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Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

Right from the ancient times turmeric has been used in our society. A lot of thesis has been written in the Indian mythology about the benefits of Turmeric. Most of the people in our society know turmeric as a spice used in cooking various dishes. Its addition gives the yellow color to the curry. It is not only used as a spice but also as a wonderful medicinal herb. Since turmeric offers lots of health benefits it is considered as one of the best nutritional supplements that we have. Most of the researches made in this regard prove the same. It has several medicinal properties in it which is very much beneficial for the human body. Out of all the compounds present in this herb, the most essential and beneficial is curcuminoids i.e. Curcumin. Curcumin is considered as one of the most active compound which is present in turmeric. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property plays a major role in keeping the body fit and healthy.

Usually turmeric has 3 % of Curcumin by weight. So it is also consumed as a supplement. Since the human body does not absorb the Curcumin properly, it is taken along with black pepper. The black pepper contains piperine which increases the absorption of the Curcumin inside the human body by whopping 2000 %. Moreover you can also take it along with the fatty meals as Curcumin is a wonderful fat soluble agent.

In a healthy body inflammation plays one of the most important roles. It helps the body in fighting the germs and bacteria that could cause serious damage and moreover also helps in repairing the damaged parts of the body. If the process of inflammation does not take place, the pathogens can easily attack our body and harm us. The inflammation process needs serious attention. While the acute or the short term inflammation inside the human body is very much necessary, the long term or the chronic inflammation causes damage to the tissues and so it should be controlled otherwise you can get diagnosed with cancer, various heart diseases, Alzheimer’s condition and metabolic syndrome. Here the use of Curcumin which is found inside turmeric comes handy. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory property which is way better than most of the anti-inflammatory drugs which we have in the market these days. It directly targets the inflammatory pathway at the lowest level by blocking the NF-kB molecules. This NF-kB molecule is the one which travels into the cell and turns on the process of inflammation. Without getting into further deep knowledge about the processes inside the body, let’s just remember that Curcumin is important for the fight against the chronic inflammation.

Oxidative damage is one of the major reasons why people get diagnosed with so many chronic diseases. The process of aging also gets affected. All this processes include unpaired highly reactive molecules and free radicals. This free radical causes most of the damage. It reacts with proteins, fatty acids and DNAs inside the body and forms harmful compounds. Here comes the need of the strong antioxidants. The antioxidant helps in neutralizing the structure of the free radicals. Again turmeric here has strong antioxidant properties and so is Curcumin. They simply increase the antioxidant enzymes inside the human body and protect it from the oxidative damages.

It has been reported that turmeric can be highly beneficial in treating the cancer disease in which there is uncontrolled growth of the affected cells. Since Curcumin affects the molecular structure of the human body, it is believed that it can be very much useful in controlling the growth and spread of this disease at the lowest level. It reduces the growth of the new blood vessels inside the tumors and also starts the metastasis process. Both of them play a major role in getting rid of the cancerous cell. While it has been tested on the animals, the test on the human beings is still going on. But one thing which is sure is that the colorectal cancer can be prevented with the help of Curcumin.

Curcumin further boosts the brain-derived neurotropic factor which improves the functioning of the brain. The neurons do develop in the later stages of the life and forms the new connections which are required in proper and smooth functioning of the brain. The presence of the Curcumin inside the human body is very much important to fight against the several degenerative processes which happen inside the brain. If you regularly eat turmeric then you are very much protected against the brain diseases. The Curcumin inside the turmeric makes sure of that. There is a never ending list of the benefits of the Curcumin of the human body. It plays a vital role in reversing the steps which leads you to the chronic heart diseases. Curcumin repairs the lining of the blood vessels which is called as endothelium and helps it in its proper functioning. The risk of the heart attack decreases by 65 % if you regularly eat turmeric in your diet. I guess the above mentioned reasons are enough for anybody to get convinced and start eating this wonderful herb.

July 22, 2014
Delicious cake recipes

A party without an amazing and delicious appearing cake will feel incomplete irrespective of whether you are celebrating for a child or an adult. Kids specially await the arrival of the cake and when you have a unique and amazing idea, it adds more and more fun to the entire party. Birthday cakes can be prepared in any shape, flavor or size according to your wish at your home. As it is said “best birthday gift is the cake which is made by your mom, wife or sister”. So here are some recipes for making cakes on your own.

SIMPLE WHITE CAKE-

Ingredients-

2 eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup milk.

Recipe- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Flour and grease a 9×9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir them in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder and then add them to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter becomes smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. In order to make cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

CHOCOLATE CAKE-

Ingredients-

2 eggs, 2 tablespoon softened butter, 50gm cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 175gm plain chocolate chips, 200gm caster sugar, 250gm vegetable oil, 125ml buttermilk, 275gm plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 250ml boiling water.

For Chocolate Icing- 125gm softened butter, 50gm cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons milk, 125gm icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee.

Recipe- Add the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl one at a time and beat them well after each addition, caster sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, oil, 50g cocoa, buttermilk and vanilla. Sift the baking powder, flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, add them to the sugar and egg mixture. Blend well and fold in the boiling water. Place batter in two greased and floured 20cm round cake tins. Divide the chocolate chips in half and sprinkle them over each pan. Bake at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes and then let it cool. To make the icing, begin by beating together 125g butte, 50g cocoa and icing sugar. Now add 1 teaspoon vanilla, milk and coffee. Beat until the mixture becomes very smooth. Add more icing sugar until you obtain the consistency you want. Spread on the cooled cake.

RAINBOW CITRUS CAKE-

Ingredients-

3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, 2 teaspoons grated lime zest, 2 drops orange food coloring, 5 teaspoons baking, 3/4 cup shortening, 4eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, 2 drops yellow food coloring, 2 drops green food coloring.

Recipe- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch pans. Sift together baking powder, flour and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until they become light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and mix them until each egg is incorporated, stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Divide batter into 3 bowls. In the first bowl, stir in lemon zest and yellow food coloring, pour into prepared pan. In the second bowl, stir in orange food coloring and orange zest, pour into second prepared pan. In the last bowl, stir in the lime zest and green food coloring, pour into third prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Assemble the cake and stack the layers together with the Lemon Filling in between the layers. Frost sides and top with Orange Cream Frosting. Refrigerate until serving.

CHOCOLATE MARBLE CAKE-

Ingredients-

200gm unsalted butter, 100gm caster sugar, 4 large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 100ml milk, 1 teaspoon instant coffee granule, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 150gm chunky or smooth peanut butter, 125g light brown sugar, 250g plain flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 100g chocolate chips, chopped smaller, 1 heaped tablespoon of Camp coffee essence.

Recipe- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Slightly grease and flour a 25cm /10″ cake tin. Combine peanut butter, butter and both types of sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat them until they become light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes on low. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the baking powder, flour and salt. Gradually fold the sifted flour and milk alternately, into the egg mixture, stir them well after each addition. Divide the mixture into two equal portions. Add chocolate chips to one portion and mix. Blend the essence, coffee granules and cocoa together and mix lightly until the ingredients are well-blended to get a mocha-flavour and add this to the other portion. Put a ladleful of choc-chip batter into the prepared tin, top this with a ladleful of mocha-flavored batter and alternate the two steps until both portions are used up. To get a marble effect, draw a wooden skewer through the batter, and take care not to touch the bottom of the tin. Lightly shake the tin to get rid of any air bubbles.Bake in a preheated oven for 25 mins and then turn the oven temp down to 160 degrees C. Continue cooking for another 25 minutes. To test the cake, touch it lightly with the fingertips. If it is cooked through, the cake should spring back immediately when touched. Cool the cake in the mould for 5 to 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Leave it cool before srving.

July 22, 2014
Forget love, I’d rather fall in Chocolate!!!
From children to elderly people, everyone LOVES chocolate. It can be in the form of a bar, syrup, cake, candy, even hot, molten chocolate; the craving is insatiable. I know people who still dream to be able to go to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory one day, just to be able to experience the magic that it takes to transform a single, bitter cocoa bean into a bar of sweet, glossy and silky chocolate.

Just imagining me with my favorite chocolate instantly uplifts my mood. However, for now let us learn something about the history of chocolate. Earliest usage of chocolates, dates back to 1900 BC in the form of chocolate beverages. Usage of chocolates was prevalent in the Mayan and Aztec civilizations, where chocolate beverages under the name of Xocolatl were popular. Xocolatl literally means bitter water and was named so because t e beverages were drunk without sweetening. In fact, cocoa beans were so important to the Aztecs that it was used as a form of currency.

In the later 16^th century, when Henry Cortes invaded the Aztec empire, he was acquainted with cocoa beans and introduced it to Europe. The Spanish added sweeteners to it to counter its bitter taste and soon chocolate started gaining popularity amongst the European nobility.

There are various types of chocolates, some of which are mentioned below:
- White chocolate: White chocolate does not contain any cocoa beans but contains milk solids, sugar and cocoa butter. For this reason, it does not contain theobromine and is safe to be consumed by animals.
- Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that contains milk in the form of powder or condensed milk. Throughout Europe the minimum amount of cocoa solids present in this chocolate must be 25%, with the exception of UK and Ireland where it is 20%.
- Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate has added fat and sugar to the cocoa mixture and has a distinct bittersweet taste to it. European standards specify that the chocolate must contain at least 35% cocoa solids.
- Bittersweet chocolate: Sugar (typically a third of the total quantity) has been added along with cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin to chocolate liqueur.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: It is another variation, which is dark chocolate with low sugar content.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Also known as baking chocolate it is mainly chocolate liquor without any sweetening agent. It imparts a deep, rich, strong flavour when added to food stuff
- Raw chocolate: Raw chocolate is dark, has a minimum of 75% cocoa, and is a more nutritive than any other form of chocolate.
All of us have a sweet memory of digging into a bar of chocolate that our fathers might bring when they came home from work. The brands were numerous, the products countless. From Kit-Kat to Perk, from Dairy Milk to the little Chocolate Éclairs, everyone has a favourite kind of chocolate.

The list of the most famous chocolate producers from around the world includes Cadbury, a name known to and loved by every kid. The most famous chocolates given to us by Cadbury include Dairy Milk, Crème Egg, Bourneville, Perk… the list goes on. This British company is also the largest manufacturer of chocolate in the world. We also have names like Guylian, which makes its famous chocolate Sea Shells and Lindt, known for its Chocolate Truffle and Chocolate Easter Bunnies, not to forget its sophisticated packaging.

Then we have our very own The Hershey Company, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. The most loved products include Hershey’s Bar and Hershey’s Kisses. The milk chocolates produced by this giant chocolate manufacturer often have nuts such as almonds and raisins, which add to their unique taste. Mars Incorporated is a large privately owned chocolate manufacturer and produces M&M’s, Mars Bars, Milky Way, Twix and Snickers, all of which featured in our childhood fantasies. Nestle has a special place here as it owns Rowntree’s and thus markets Kit-Kat and Smarties. However, it has made its own place in the Indian market by bringing out products like Munch, Milky Bar, Bar-One and Classic.

Talking about Indian Market, India has now become the fastest growing market for adult consumption of chocolates and candies. The chocolate market in India is estimated at around Rs.3000 crore. The surprise factor here is that the organised confectionery market is around Rs 2,000 crore. The overall chocolate market is growing 15% a year, while the growth in modern retail is almost double of that.

This has caught the attention of many well-known chocolate brands like ITC, Mondelez, Mars, Nestle, Perfetti Van Melle and Parle, with the result that they are launching many new products designed keeping in mind not only children but also adults. We now have sugar-free chocolate for the calorie conscious, lollipop that help people combat depression, chocolates known to boost immunity, and so on.

Chocolates also have health benefits, as opposed to the popular notion that they just adversely affect our bodies. Consumption of chocolate not only positively affects our circulatory system but also helps in maintaining blood pressure and reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems. It can help lower BMI and cholesterol in adults and produce anti-oxidants in our body. Eating dark chocolate can instantly uplift your mood and relieve you of stress.

So what are you waiting for, go ahead and buy your favourite chocolate. Unwrap it and revel in the joy that it brings to you. After all, you deserve it. 🙂
July 22, 2014
India wedding food

A wedding is a ceremony or gathering of people where all the relatives, neighbors are united.As there are many cultures and traditions in India, there are different styles in wedding.Depending on the countries and religions it varies.Most of the couples and their respective families exchange gifts, rings, symbolic item, flowers, money,cars , bikes, flats and many more in a wedding.Special and new garments are worn by everyone who attended the marriage.Just after the day of marriage there will be a special function.Depending on the region, religion and status the cultural events in the wedding varies.But music, poetry, prayers, dance programs and few more are also commonly seen in many of the marriages.

wedding in India

Food is considered as a very special and integrated part of any occasion in India.In any persons life marriage is a special occasion and one will remember it in his/her lifetime.Along with the grand decorations and arrangements made, the food menu in a wedding will be very grand with lots of specials and the food is simply delicious.Many of the people from the family side, neighbors everyone will talk about the grand feast even after the marriage is completed.The type of food and dishes provided depends on the couples, religion, tradition, state and many other factors.However, the basics items remain same in any part of the country, but the additional items may vary.Now we can see more varieties of food items in weddings around India.

Indian wedding food:

North:

In the north Indian weddings we can find lot of lavish food varieties.The guests are given most priority and are welcomed with most interest.As soon as the guests enter the wedding they are served with finger foods and snacks.After that they are also served with drinks like soft drinks, coffee, soups, juices, mocktails, etc.In some weddings, mostly Punjabi weddings liquor is also served.This goes on till the pheras, after which the wedding is complete.After the completion of this, main dishes are served.Later delicious deserts and fruit salads are offered.The most usual things that we can find almost every marriage we appear is the Dal Makhani, Shahi Paneer, Pulao, Mixed Veg and Chicken.Apart from these the main feast includes some of the other north Indian varieties as well.

Wedding food in North India

West:

While coming to the wedding in west.In a traditional Maharashtrian wedding, the food is served on freshly washed banana leaves.The guests at the dining place will be seated on chatais or wooden planks while eating.In their wedding meal no onion or garlic is used in cooking.The dishes in Maharashtrain wedding are completely vegetarian.Apart from the meals different varieties of desserts like basundi, jalebi and few more are served.The main dish is finally ended by taking butter milk and paan.Whereas in Gujarati wedding snacks and drinks are followed by the main meal.The main meal consists of Rotli, daal, rice and sabzi, apart from other dishes.The dessert is served in the end.

West Indian food in marriages and occasions

East:

The main feast of the Bengali wedding consists of snack, finger foods and drinks.The veg dishes consists of Poto Posto, Begun, Bhaja and the non vegetarian dishes consists of Muri Ghonto and few more.As most of the eastern states consume large amounts of fishes in fish is a part of their main meal.The Bengali dishes consists of Macher Kaalia and it contains sweets like Roshogulla and Mishti Doi.If we consider Bihari wedding feast, it contains lots of sweets, in snacks as well as main course.After that both vegetarian as well as non vegetarian dishes are served along with rice.In Bihari wedding rice is the main highlight.There wont be any alcoholic drinks in the Bihari wedding.

East India wedding food

South:

In most of the south Indian marriages the wedding ceremony is conducted early in the morning.In this region also the guests are served finger foods, along with the drinks, like nimboo pani, fresh juice, coffee, etc.After the marriage is completed i.e., when the bride and groom are declared husband and wife, the main food is served.Like in Maharashtrian wedding,the food in south India is served on banana leaves, with the guests sitting on the floor.After the completion of the main meal dessert and fruit salad are served.After their meal is completed they wish the newly married couple once again, bless them and take their leave.

South Indian wedding food

North East:

The wedding feast in the Northeastern side includes large amount of non vegetarian dishes along with the finger foods, snacks.In the non vegetarian varieties we can find at least one fish variety especially in case of weddings in Tripura and Assam.Apart from that, you will be offered to a few vegetarian dishes also.In vegetarian food one of the variety will be containing bamboo shoots.The dishes that are made up of rice are highlight of the feast.In most of the marriages that are held in India rice is a common dish.After the main meal is completed the people at the wedding are served with different varieties of desserts.After that drinks are served which might include noodle soup and also usual juices and soft drinks.

North East wedding food

July 22, 2014
The Wonder Ingredient that is Jaggery!

With just a few days left for my college to reopen and consequently me having to leave home for hostel, I am being treated to a multitude of Bengali cuisines. And since, we hail from the City of Joy, happiness comes to us in the form of food and more than that desserts and sweets. So, my mom made this, what I call her best work till date, ‘Patishapta’ or Indian crepes with a coconut and jaggery stuffing. This brings me to the note that jaggery forms one of the most inevitable ingredient of most Indian desserts.

Jaggery, or ‘gud’ as most of us would know it as in India, is a traditional unrefined form of sugar. This un-centrifuged derivative of sugar is a concentrated product of date, cane syrup or palm sap without separation of molasses and crystals. The color varies from a golden brown to a dark brown hue. Jaggery is used widely in Asian and African cuisine, sweet as well as savoury! The taste of this ingredient will remind of you of the ashy flavor of cooked sugar while the mild sweetness of the melting rocks of this product will make you fall in love with it immediately. Gud is available in the markets in the form of blocks or in a liquefied form, packed in jars.

Jaggery is produced extensively in all sugarcane growing areas. West Bengal, South India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan use coconut palm to produce the best quality jaggery. Maharashtra is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery (called gul here). The Kolhapur district here in the Maratha-land is a paradise for jaggery-fans, owing to the quality of jaggery found here. Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh has the largest jaggery market in the world, followed by Anakapali in Andhra Pradesh. Mandya in Karnataka is also known for its’ jaggery production.

Jaggery is made of products of sugarcane and the palm tree. The sugar made from the date palm sap is highly prized and is claimed to make the most flavorful and best quality gud, often called as ‘nolen gud’ or ‘patali gud’ in Bengali. Preparation of jaggery is a long process, right from the cultivation of the sugarcane crop to the final product packaging. The cut and cleaned sugarcane is put into power driven crushers and the juice is extracted in large containers. Some quantity of the juice is transferred to a smaller vessel for heating it over a furnace. Some lime is added to the juice while boiling it, so that the wood particles of the crushed sugarcane collect on the top in a froth. The froth is skimmed off time to time during this entire process. After over an hour of heating, the juice thickens and is reduced to approximately a third of its initial volume. The hot syrup thus formed is golden brown is color. The thickened syrup is then poured into shallow flat-bottomed concrete tanks to cool down and solidify. The tanks are large enough to let the hot liquid spread out in a very thin layer over a large area to facilitate quick cooling. After cooling down, the jaggery turns into a soft solid that can be molded into desirable shapes and packaged to be sent into the market.

The chemical composition of jaggery indicates that it is comprised of 50% sucrose, around 20% invert sugars and up to 20% moisture with the remainder containing wood ash, proteins and bagasse fibers. The quality of jaggery is determined by the color and texture. A good quality pure jaggery will be golden brown in color and will be relatively softer to cut through. A deeper brown indicates presence of impurities. So make sure you get those golden yellow blocks of jaggery that would melt in the mouth, next time you plan to buy some.

Jaggery is widely used in many South Asian delicacies. Bengalis use it in their desserts and world-famous sweets, be it the humble ‘roshogolla’, ‘payesh’ (rice pudding) or ‘naadu’ (coconut or til laddus), we like to have that delectable flavor of ‘gud’ in all of these. Similar preparation of sweets have been practiced in the neighboring states like Assam. In some villages of Assam, people drink salty reed tea with a cube of jaggery, more popularly known as cheleka-chah (licking tea) in the local language. In Odissa, cakes or ‘pithas’ contain jaggery.

South-India is a fan of this delicious ingredient too. Tamil Nadu’s biggest festival Pongal offers a plethora of sweets and interesting dishes to taste. A dish called ‘chakkarai pongal’ uses jaggery as one of the main ingredients. Payasam (sweetened milk) and fruit salads are some other dishes where jaggery is used as a sweetener. In many rural areas across South India, palm jaggery is still used to sweeten beverages. It is sometimes added to sambhar or rasam to add mild sweetness. In Andhra Pradesh, it is used to make ‘Arisalu’, an authentic dish of the state during Sankranthi. Gujarati cuisine uses this ingredient to add sweetness to balance the spice and salty flavor of lentil soups (dal). Puran Poli is a famous Maharashtrian dish made with ‘gul’. Burmese and Sri Lankan dishes also use jaggery extensively as a flavoring agent and sweetener. Jaggery is combined with nuts, peanuts, spices to make toffees or even alcoholic beverages like palm wine.

Jaggery is not just a mere food-ingredient for most Indian cultures. It is also used as a home-remedy for various ailments. It is used to stir body-heat and stimulate sweating so as to cool down the body. It is also said to aid digestion and is thus consumed in a small amount after meals by many. It also minimizes asthma, joint pains and purifies the blood thus keeping skin problems at bay. It is a great energy booster and can be a healthy source of energy in the middle of a busy day! It even has its own share of religious significance. Jaggery is considered auspicious and is eaten raw in many parts of India, before the beginning of an important work. The ‘kuchh meetha ho Jae’ notion in India is often celebrated using jaggery in many parts of India. It is also offered to deities in various festivals.

Before I leave, I would definitely like to share the simple yet interesting recipe of the mouthwatering Patishaptas that I had.

PATISHAPTAS

Ingredients:

For the crepe-batter:-

1 cup refined flour (maida)

1/2 cup semolina (sooji)

1/4 cup rice flour

1.5 to 2 cups milk

Oil, to cook the patishapta

For the filling:-

3 cups grated coconut

2 Tbsp. Date-palm jaggery

3-4 green cardamoms

8-9 pistachios for garnishing.

Procedure:

For the filling:-

1.)    In a wok, mix the grated coconuts with jaggery and place it over low flame.

TIP: you could also use ‘khoya’ instead of grated coconuts. While making the stuffing using khoya, remember to add milk while cooking it with jaggery.

2.)    Add cardamom to the mixture and keep stirring till it becomes sticky.

3.)    Keep the stuffing aside for around 20 minutes, to let it cool.

For the crepes:-

1.) Put the semolina in a large bowl. Sift the maida and the rice flour into it.

TIP: you could add a small amount of sugar as per your taste if you wish to.

2.) Add milk part by part and mix carefully making sure, no lumps are formed. Keep the batter aside for around 30 minutes.

3.) Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and pour a thin layer of the uniform mixture on it and spread it carefully before it sets.

4.) Put the prepared filling at the centre of this crepe lengthwise. Roll the crepe and let it cook till it turns light brown in colour.

5.) Garnish with the crushed pistachios. Serve it hot or cold.

TIP: You could serve these with a drizzle of condensed milk over it, especially if you did not add any sugar in the crepe-batter.

Try this simple recipe and you’ll surely have some lip-smacking ‘patishaptas’ to eat and offer to the guests too.

July 22, 2014
Feng Shui! Some know-about-it facts!

Wikipedia defines Feng Shui as a Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing the human existence with the surrounding environment. It strikes up a correlation and creates a perfect balance between these elements of nature. The term Feng Shui literally translates into ‘wind-water’ in English. The practice of Feng Shui is one of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, among Chinese Astrology Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny), Divination, Mian Xiang (Face reading) and the science of Chinese Medicine. It explains and discusses architecture along the lines of metaphorical terms of “invisible forces” that bind the universe, earth, and man together, known as Qi. This ancient art based on the principles of mathematics, geology, philosophy, psychology, intuition, astronomy and astrology, draws together an ideal mix of aesthetic and moral ideas. It can help you grow physically, morally, intellectually and spiritually in fields of profession/ career, academics, personal life, health etc.

The principles of Feng Shui have existed for millions of years and can be observed in cultural practices of Taosim, Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism and Vaastu Shastra. As a matter of fact, India and China both lay claim to Feng Shui’s ancestry and origin. Archaeologists have found evidence that date around 5500 years ago to reinforce the presence of Vasstu Shastra (building science). As of present claims, Yangshao (a Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the Yellow River in China) and Hongshan (a Neolithic culture in northeastern China) cultures are said to have evidence of the earliest use of Feng Shui. Astronomy forms the basis of early practices of this ancient art. In 4000 B.C. during the Zhou Era, a constellation called Yingshi (the then Ding) was used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city. A grave at Puyang that contains mosaic which actually is a Chinese star map of the Dragon and Tiger asterisms and the Beidou (the Big Dipper) is oriented along a north south axis. The presence of both round and square designs in the Chinese architecture of these times suggest the presence of gaitian cosmography (the belief that Heaven was round and Earth was in the shape of a square) in the Chinese society and its’ influence on ancient Feng Shui.

The organized body of knowledge of Feng Shui was first studied and practiced in the Tang Dynasty in around 888 A.D. Another exemplary application of Feng Shui was seen during the Han Dynasty (206B.C. to 220A.D.) wherein the expansion of this empire incorporated a multitude of geological zones and climates keeping in mind the principles of Feng Shui. The Great Wall of China was built during 771-476 B.C. keeping in mind the ideas of Feng Shui.

One of the most famous Feng Shui masters is Master Yang Yun Sang, who left a legacy of many classical Feng Shui texts. He is said to be the founder of what is called the Landscape school of Feng Shui. In the nineteenth century AD, Yang Yun Sang collated the first ever physical compilation of Feng Shui principles, systematically describing the characteristics of land and water formations which then became the standard text of the Landscape (or Form) School of Feng Shui. His writings suggest the importance of selecting an auspicious site that has the dragon’s energy or the dragon’s breath and hence emphasizes on careful examination of land formations like hills, mountains, valleys and even water formations. This is because the vital energy or Qi (‘Ch’i) contained in specific parts of the Earth was described as finding the Dragon and it lair. The Form school is the oldest school of Feng Shui.

Almost a century later, another school of thought called the Compass school of Feng Shui became popular. Master Wang Chih was the main influence in this school and he developed his teachings during the Song Dynasty (960 A.D.-1279 A.D.). The ideologies of this school of thought are based on the compass directions and the I-Ching trigrams arranged in the octagonal symbol of the Feng Shui energy map (the Bagua, meaning 8 areas). The Yin-Yang theory and the Theory of Five Elements are some of the other theories that were developed under this school of Feng Shui.

The theory of Yin and Yang in Chinese philosophy indicates how opposite or contrary forces are actually relative and complementary to each other. Yin (the Moon; feminine) and Yang (the Sun; masculine) are the two opposing cosmic forces of nature that interact to form a dynamic environment of existence where the assembled model is greater than the individual constituents. Another basic principle of Feng Shui is the Theory of Five Elements viz. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These elements interact among themselves through processes what are known as the Productive and Destructive cycles. Colours (derivation of Light) are assigned to each elements and they are said to be identified as the expression of each elements. The colour correspondence of each elements is as follows:

WOOD: Green, Brown

FIRE: Red, Strong Yellow, Orange, Purple, Pink

EARTH: Light Yellow, Sandy/Earthy, Light Brown

METAL: White, Gray

WATER: Blue, Black

Some theories also identify the elements with shapes. The correspondence is as follows:

WOOD: Rectangular

FIRE: Triangular

EARTH: Square

METAL: Round

WATER: Wavy

Some other widely popular concepts of Feng Shui are the Lo-Shou square and the Kua number concept to name some. The Kua number concept was used to determine the most auspicious positions or directions based on the persons’ date of birth. The Lo-Shou square is an ancient theoretical and conceptual tool applied by Feng Shui practitioners till date. The square so mentioned is a 3×3 symmetric square with numbers 1-9 written in the unit squares as shown in the diagram below. Among various stories of the origin of this tool, also called the Magic Square, one of them is the most popular. It is said that Emperor Yu was walking along the river Lo, thus lending it the name. Lo Shou Square literally translates into the Scroll of River Lo. This legend dates back to 650 B.C., when the great floods had hit China.A turtle that emerged from the river had an unusual 3 x 3 pattern on its shell. This thus became the core idea of the Lo Shu Square, a mathematical grid where the sum of numbers from each row, column or diagonal is the same and equals 15 in any direction. As we see from the pattern of the numbers the even numbers (representing the Yin energies) are at the 4 corners of the square and with 5 in the centre, the odd numbers (the Yang forces) form a cross. Each number has a specific energy correspondence to it, say for instance, the number 9 carries a strong fire influence while 1 is a water-associated number.

This art has thus influenced Asian architecture for millions of years and has now even reached the West. Some basic Feng Shui tips are:

1.)    Declutter!

If you can get rid of even half the unnecessary stuff in your home and office, it eases the flow of energy in the premises. This is the first step that should compulsorily be followed.

2.)    Avoid working with your back facing a door.

If your desk is positioned in a way that your back has to be towards a door, or if there is no way to alter the position, put a mirror above your desk or a reflective surface on your desk that enables you to see the door in the reflection. This fills the work or study atmosphere with positivity and moral strength and security. Also, it lets you concentrate better.

3.)    Flora Cure!

Plants symbolize culture, growth, freshness and life besides performing an excellent role in air purification. They also beautify the place. No harm in letting the plants grow where you stay. They always do you good!

4.)    Keep the Toilet Seat covered!

The Feng Shui perspective says that a toilet seat is a drain and it lets the good energy in your homes flow away through it. So, keep it covered. There is nothing appealing about an exposed toilet seat!

5.)    Fix what’s broken!

Broken things should not be kept at home or in the office as they would neither serve their purpose nor look good. So, try repairing them or if they are beyond repair, I’d suggest discarding them off and getting them replaced.

July 20, 2014
Maple Syrup: Is It Healthy or Unhealthy for your Body?

Maple syrup is one of the widely used sweeteners today. The manufacturers claim that it is 100 % natural and is in fact far healthier than the regular sugar that we use. They also claim that maple syrup is also better in terms of the nutrition provided to the human body. Believing these claims, people have started to use it in their day to day life without even making any efforts in authenticating if the claims made are genuine or not. Maple syrup is actually manufactured using the sap of the maple trees. These saps are actually sugary fluid which comes out of the maple trees. Its use has been mentioned in various history books making it one of the food items consumed for many centuries now. Currently Canada is the country which produces almost 80 % of the total maple syrup used in the whole world.

There is a two-step process involved in the manufacturing of the maple syrup. Firstly a hole is made in the trunk of the maple tree and the sugary fluid circulating is collected in these holes. Then the next step involves the process in which this syrup is boiled till the water present in it evaporates and sugary syrup which is thick in nature is left behind. Then with the help of the filtration, the impurities present in them are removed. Now depending upon the color of the final syrup obtained, the maple syrup is then classified into Grade A and Grade B. In the Grand A variety, we further have the Light, Medium and Dark Amber category. The Grade B category maple syrup is the darkest syrup obtained and so they have the strongest flavor. This is the reason they are generally used for baking while the Grade A category ones are directly used as the syrup. The darker maple syrup or the Grade B maple syrup is generally manufactured using the sap obtained in the harvesting seasons. It is very important to have prior knowledge before buying the maple syrups from the market. You should select the actual maple syrup and not the flavored maple syrups as they offer more health benefits. Moreover the flavored maple syrup is loaded with the fructose corn syrup or the refined sugar which not only affects your health but also invites various diseases towards your body.

The reason why maple syrup is preferred over the refined sugar is the presence of many essential nutrients, minerals and antioxidants. A fresh and pure 100 grams of maple syrup contains the following minerals. Potassium: 6% of RDA, Zinc: 28% of RDA, Calcium: 7% of RDA, Iron: 7% of RDA and Manganese: 165% of RDA. Further the 100 grams of pure maple syrup also has 67 grams of table sugar. This high percentage of the sugar is not at all appropriate as they can lead you to type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart related diseases. If you go for the maple syrup considering that it has good amount of minerals in it and ignore the sugar content, then it is not a wise step and you need to think again on your decisions. The only other healthy way by which you can get the right quantity of minerals is by eating the real foods as they are not adulterated and are perfectly natural. Choose a balanced diet of both the plants and animals and you will surely be protected against the diseases.

But if you are anyway going to eat the artificial sweeteners then maple syrup is the best option in front of you as they have about 1/3^rd sugar content compared to the refined sugars available these days. Another good thing about the maple syrup is that its glycemic index is 54 which is less than the table sugar and is a good sign. The table sugar has the glycemic index of 65. This low level of glycemic index helps in maintaining the blood sugar level inside the human body. The less the glycemic index, the better it is for your health. Another advantage of using the maple syrup is the presence of the 24 different varieties of the antioxidants. Yes, this is absolutely right. They have 24 varieties of antioxidants. The oxidative damage inside the human body makes it prone to the diseases and also fastens the process of aging. Actually there are some of the unwanted chemical reactions which happen inside the body involving the free radicals that harms you severely and these chemical reactions are called by the name of the oxidative damage. The antioxidants present in the maple syrup helps in neutralizing these free radicals which eventually helps in getting rid of these oxidative damages. The darker maple syrups have more percentage of antioxidants in them than the lighter ones and so you should opt for the darker ones.

The final verdict is that although the maple syrup contains the nutrients and essential antioxidants, it also has the high amount of sugar content in it which is not good for your health. You can call maple syrup as slightly better than the actual sugar. So its use should be limited so that you stay protected. Do not use it regularly as it may harm your health.

July 20, 2014
Foods for weight loss

Loosing weight is not just about sweating it out for hours in the gym, but also about what you eat. Many people do work out regularly but not see any results because they ignore and do not eat the right food. Having unhealthy or junk food can ruin the hard work you put in the gym for hours. If one wants to lose weight then their diet should also be as close to their normal diet as possible, only then will they be able to stick to it. Otherwise one tends to discontinue the diet and does not follow it regularly. New research points to more than a dozen of foods, from beef to beans, that can help you fight hunger, boost your metabolism and can kick your candy addiction.

BEANS–

Versatile, Inexpensive and filling beans are a great source of protein. They are slow to digest and also high in fiber which means you feel full longer, which may help stop you from eating more. You might have probably never heard of cholecystokinin, but it’s one of your best weight-loss pals. They’re just so tasty and hearty, and you will love that they will make you feel satisfied without feeling sluggish. Plus, you will feel like a health champion when you eat them because they’re chock full of nutrients which includes fiber, protein, slow-burning carbs, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Eating beans results in improved blood sugar control and slashed heart disease risk for patients with type 2 diabetes. One study has found that regular bean eaters have a 22 percent lower risk of obesity and smaller waistlines. There’s also some evidence about beans that they keep blood sugar on an even keel, so you can stave off hunger longer. Also High-fiber beans helps you in reducing your cholesterol.

SALAD-

A salad is a simple, diet darling and one of the best ways to get a load of disease-fighting nutrients in one meal and still keep your calories down. However, a mixed green salad can leave your stomach rumbling not long after you put down your fork but they’re packed with lean protein, fiber-filled toppings and the right amount of heart-healthy fat. Studies have shown that those who ate a big and low-calorie salad consumed 12 percent less pasta afterward, even though they were offered as much as they wanted. The secret behind this is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out.

SOUPS-

Eating too many calories will prevent you from losing weight, so the best soups for weight loss are low in calories. Protein slows down the emptying of food from the stomach so that you stay full for longer after your meal than you would after a meal without much protein. Lean proteins are best way for weight loss. It’s better to avoid rich soups that are laden with cream and instead opt for low calorie and low fat choices such as tomato, vegetable, mushroom, chicken and carrot soups. Opting for soup as a starter when you’re eating out whilst trying to lose weight is also a good idea and it may help you to eat less of the main course and filling you up so you don’t have room for the dessert. Most of the readymade soups contain nutrition information per serving on the packaging so use this to help you make sensible choices and remember to add soup into your daily food diary.

OLIVE OIL-

Researchers have suggested that replacing other types of fats with monounsaturated fat, especially olive oil, helps people lose a moderate amount of weight without restriction of additional food or extra physical activity. Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids which promotes heart health by decreasing cholesterol. It also works to prevent inflammation, cancer and may even play a helpful role in weight loss and diabetes. Its taste is delicious and is full of health, good for your heart fats, and it might even help fight off dangerous belly bugs.

GREEN TEA-

Green tea is known as the healthiest beverage on the planet. It is full of antioxidants and various substances that are beneficial for health. In order to burn fat, it must first be broken down in the fat cell and moved into the bloodstream. The active compounds in green tea can aid in this process by boosting the effects of some fat burning hormones. The end result is that the fat cell breaks down more fat, that is released into the bloodstream and becomes available for using it as energy by cells that need it, like muscle cells. Green tea has repeatedly shown increase the burning of fat which is especially during you exercise. Studies have shown that Green tea selectively boosts the burning of fat, which may lead to reduced body fat in the long term.

July 20, 2014
Culture of Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the north-eastern sate of India.Aizawl is the capital city of Mizoram.The name Mizoram is derived from the words “Mi which means people” , “Zo which means hill” and “Ram which means land”.Thus the name itself conveys that it is a land of hill people.It has three bordering states namely Tripura, Assam and Manipur.The state acts as a border for two countries Bangladesh and Myanmar.According to census 2011 the state had a population of about 10,91,014.It is one of the least populous state in the country.It covers an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometer.Before 1987 it is an integral part of Assam.After 1987 it it formed as a 23rd state in India.In Mizoram most of the people are tribal and many of them belong to Christianity.Most of the people took Christianity during 20th century.It is one of the three states in India that is having majority of the people are Christians.People of Mizoram practice shifting cultivation and the crop yields are poor.In recent years, the jhum farming practices are being replaced with horticulture and bamboo products industry.About 20% of the Mizoram’s population lives below poverty line.

Villagers of Mizoram

Geography:

MIzoram consists number of hills and valleys.Being on the hills and valleys all the villages are located on the hills itself.About 21 hills are present with an average height of 1000 meters above the sea level.The highest peak in Mizoram is Phawngpui Tlang with a height of 7,250 feet.Most of the area is covered by forests and only eight percent is land.The sate is having the highest risk of getting earthquakes compared to other parts of India.

Geography of Mizoram villages

Climate:

Mizoram experiences very low temperatures in any season.During summer the temperature ranges from 20 to 29 °C and in winter temperatures ranges from 7 to 22 °C.In monsoons this region experiences heavy rainfall.The average rainfall in Mizoram is about 254 cm in moist tropical to moist sub-tropical regions.Whereas in the capital city Aizawl it is about 215 cm.It is better for the tourists to visit during November to March.

Most of the time the climate is cool

Ethic groups:

Different types of groups and languages can be seen in Mizoram.As most of the people are tribal, they are known as hill men.Bengali’s who had settled in Mizoram during 16th century are called as Kukis.In Mizoram there are many tribes who are further divided into clans.These clans are again are sub divided into sub-clans.

Ethic groups of Mizoram

Languages:

Mizo is the important language widely used by the local people of Mizoram.Along with that English is used in education and other interactions officially.Duhlian dialect was the first language of Mizoram and later it is known as Mizo.It is a mixture of few other languages.The Christian missionaries resided in Mizoram developed the Mizo script.The Writing of this language is a combination of the Roman script and Hunterian transliteration methodology with prominent traces of a phonetics based spelling system.In Mizo there are 25 alphabets they are A, AW, B, CH, D, E, F, G, NG, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, Ṭ, U, V, Z.In this state Hindi is a compulsory subject for all the students up to eighth standard.Besides Mizo Nepali is also spoken by many of the Nepali immigrants in the state.

Religion:

About 87 % of the population in Mizoram are Christians.Among the population of Mizoram, the largest minority is Buddhists.They are followed by Hindus.Apart from them several thousands of people who have converted to Judaism.Muslims in the state are about 1.1% .The remaining 3,000 people in Mizoram state belongs to Sikhs, Jains and other religions.

Mizoram religion wise population

Industries:

In bringing the advancement to the industries Mizoram faces few difficulties.The main drawback for the industries is lack of proper transport.The other problems that are faced by the state are shortage of electricity, capital, telecommunication and export market access. Mizoram is having two industrial estates and one software technology, that is being established in Mizoram university.The state government has acquired 127 acres of land in Khawnuam for development of the Indo-Myanmar border trade township.

There are two industrial sectors in Mizoram

Educational Infrastructure:

The christian missionaries have established the primary school in Aizawl during the year 1898.The state has higher literacy rates than average literacy rates for India.In India Mizoram is having the second highest literacy rate.There were about 3,894 schools in Mizoram.There were many educational institutions establishment under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education.It also includes universities, colleges and other institutions.In the Mizoram university there are 29 undergraduate departments including 2 professional institutions affiliated with the university.

Mizoram university

Traditional festivals:

The traditional festivals in Mizoram are celebrated around various stages of jhum cultivation.In the local language they are call it as Kut.There were many major and minor Kuts such as Chapchar Kut, Thalfavang Kut, Mimi Kut and Pawl Kut.The Chapchar Kut was the festival of spring.Thalfavang Kut was the festival celebrated after the completion of weeding of the jhum crop fields.Mimi Kut was the festival dedicated to ancestors after first maize crop was collected.Pawl Kut is celebrated at the end of harvest i.e., at the start of new year.Later after the Christianity has spread these festivals have slowly vanished.

Traditional festivals of Mizoram

July 20, 2014
Shake It Up!

Are you tired of having the same old glass of milk every morning? So gives mangoes and bananas a break. And explore different fruits, chocolates and ice-creams to zing up your shake.

They will not only keep you refreshed in this hot season, but the addition of other flavorful ingredients will provide you with extra nutrition.

Gone are the days of vitamin pills, tasty shakes have “ totally shaken up” the nutrition!

An ideal food for health conscious, people on the go, shakes can be a wonderful breakfast, lunch or snack. fast, nutritious, and easy to make, shakes are blended drinks made combination of fruits, vegetables, juice, or other liquids, flavored with a variety of thickenings.

As well as improving the sense of your taste buds, your general well being, shakes made from purely fruits and vegetables can have marked benefits. The following is the list of the benefits associated
with having shakes-

1 Higher energy levels

2 Clearer and glowing skin

3 Relieves stress, cold and depression

4 Certain fruit combinations are known to cure ailments

Shake stands are popping up like anything in the country, but these refreshing drinks are a cinch to make at home. It just takes a minute to whip up a smooth concoction of succulent blackberries, smooth blueberries, chilled grape juice, and a rich vanilla yogurt. Or to savor a juicy mango combined with ambrosial buttermilk, zesty fresh ginger and tart lime juice. Shakes are bursting with tempting suggestions for adventurous mixture of fruits, sorbets, soy milk, yogurt, flavorings, and other deliciously healthful ingredients zinging up with energy.

From berries to nut, here are some quick and fun ideas to instantly jazz up that drink-

Blueberry Bliss –

A. 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

B. 1/2 cup vanilla ice-cream

C. 1/4 cup milk

D. 1 tsp maple syrup

Mix all the ingredients i.e. Blueberries, vanilla ice cream and milk in a blender until smooth. add more milk if necessary, to reach the desired consistency. Served it chilled. Drink and enjoy!

Strawberry Storm –

A. 1/2 liter milk

B. 1 cup fresh strawberries

C. 1 tbsp sugar

D. 1 scoop strawberry ice-cream

E. 5 strawberries for garnish

Chop the strawberries in small pieces. Blend them with sugar in blender. Add milk and blend it until you get a frothy and smooth texture. Serve chilled with a freshly cut strawberries and a scoop of strawberry ice-cream.

Jamun shake –

A. 60 ml Colorado rose honey

B. Unsweetened double cream

C. Pecan nuts

D. 2 tbsp sugar

E. Crushed ice

F. 1 cup jamun, with seeds removed

G. Mascarpone cheese

Make caramel, with sugar and water. Add pecan nuts to it and keep it aside. Mix Colorado rose honey, double cheese, mascarpone cheese ( or any other cream cheese) and seedless jamun, crushed ice in a shaker and blend it. Pour in a tall glass and add some caramelized pecans on top. Serve it chilled.

Choco- whipped shake-

A. 1/2 liter cold milk

B. 2 scoops of chocolate ice- cream

C. 5 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder

D. 2 bars of dark chocolate

E. Crushed ice

F. 4-5 tbsp of whipped cream

Break the chocolate bars into pieces. Blend milk, cocoa powder in a blender for a few seconds. Add chocolate ice cream and crushed ice, and blend it again for a few more seconds. Sprinkle the broken chocolate pieces and add whipped cream on top. Serve it chilled.

Black sesame touille shake –

A. 10 gm lavender

B. 50 gm yogurt

C. 50 gm Philadelphia

D. 5 gm black sesame

E. 20 gm walnut

F. 5 gm basil

G. 50 ml toned milk

H. 20 gm brown sugar

I. A few gold leaves

J. Crushed ice

Strain the yogurt and keep the whey in a bowl. Make sesame touille by roasting sesame seeds in a dry non stick pan, add walnut and basil and make a paste in a blender.

Add yogurt, toned milk and lavender flower. Whip it with sugar and crushed ice. Top the shake with whey, and serve chilled with 24 K gold leaves on top.

Tips for top shakes-

1. Make sure that the shake is chilled/cold when served.

2. Shakes are made for drinking immediately, their nutritional value decreases the longer they are kept or exposed to air. Some fruits and vegetable shakes tend to separate quickly, if kept longer. Make sure not to store the shakes for more than 1 day.

3. Shakes that are too tart, can be sweetened with a little clear honey.

4. If your shake is too thick, add water to make it thin. If it is too thin, add yogurt for extra body to make it thick.

5. Frozen fruits work well for shakes.

6. Make sure that you don’t use too many ingredients in a single shake recipe, as this would mask the original flavor of the drink.

7. Freezed fruits in ice cube trays, and adding the fruit ice cubes to add additional flavor to your

8. Take care when mixing fruit and apple flavors together, some of these mixtures can cause bloating. But exception to this is carrot and apple, which are very good mixtures for shakes in themselves.

July 20, 2014