your batter has become very thick and make it thin by adding some water to it.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining batter.Now the qiuck and instant crispy rava dosa is ready and can be served with coconut chutney.


COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ingredients :-
Coconut - 1 cup (grated)
Green chillis - 3
Vepina pappu - 1/4 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
Salt to taste

For popu/ tempering:
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Minappappu/ Urad dal - 1tsp
Few Curry leaves
Red chillis - 3
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
OIl - 1tsp

Procedure:-
  • Firstly add all the ingredients except the tempering into a blender and grind it to a fine paste by adding some water to it.
  • Now take it into a bowl and keep it aside.
  • Heat the pan and add the oil to it, add mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering add the remaining tempering items and pour this into the paste kept aside and mix well.
  • Now our coconut chutney is ready and can be served with any breakfast/ tiffins like idly, dosa etc..








Thursday, April 22, 2010

Royyalu/Shrimp Curry




Ingredients:-

Shrimp - 2lb
Onions - 1
Tomato -1/2
Chillis - 4
Oil - 2tsp
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste (GGP) - 1tsp
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Procedure :-

  • Clean Shrimp and marinate it with chilli powder, turmeric, salt and keep aside for half an hour.
  • Now meanwhile heat oil in a pan and to it add slit green chillis, curry leaves and then Onion paste (coarsely grinded not too soft)and fry it till the onion paste turn dark brown colour.
  • Fry the oinions well till raw smell goes else the curry may not taste good.
  • Now add GGP and fry for 2 mins and then tomato is fried for another 2 more mins then add the marinated shrimp and keep the lid.
  • Now dont add any water but the water coming out from shrimp is more than enough for it to cook. If it is not cooked yet then can add 1/2 glass water and then adjust the spices according to your taste and cook it till the prawns are well cooked and thickens the gravy.
  • Serve it with any type of rice varieties or chapati/roti.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Mango Badam Lassi




Ingredients:-
Sweet Mango pulp - 1 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 tsp (if mangoes are sweet enough then this is not necessary)
Badam powder - 2tsp
few whole Badam
Few Cashews

Procedure :-

  • In a bowl Take the mango pulp and mix well with the beater without any crums.
  • Now add yogurt, milk, and sugar(if added else its optional) to it and beat in with the beater again and keep aside.
  • To this add the badam powder and cashew powder.
  • On top of each serving add some grated badam pieces to taste and serve it cool.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tips from items available in kitchen..




  • Egg: skin conditioner, egg white for normal and oily skin, yolks for dry skin
  • Coconut Milk: applied for smooth skin.
  • Cucumber: for dark circles under eyes and wrinkles, under-eye puffiness.
  • Fenugreek seeds (methi): for skin scrub, if taken internally purifies blood, can be soaked and applied to hair acts as anti dandruff.
  • Honey: for wrinkles, skin pores and lose skin, a natural astringent, natural moisturizer.
  • Milk: for skin nourishment.
  • Oatmeal: for smooth skin, improves complexion.
  • Olive oil: good for dry skin.
  • Oranges, Lemons, Pineapple: natural astringents, improves complexion, soften the skin, skin bleach.
  • Tomato: for fair skin, as cleanser, and also opening the skin pores.
  • Vinegar: for blemishes, itchy skin, and sunburn, softens skin.
  • Yogurt: softens and hydrates the skin, skin cleanser, skin bleach.
  • Spinach: A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth. It provides all the vitamins you need for a great skin and a healthy scalp.
  • Aloe gel: remedy for burns.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Bread Sweet Pie




Ingredients:-
Bread - 4 slices
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Ghee - 3tsp
Elaichi - 5
Badam and Cashews - as many u want








Procedure:-
  • Heat the pan and add water and to it add sugar and let it boil till it is a little thick (letha pakam).
  • Meanwhile roast the bread slices in a toaster and remove the edges.
  • Cut the slices into four equal pieces and keep aside.
  • Now heat the pan, add ghee and to it add the bread crunches jus for 2-3 mins and take it out.
  • When the sugar syrup is ready then add elachi powder, bread pieces to it and take it out within 10mins from it. (otherwise bread pieces may get smashed and is not good for serving )
  • Now to these slices as a topping add the roasted badam and cashew powder on it and decorate it with badam and cashews on each piece.
  • You can pour some sugar syrup on top of it and refrigerate it for 1hour before serving.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Paneer Capsicum Masala


Ingredients :
Paneer cubes - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2
capsicums - 2
one onion
coconut - small piece
garlic cloves - 3
Small piece of ginger
jeera - 1tsp
cinnamon stick - 1
Few lavang
Few Eliachi
Black pepper cloves - 1tsp
Dhania powder - 1tsp
Biryani leaf - 2 to 3
1 teaspoon Jeera powder
Vinegar - 1tsp
milk - 1 cup
pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste



Procedure :
  1. Grind the following into a paste :Tomatoes, onion,coconut, garlic cloves, ginger, dalchini, laung, eliachi,black pepper cloves.

  2. Fry the paste in oil till it releases oil from the sides. Fry for long on low flame for a better taste.

  3. Heat oil in a separate kadai. Add some dhania powder, haldi powder, jeera powder, biryani leaf and let the masalas go brown. Add the fried paste to this and add some water to it and let it boil.

  4. Meanwhile heat a pan add 1tsp oil, fry paneer cubes for 5 mins and keep aside.

  5. Add these fry paneer cubes, capsicum,salt to the above boiling mixture and mix well.

  6. After few minutes of stirring, add milk to thicken the gravy. Cover and let it cook on sim. Once the capsicum is cooked add some vinegar(if not add some tamarind juice) and stir well.

  7. Garnish it with coriander and now your paneer capsicum masala is ready to be served.

  8. This dish goes well with Biryani, roti or chapati.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

My Love for Music

Asha Bhosle Concert

I love music. I feel that music is like a therapy for any problems related to physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help ourselves to improve or maintain ones health.Music has long been used to help people deal with their emotions and very powerful. My great timepass would be listening to music at any time. I love listening to songs that keeps me happy alwazzzzz......Hmmmm so You all may be thinking why am i telling you all such stuff!!!!!

Coming to the point last week we went to a concert on Saturday which i enjoyed it like anything. Its the concert of none other than The Voice Of Bollywood Asha Bhosle Concert and it was a fabulous show i say. Im a big fan of hers and heard that this show of her in US may be last show. May be its a rumor but at least i got a chance to see and so i don't wanna miss that chance. So i'm very much eager to go to that show. Somehow finally we got the tickets & i went the concert and it is a blast. The way she presented herself at the age of 76 is amazing. The way she performed and the josh she created was fantastic and managed herself so well. And at that point of time i got an idea that just for a glance why cant i capture the video of just one song at least so that everyone enjoys it. The one you can see along with her is Sudesh Bhonsle. So this was the video of the concert (just one song). See it and especially don't miss the excellent talent of the musicians in the last 2mins. Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Yoga and Meditation is a magic !!!

Most people are well aware by now that the formula to a happy and healthy life is to exercise and eat well. However, today's hectic lifestyles often mean that we frequently find ourselves in stressful situations. In order to combat stress we need to learn how to relax, and that's where meditation and yoga come in.
One of the advantages of Yoga is that it can be practiced almost anywhere, without special equipment, and by people of all ages.It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment.

Practicing first thing in the morning is an excellent way to revitalize the mind and body, while practicing yoga breathing and meditation exercises at night helps induce a deep, restful sleep.




For practising yoga you need these basic steps to be followed:

  • Choose a place that is relatively free from distractions, the place should be quiet, clean and well ventilated.
  • It's best to wear loose or stretch clothing.
  • Empty your stomach and consume a glass of warm water 15 minutes before you start.
  • Do not strain yourself.
  • Using some properties minimizes the strain and supports your muscles, thus allowing you to save your energy by exerting less effort on a pose.
  • Specially yoga properities help people with medical ailments and the elderly to cross their limitations.
  • Props can be a yoga mat, arm resting chair for relaxing poses, etc. for your comfortability.
  • As little as 15 minutes of exercises and 15 minutes of Breathing and meditation each day can yield benefits.

So these are some of the poses for the beginners to try.




Uses Of Yoga and Meditation:-



There are many benefits by doing yoga either physically or psychologically like :

  • improves immunity power
  • increases balancing and energy levels
  • for better sleep posture improvement
  • control on her emotions
  • weight normalizes
  • better Concentration and memory
  • cholesterol decrease
  • overcome any breathing and respiratory problems

so on......... there are many many advantages when we start saying like this. So my advice is practicing yoga daily is the best exercise one can do.



Meditation:-

The purpose of meditation is to calm the mind and create inner peace, harmony and tranquility, and also emotional balance through detachment. By meditating, you are creating a condition where you are no longer affected by what is going on around you. This can lead to a remarkable feeling of calmness and a positive outlook on life. Meditation can be of two types like Focusing on your breath or just saying a mantra (word) silently in your mind. Meditation can be done either sat on the floor with the legs crossed, or sat in a chair.

You can just try this meditation for just 10 mins then you will feel the magic of yoga and meditation. This is the sample test you can try and feel the difference.


You just need to sit in a calm, clean place and switch this on with your eyes closed and don't let any thought come into your mind and relax your mind and concentrate on the tune. And later after 10mins open your eyes slowly. Then you can feel the freshness how nice it is. I think at least in a day you can just spare 10mins for this and get out from all the tensions and stress from your daily routine.




Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Color pencil art

A Mermaid:

Painting - Pencil Sketch


Hello All,

I want to share my personal story. From my childhood i been so fascinated towards painting. My grand father was a great artist with the brush using water colors. He had splendid collection of paintings which were still intact. May be I inherited some of his qualities. I love painting, not to exaggerate i won lot of painting competitions in my childhood. Personally i like water colors but one should have lot of patience and motivation for that, which is lacking in me :-). Depending upon the painting it might take couple of months(part time). Thats the reason i prefer pencil sketch than water colors. I am still collecting all my paintings meanwhile i thought of sharing some of them.


Lord Shiva

Beautiful sunset scenery: (Below picture were created in 6th grade)



Express feelings:(Below picture were created in 5th grade)



Stay tuned!!! lot more on your way...

Tips for better Glowing Skin...

Who does'nt like a glowing skin????Everyone craves for it. So these are some useful home remedies for flawless skin.





How to get flawless skin by using stuff available in your kitchen?

Follow these easy steps and feel the difference :

  1. Gram flour with curd work wonder.(nalugu pindi in telugu which is the best all time)
  2. Mix tomato juice with lemon juice and apply.
  3. As a cleanser/scrub you can mix salt with milk and scrub for 2 minutes then wash it off.
  4. Apply mixture of orange juice,papaya and honey for instant glow.
  5. Mix honey with 2-3 drops of lemon juice and apply on face to wash away to get rid of tanned skin.
  6. Mix oatmeal with curd and tomato juice and apply on the face,wash it off after 15 minutes.
  7. Apply cabbage juice on face .
  8. Apply mixture of raw milk(pachi palu) ,cucumber and few drops of lemon juice.wash it off after 10 minutes.
  9. Rub ice cube on face to improve blood circulation.
  10. Most important and the one known to everyone is drink plenty of water

Monday, April 12, 2010

Garam Masala Powder


Hi friends today im just thinking what can i post something interesting and very useful in every house. Then i remember my mom always making some garam masala powder at home which is the real secret of the nice aroma and tastes of amma vantalu. Then gave a thought that why cant i make it here itself at my home rather getting it from some indian stores always if all the items are readily available at home. If we just spare some little time for this then we can store it for some months in our kitchen and use it in any curry whether it is veg or non veg. Adding this gives real taste and nice flavor to any gravies. Specially i use this powder in my egg curry, chicken curry, brinjal etc.
But I saw some of my friends here making it in some other different procedure. I tried both of them and each have its own taste. So i would like to post those two types which i know. Hope you all like it and enjoy.





TYPE 1 :-
Here is my friends Recipe(North Indian Style):

Ingredients:-
2 cups Bay leaves
1 cup Cumin seeds
2 cups Coriander seeds
1 Anistar or Star Anise
1/2 cup cinnamon(Dalchini)
1 cup of whole red chillies,
1/2 cup Mace
1/2 cup peppercorns
1/2 cup cloves
3-4 Cardamoms (Elaichi) and
2 tbsp Shahjeera

Slightly dry roast all these till it turns light brown and powder coarsely.
This is one of the procedure.



TYPE 2:-
My second recipe would be this delicious "miracle" South Indian Style or my mom's style of garam masala where i use it for many of my delectable dishes which I keep doing ,specially weekend Lunches! You must had to try this.It does taste wonderful. It can be added to rice dishes or any South Indian gravy dishes.

Mom Recipe :

Ingredients:-
1 cup Chana dal
1 cup Urad dal
1/3 cup Coriander seeds
1/2 cup Sesame seeds
Red chillis according to your taste
2 tbsp Peppercorns
2 tbsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Hing
2 tsp Poppy seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp roasted Groundnuts
8 pieces Cashewnuts(Optional)
1/2 cup dry coconut
Few Curry leaves

Slightly dry roast all these till it turns light brown and powder coarsely and can be stored for 2-3 months in a dry place and used.


Apologizing....!!!

"Apologizing does not mean that you are wrong and the other one is right... It simply means that you value the relationship much more than your ego.."


Hi everyone
The story goes that some time ago a man punished his 5-year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, This is for you, Daddy. The father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction , but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.
He spoke to her in a harsh manner. Don't you know young lady , when you give someone a present there's supposed ti be something inside the package??
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, Oh, Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full. The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the father kept that gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. And whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

So By this short story we all can understand that
  • In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
  • And there is nothing wrong to apologize for the mistake that you have done in your life.
  • Anger is not always good at times. "For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness" is a famous quote i always remember off when i get angry.


Chicken Kurma..




Ingredients:-

Chicken - 2lb
Onions - 1(small)
Chillis - 5
Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 2 tsp
Coriander- 1 small bunch

Garam Masala Items:

Cloves - 6
Cinnamon - 2inch stick
Elachi - 3
BIryani leaf - 2
Mace - 1

Procedure:-

  • Marinate chicken with chillis powder, salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, yogurt and keep it in fridge for half an hour.
  • Heat oil in a skillet add all garam masala items, grinded onions and coconut paste, chillis, curry leaves and fry till the raw smell of onions go.
  • Now add the marinated chicken pieces and mix well and keep the lid and cook for 10 mins on low flame.
  • Now water from the chicken starts coming out then cook till the water gets over and add any salt or chilli powder needed.
  • Check for the softness of chicken and garnish it with coriander and serve it with chapati or any rice ( biryani, fried rice, white rice etc..).

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Instant Tomato rice

Tomato rice is very much popular in many places especially in southern part of India. Daily eating the same dish makes everyone bore. We may not have time to make special dish everyday. Preparing a meal is an hour work at the most. But this special dish takes approx 15mins time if we already have rice at home. So here is the procedure for you to prepare instant tomato rice.

Ingredients :-

Cooked Rice - 2 Cups
Tomatos - 2
Onions - 1
Oil - 2 tsp
Chillis - 3
Red Chilli - 2
Ginger - small
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Tamarind Pulp - 2 tsp (thick)
Curry Leaves - 5
Pinch of Turmeric
Salt to Taste

Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan add jeera, mustard, chana dal, red chillis, curry leaves and fry till mustard seeds starts spluttering.
Now add onions, green chilis, when onions turns brown add turmeric and let it fry for one more minute.
Add sliced tomatos to the mix, close the lid and let it cook for 2 more minutes till it becomes soft.
Then add rice, mix and serve it hot with raitha.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Mamidikaya Pulihora

A South Indian rice delicacy, prepared on the same like lemon rice (nimmakaya pulihora) and is the most simple and easiest recipe one can ever make.

A healthy rice dish unlike most others which is prepared for a generous amount of oil or ghee. The key to this rice dish is mango which lends it a tangy flavor and is counter balanced with a fragrant tempering. As this is the season for mangoes i prepare this dish regularly at home. But most popularly this dish is prepared on very special festivals like Ugadi (Telugu New Year) in every house in Southern part of India. It is very simple and can be ready in just 4 small steps.



Ingredients :-

Rice - 2cups
Raw mango(Mamidikaya) - 1 cup (grated)
Peanuts 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts 1 tsp
Few Curry leaves
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 5 to 6
Ginger - small
Red chillies - 3to4
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Channa dal 1/2 tsp
Pinch of asafeotida
Salt as per taste
Oil - 2 to 3tsp


Procedure :-

1. Cook the rice and keep aside (dont make it mashy).

2. Heat oil then add peanuts, cashewnuts then after 1 min add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies, urad dal, channa dal, asafoetida, green chillies,ginger, curry leaves, turmeric powder and fry for 3-5mins.

3. Now add the mamidikai thurumu(grated mango) and salt to taste and switch off the flame (dont keep it more than 2 mins, it may spoil the flavor of mango).

4. The mixture is then added to the cooked rice and mixed well.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Guthi Bendakaya/Stuffed Bendi fry..


Ingredients:-

Bhindi - 1lb
Onions - 1
Jeera - 1tsp
Turmeric powder
Mango powder (Aamchur) - 1 tsp
Red chili - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Jeera powder - 1tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste


Procedure:-
  • Mix turmeric powder, mango powder,chat masala, red chili powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, garam masala,salt and keep aside.
  • Now take bendi, make small slit by removing the stock at the end and stuff the mixture you made before and keep aside.
  • Take a pan, heat oil add jeera, curry leaves, diced onions and fry it till it turns brown.
  • Add stuffed Bhindi and fry it till it turns soft and crisp.
  • Serve it with hot chapati and curd.

Tips...to get good sleep

Many experience this problem whatever may be the reason like stress, strain, depression, some health & family problems etc. So i think this article would help many who is suffering with this problem.

There’s a lot of advice out there about getting good sleep; here are tips that work for many:
Good habits for good sleep:
1. Exercise most days, even if it’s just to take a walk.
2. No caffeine after 7:00 p.m.
3. An hour before bedtime, avoid doing any kind of work that takes alert thinking. Addressing envelopes—okay. Analyzing an article—nope.
4. Adjust your bedroom temperature to be slightly chilly.
5. Keep your bedroom dark. Studies show that even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle. We have about six devices in our room that glow bright green; it’s like sleeping in a mad scientist’s lab. The Big Man's new pet, a Roomba (yes, he loves his robot vacuum), gives out so much light that I have to cover it with a pillow before bed.
6. Keep the bedroom as tidy as possible. It’s not restful to fight through chaos into bed.

If sleep won’t come:
1. Breathe deeply and slowly until you can’t stand it anymore.
2. If your mind is racing (you’re planning a trip, a move, Christmas shopping; you’re worried about a medical diagnosis), write down what’s on your mind. This technique really works for me.
3. Slather yourself with body lotion. It feels good and also, if you’re having trouble sleeping because you’re hot, it cools you down.
4. If your feet are cold, put on socks.
5. Stretch your whole body.
6. Have a warm drink. Some people claim that warm milk contains melatonin and trytophan and so helps induce sleep, but in fact, a glass of milk doesn’t contain enough to have any effect. But it’s still a soothing drink. My nighttime favorite: 1/3 mug of milk, add boiling water, one packet of Equal, and a dash of vanilla. A real nursery treat.
7. Yawn.
8. Stretch your toes up and down several times.
9. Tell yourself, “I have to get up now.” Imagine that you just hit the snooze alarm and in a minute, you’re going to be marching through the morning routine. Often this is an exhausting enough prospect to make me fall asleep.

Re-frame:
Re-frame your sleeplessness as a welcome opportunity to snatch some extra time out of your day. I get up and tackle mundane chores, like paying bills, organizing books, or tidying up. Then I start the day with a wonderful feeling of having accomplished something even before 6:45 am.

Courtesy : Yahoo

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Cracked Wheat Upma


Ingredients :-

Cracked Wheat - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Onions - 1/2 (small)
Carrots - 1
Peas - 3tsps
Chillis - 3
Oil - 1tsp
Ginger - small pieces
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Chana dal - 1tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to t
aste

Procedure:-

  • Take a pan and heat oil add mustard seeds, jeera, chana dal, curry leaves and fry.
  • When mustard seeds strt spluttering add onions, chillis, ginger, carrot, peas,salt to taste and fry till the onions are brown in colour.
  • Now add 3cups of water to it and let it boil.
  • When it starts boiling add the cracked wheat (lightly fried before adding which gives more taste) at once and keep the lid.
  • After 10-15mins switch off the flame and serve it. It can be taken as a dinner meal too.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Window...

So today i just wanted to share a story which made me think for a second and gave me some lesson and its very inspiring tooo. So i just want you all also to know that story and feel good. "The Window" is a all about how people think now a days and how to change thier mind set by thinking positively. Here is the story how it goes.......



Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the windowportrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should hehave all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

Moral of the story:The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about

Monday, April 5, 2010

Balanced diet..


FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID

What’s this?

A food guide pyramid is a simple way of knowing what are the kinds of food one needs to consume and in what amounts to ensure good health.

It is obvious that there is interplay of nutrients in the body. When we talk about nutrients it is important to know the quantity i.e. how much to take. This can be well understood by the concept of
FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID. This can form a foundation for a good diet selection, providing the essential nutrients.

Definition of RDA

RDA or Recommended Daily Allowances are levels of intake of essential nutrients which are on the basis of scientific knowledge and are adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of all healthy persons.


FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID (FOR VEGETARIANS)

FOOD GROUPS

Cereals:Cereals form the staple diet in India e.g. rice, wheat, maize. Cereals generally lack lysine, however rice is richer in lysine compared to other cereals. Ragi, a millet, is a rich source of calcium and known as poor man's milk. Cereals do not contain Vitamin A and Vitamin C except yellow maize, which contains carotene.

1 Cereal serving = 1 katori of cooked rice or 2 phulkas or 2 slices of bread.

1 Cereal serving will supply about 100 calories and 2-3 gms. of protein.

Legumes (Pulses and Dals): Pulses are rich sources of protein (upto 22-25%). Vegetarians can meet their protein requirement by including different pulses in their diet. But they lack Vitamin A and Vitamin C. However, germination of pulses increases the Vitamin C levels. Soaking and cooking of legumes destroy their anti-nutritional factors like tannin and trypsin inhibitors and make it easier to digest. Cereal-pulse combination in a proportion of 4:1 or 3:1 is enough for its supplementary effect.

1 serving = 1 katori of cooked dal or pulse

1 serving of legumes = 100 calories and 6-7 gms. proteins.


Vegetables : Green leafy vegetables are very rich sources of Vitamin B, carotene, iron, calcium, Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C. At least fifty grams should be consumed daily by each person. Yellow-orange vegetables are good sources of Vitamin B, carotene, and lycopenes.
Roots and tubers are rich in carbohydrates and contain some vitamins and minerals. Three to five servings of vegetables per day is a must and one of them should be a green leafy vegetable.


Fruits : They are rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibres. Green, yellow and orange fruits like mango, papaya contains beta-carotene. Amla, citrus fruits and guava are a rich source of vitamin C. Dried fruits like dates supply iron. Banana and jackfruit are good sources of energy.
Two to three servings of fruits per day are recommended.


Milk and milk products : Milk is a good source of protein, calcium and vitamins. It is deficient in iron and Vitamin C. Whole milk has high percentage of fat (8-12%) whereas low fat or toned milk has about three percent fat. Skimmed milk has very little or no fat. Recommended servings per day is two to three servings where one serving = 1 cup (225 - 240 ml).


FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID (FOR NON-VEGETARIANS)

FOOD GROUPS

Meat / fish / Poultry : Egg, fish, meat etc. are included in this group. Eggs supply good quality protein, vitamins and fat. Fish, meat and chicken are good sources of protein and vitamins. Meat has more fat compared to poultry and fish. Omega 3 - PUFA in fish protects against cardiovascular diseases.

Two to three servings/day are recommended.

One serving has about 30 gms of cooked meat.

One serving provides 100 calories and 7 gms of protein.


Fat / Oils : Calories from fat should not exceed 10-15% of the total calorie intake. Fat is made use of not only during cooking (visible source) but it is also present within the food we eat such as seeds, nuts, pulses etc. Fifteen to twenty grams of visible fat (oil/ghee) is recommended per person per day.

One gm. of oil or ghee gives 9 calories.

One tsp of ghee, butter, oil = 45 calories.


Sugars : This group includes sugar, honey, jaggery, etc., which are concentrated sources of energy. Jaggery provides little iron. This group has to be used sparingly. Excessive intake of sugars is not desirable due to wide fluctuations in blood sugar and leads to obesity.
1 tsp. sugar = 20-25 calories.

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