Tag: eat

While Dieting,You Eat!!

With the spurt in the number of Mcdonalds and Dominoz all around the country, seldom it is that we find kids and adults alike whom we can term as perfect specimens of the human anatomy. Cheaper and cheaper burgers and fries combos and the easy accessibility of everything unhealthy is taking this Aryan civilization faster to its unhealthy end than we can possibly imagine.And some who are aware of this gradually surmounting epidemic of obesity turn themselves to starving, or dieting as they more fashionably call it.

And this is where most of them go wrong. If you out the word dieting on google and search for its meaning, the first result it shows is: Restrict oneself to small amounts in order to lose weight” But this is wrong in its most fundamental sense. Living beings need energy to work, breathe and live. And unlike Jaadu(from Koi Mil Gaya) our energy does not directly come from sunlight.We humans, have to have food in order to survive. So, starving, fasting and skipping meals is out of bounds. What we will do today is, get a new regime started for those who are willing to exchange flab with muscle and diseases with health.

First of all, forget everything that you ever ate anything and that you had a diet schedule planned. Here, we all start afresh. Just like infants do.

Secondly, many might have said or suggested to you; plan your meals ahead of time. Forget it. Because, food can’t be quantified beforehand. Suppose you worked out a little extra today, won’t you need an extra glass of milk to balance the energy that you’ve lost? So, never plan your eating. Eat, whatever your heart wants, but from the list that we decide here for ourselves only. Now we begin by clearing off all the things that are clichéd and everyone tells you about them. You should eat loads of fruit they provide vitamins, drink lots of water: gives you roughage, gorge on soups: healthy for your body and all that. But doesn’t everybody know this list by heart by now? So, we come down to those Indian dishes that you can prepare in your kitchen while hunger strikes. Let’s start with dinner.

Idli Sambhar:

A blast for the tongue from the South of India and easy on your belly too. This dish makes it to the top of our list of the Indian foods for dieters. Each idli contains just 39 calories, which is a minimal amount in comparison to a healthy 2,000-calorie daily diet. . Idlis contain no fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. Consuming less than 16 grams of saturated fat and 300 milligrams of cholesterol lessens your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

DHOKLA:

Going in the reverse order from dinner to breakfast, its time for your evening snack. And what better than dhokla to freshen you up and lighten you at the same time. Yes, it is chiefly made up of Dal and Rice, but don’t cringe as otherwise you would have been gormandizing on chips or samosas for sure. But remember, Dhokla is low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol, low in sodium, high in dietary fiber and high in vitamin A and C. And for us dieters, low fat is all that matters, right people?

SPROUTS AND RAITA:

To your lunch, let’s start by having some Raita, what say? Now, raita as you all know is made by adding fruits, vegetables or any other thing to beaten yoghurt. And the best part is that one serving includes just 60 calories. To the beaten curd one can add grated bottle gourd or some fruits. But if you are in the mood for some crunch, you can very well add Boondi to it. Boondi, is fried, yes. But a handful of pea sized boondis will do your diet no harm.

With Raita, you can have sprouts as the main course and feel a bit Pseudo-European. Keep the pulses in water overnight and in the morning add a bit of lemon, some spices, some cucumber and your lunch is ready in a jiffy.

OATS AND DALIYA:

Now, one thing with which we should agree with the hackneyers is that, breakfast should be heavy. And the dieticians have logic and Science backing them too. According to some studies if we consume more calories at breakfast and very less at dinner, this will help you lose weight quicker because if you eat a larger breakfast it will give a kick start to your metabolism and plus you won’t feel all drained and sleepy in that history class of yours. Plus more calories in the breakfast gives you more time in the day to burn them off. For breakfast why don’t we have something milk based, like oats? Well oats take two minutes to cook and trust me, you won’t be able to eat more than one and half cups of it. And hey, no adding sugar at your mom’s back, OK?

Other than oats, you can also have Daliya in the morning. Daliya or Bulgur wheat in Angrezi, is a very light and healthy option for breakfast. Daliya is an excellent source of fiber that keeps you feeling full and also helps to maintain a healthy digestive system. And just like oats, daliya can be either milk based or oil and vegetable based. Now, a little oil isn’t harmful for your body and don’t cringe if once in a blue moon you are fed up of having only milk based diet for your mornings. So, here we are with a very basic diet plan for you to follow and with just one mantra at the end. Never starve yourself, Never. You need food to live. So, just give it a healthy twist and keep eating ( or dieting, whatever you like to call it! ).

January 8, 2015
What makes Delhi, Dilli – 2

In the last tour de Delhi, we hopped onto some of the binges of Delhi, how the love affair of the nation started with Delhi, the great repertoire of Architectural marvels in Delhi and a touched the tip of the iceberg as to what makes you melt with love, when you hear the word Delhi. Today, we explore more.

The Bedmi and Nagori:

One relatively less known delicacy but nevertheless enjoyed to its zenith by the few loyal customers, the bedmi is a variety of Khasta Kachori smaller in size and more khasta by all means. This is what one could call the Kachori’s younger cousin. Filled in the epicentre with Semolina, carom seeds and grated peas, this delicacy melts in your mouth. Served along with our beloved aloo ki sabzi and halwa, you might have an oddity treat and might as well try mixing the two side dishes (The halwa and the aloo ki sabzi). This queer combination will make you reminiscent of the sweet and sour soup gone terribly wrong, but it’s a taste nevertheless. The Nagori is the youngest of the brood of Kachoris and more closely resembles the papadi that you get at a chaat stall. This also served along with aloo ki sabzi and halwa will give you plentiful of energy (And not to mention a truckload of calories) to roam the rest of Chandni Chowk with me.

The Punjabi Diaspora:

Delhi is borderline Punjab. Geographically and literally. Once you enter Delhi, you’ll see an equal number of turbans as you will see bare heads. That because, there was a huge exodus from the Punjab region during Delhi’s early industrialization days and also during the Punjab conflict periods. Thus there’s a mini Punjab residing in Delhi. And with their amazing good humor and tantalizing cuisines come along the mighty and revered Gurudwaras. Gurudwaras are the worship place for Sikhs. Here Sikhs spend quite a lot of time serving other people as they faithfully believe in the quote “ Service to mankind is Service to God.” There are a plenty of Gurudwaras in and around Delhi and the best part of visiting them is the tasteful ‘Langar’. Langar is the lunch that is served in Gurudwaras to everyone who visits them. Large langars are organized where people sit on elongated jute mats on the floor and eat out of leaf plates. The langar, anywhere, in any gurudwara is something to be DEFINITELY had if you ever get the lucky chance to visit Delhi. Daal is a must in every Langar. Along with it Halwa, aloo ki sabzi and poori make your lunch hearty and eventful. There are two large Gurudwaras in Delhi to which people flog on from places far and beyond. These are The SeesGanj Sahib and The Bangla Sahib. Both are lakes of tranquillity and you will feel emancipated from all your worries and ill humoured feelings, once you enter the complex. Visit these if you are looking for serenity and a meal full of love and affection.

Kareem’s and Khan Chacha:

Chicken = Kareem’s. Kareem’s = Chicken.

Chicken = Khan Chacha. Khan Chacha = Chicken.

Kareem’s = Chicken = Khan Chacha.

One’s trip to Delhi will be wasteful, if he goes to Delhi but does not visit any of the above mentioned place. Both these places have been established in Delhi for the last 100 years or so and have been constantly providing the people of Delhi with an indispensable service ever since. The service of good food. Or more specifically, the service of Great Chicken. Khan Chacha and Kareem’s both are known for their Mughal style Chicken which they both offer in Chandni Chowk. The shop is tiny but the crowd of buyers: mammoth. Both of them provide exceptional Tandoori Chicken and Kebabs. Their extraordinary skills lie in providing with dry chicken variety. They specialize in Seekh kebab, Shammi kebab, mutton burra kebab, mutton stew and the rann (goat’s leg). These leave you with the exact smoky flavour that should be left after having a tandoori meal and also bestows upon you the feel of the grill.

Connaught Place:

What makes Delhi, Dilli you ask. One of the reasons of Delhi’s uniqueness is Connaught Place. Two British Built market places in circular shape around a gigantic park in between. Sounds confusing? Well, it is. But in earnest Connaught Place is one stop destination for all the top notch brands anywhere in the world. Until one hasn’t a shop in Connaught Place, he/she is too amateur to go global. A beautiful set of buildings all dressed up in white just like a catholic wife-to-be in circular shape mark the inner circle and the outer circle. A market place to take a stroll ith your friends or go bridal shopping; A day to enjoy Delhi in one glance and a hurried shopping session; everything happens at Connaught Place.

‘THE’ Palika Bazaar:

Ever heard of an underground market place? Palika is one. No, it is not underground as in illegal, it is underground as in, it is literally 400 bunch of shops UNDER-the –GROUND. Remember how the Connought Place is circled around a gigantic park? Well this is a market place under that gigantic park. Palika is every women’s dream destination. Because you get the best of fashion labels at throw away prices. Loads of accessories, clothing, body tattoo shops throng the Palika. Men, don’t be disappointed. There’s something for you too, down there. Palika has men’s fashion outlets too, but more amazingly it has an entire bunch of shops that sell cheap China built Electronics gadgetry. So, next time you want a pen camera or a big grizzly transforming car, you can always go to the underground market.

So, we made a tiny bit of progress in learning about Delhi. But don’t get tired yet, there’s more of Delhi to come.. Stay tuned.

December 30, 2014
My experiments with food (And truth too!)
India truly is one big piece of land. And on this big piece of land you encounter an eclectic mix of geographies and topologies. And on these array of different land designs, you come and meet very different people. People who practice different religions, wear very dissimilar clothes and practice varied traditions. And in all these differences lies one major difference, the different of cuisine. Just like we have over 700 gods and deities, I guess we must also have a similar number of different cuisines. But in all those differences they have one similarity. The trait of experimentation.

No person who calls himself a religious foodie can never withstand a zeal for experimenting with food. Whether it is Milk and coca cola or Raajma with aloo bhujia; the tempt of experimenting is too great to be countered off. Hence we traipse to various parts of the country to look out for some experiments gone successful.

The Chola Kulcha burger:

Down the alleys and labyrinthine roads of a little known town in Punjab called Naabha, you will see gazillion of stalls selling this odd delicacy. Most people have had a taste of Chola-Kulcha in their life at some point or the other. This treat is in exactitude, same as the former, but a different form and slight delicious top ups give it the oomph factor that makes it feature in our list here.
- Take two kulchas. Warm the boiled cholas and the kulchas.
- Add a little bit of paneer and boiled mashed potatoes to the chola mix.
- Now to the warm kulchas, add a dollop of butter and the samosa chutneys. The red one is mandatory, the chili sauce, add according to your taste. Keep the kulchas on the fry pan and add the chola mix in between the two kulchas. Voila! Your Chola Kulcha burger is ready to be savored.
The Bhujia soup:

Now, this treat had me baffled at first but left me craving for more later.

There are places not so famous and not so hip in our country. Guduvanchery in Kancheepuram District (Chennai) is one such place. It is a sleepy village but with a huge local market. And in that market somewhere deep down, you may get lucky and get a chance to savor this orgasmic delight.

The ingredients seem simple enough (Some namkeen + Some soup! Done!) But the trick lies not in the ingredients but the way those final ingredients are prepared. Neither the Bhujia is from Haldiram’s nor is the soup made from ready to eat packets. The Namkeens are homemade yet world class. For rookie foodies who try to differentiate between the two it will be in vain. But the oils from the namkeen and the spice mix in them scream homemade from top of their lungs. The namkeens are just not aloo bhujiia or khatta meetha. There’s a spectrum of namkeens of different sizes and different flavors available to choose from.

But when in Home, do as the homies do. At your home, you can definitely use the knorr ready to eat and the aloo bhujia lying in the cup board waiting for guests to arrive at you home.

The Samsiya:

Yes, the root of the words are the same but these are slightly different foods to be had. While the samosa is filled with aloo mix, the samsiya is filled with fried onions. And in front of the samsiya, samosas seem gigantic. So, there should be no doubt if you find tiny samosas being sold 4 for Rs. 10 outside the Chennai railway Station. There’s one more wild twist in the tale of samsiya. Along with samsiya, you will never see your traditional imli and chili chutneys. The samsiya is served along with Coconut chutney. Just like idli is, just like vada and dosa are. This gives a good-humored taste to the dish. Not spicy enough, not tangy enough but yes unique in its own sense.

The Chola Pani puri:

All of you might have eaten our favorite street food: The pani puri. But you are in for a surprise when you visit a chat stall anywhere south of Maharashtra. While visiting a chaat stall, forget that you have ever eaten pani-puri before. This will be a whole new dish you will taste. Sure, the puri is the same shape as in our north and everywhere but everything else is different. The filling in the puri is not mashed potatoes but hot boiled mattar. You know the green balls that you threw out of your rice as kids, that one. Also, the filling is not dry, there is thickened water along with the hot mattar. Next, the tangy paani which was as delicious as it was healthy. Want a tip? Forget that paani. Here the paani is devoid of any and every bit of zippy taste that you went to the chaat stalls for. The paani is hot (again) and very straight in taste. Just imagine yourself having a mild soup for the paani. And thus our beloved paani puri becomes, some hot dinner dish making you feel fuller instead of easing up your stomach.

The vodka Paani puri:

Are all the liquor fans up yet? *Sees left to right* Great! Now, this experiment is what you expect by its name. Instead of paani you get vodka shots filled gol gappas. Now no need for another appetizer huh? This is only offered at ‘Punjabi by nature’, a restaurant chain in the National capital and surrounding areas. The vodkas all come in different flavours, but I am sure you will not want to try out bubble gum flavored vodka with your puri.

So, from all around this great country of ours, we brought you some of the quirky, queer yet magnificently delectable experiments to tease you taste buds with. Try out all or some of these if you are in the neighbourhood, and get your tongue out of its routine. And do write some of your own experiments down in the comments section. Till our next journey around India, keep tasting.
December 30, 2014
A Platter of Vegetarian Kebabs
Originating in the coastal countries of the eastern Mediterranean area, kebab is a versatile dish made by roasting and grilling pieces of meat, fish, and vegetables, over a skewer or a spit. The dish quickly spread in popularity and consumption throughout the nations of the Middle East, and then central Asia. The kebab traces its historic roots to before the 17^th century B.C., and even the ancient Greek poet Homer mentions an erstwhile archaic dish resembling the same, and enjoyed all over his country in his works. However, a Turkish script by Kyssa-i Yusuf which dates back to around 1377, first properly mentions the culinary concept of the word, which is derived from the Persian language, and literally means “fry”, and sometimes “fry and burn”. Legend has it that the kebab was invented by medieval Persian soldiers who grilled meat on their swords over open-air fires in the battlefield. It quickly gained favour of both the classes and the masses, being served as the royal fare in various Islamic states over the ages, and as a much sought after and easily accessible snack or main course dish for many commoners, and the trend continues even today.

Although lamb is the traditional choice of meat for making the kebab, there are many variants available in different meats and vegetables all over India due to religious constraints and direct or indirect dietary restrictions. Indian kebabs, whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, have a unique and popular flavour of their own, owing to the wide spectrum of masalas (spices) and herbs native to the subcontinent. Apart from the numerous Indian innovations in the art of kebab making, the sheesh, shammi, tikka, and shawarma, original types of kebabs are also available everywhere, and can be found easily in small roadside eating joints as well as in top notch restaurants and hotels. The cities of Lucknow and Hyderabad are famous all over the country, owing to their thousands of decades-old, local eateries and food establishments which sell different types of primarily meat kebabs, ranging from tunday to kalmi and tangdi to reshmi, and have thus contributed a lot to culture, food, tourism, and economy.

While you can get non-vegetarian kebabs from anywhere, the vegetarian types are a rarity to find outside one’s house, and they are generally overpriced in the restaurants they are available in. Vegetarian kebabs can be easily made at home, with simple ingredients, and less elaborate methods than their non-vegetarian counterparts. This article will provide you with three novel recipes, all made wonderfully by my favourite chef in the world, my grandmother, for these lesser known variants, namely, shalgam ke kebab, kela chane kebab, and chukandar ke kebab.

Shalgam ke Kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 7-8 bulbs of turnips
- 2 tablespoons of roasted besan (gram flour)
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- 2 medium sized boiled potatoes
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Thoroughly wash the turnip bulbs, and then carefully peel their outer skins off.
- Put the skinned turnips in a pressure cooker and steam thoroughly.
- Once the turnips cool down, mash them and drain out the excess water.
- Mash the boiled potatoes and mix them with the turnips. Add coriander, chilli, ginger, and onion to the mixture and be careful to make it consistent with dough.
- Add garam masala and salt accordingly.
- Make small balls of the prepared dough and flatten it into small cutlets or flattened disc shaped portions.
- Shallow fry on a tawa (pan) until the kebabs are thoroughly cooked and are a rich golden-brown in colour.
- Top with sprigs of coriander and rings of onion. Serve hot, with a chutney of your choice.
Kela Chane ke Kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 5 clean green unripe bananas
- 1 bowl of soaked chana dal (gram beans)
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Make sure to wash the bananas thoroughly with fresh water before beginning. Once they are clean, steam them in a pressure cooker with their skins intact.
- Steam the dal separately to a soft consistency.
- Once both ingredients cool down, peel the bananas, and mash together with the dal to make a dough.
- Add garam masala and salt. You can also add other spices such as red chilli powder if you prefer.
- Shallow fry on a pan.
- Garnish with sprigs of coriander, and serve with onions and chutney.
Chukandar ke kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 7-8 beetroots
- 2 tablespoons of roasted besan (gram flour)
- 2 boiled potatoes
- 250 grams of paneer
- A few whole clean leaves of cabbage
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Steam the beetroots thoroughly after cleaning them.
- Mash the beetroots to a dough-like consistency. If necessary, add a little bit of boiled potatoes as well. Add roasted besan to this mix.
- In a separate bowl, mash potatoes and mix them with paneer chunks.
- Add coriander, chilli, ginger, and onion to the beetroot dough.
- Make miniature balls of the paneer and potato mix after adding salt and garam masala to it.
- Wrap them in a leaf of cabbage.
- Encase this in an even layer of beetroot dough. Make it firm with more besan if required.
- Shallow fry on a pan until the kebabs are thoroughly cooked.
- Cut the kebabs open from the centre, top with coriander, and serve hot with chutney.
December 27, 2014
CHIA SEEDS. Have you tried it?

I know you have heard of it. Now, it has become very popular because of its super awesome health benefits. Yes, I’m talking about- The Chia Seeds. They have being regarded as the healthiest food on planet, loaded with all the essential nutrients. The fuzzy green novelty item, very tiny items are what chia seeds are. Nowadays, they have become all the more famous and is becoming better known because they are a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fibre and they are quite an easy food to include in your daily diet. Salvia Hispanica, being scientific name and called as chia, commonly, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family and are native to central and Southern Mexico and Guatemala. History suggests that in 16^th century, it was very important food for Aztecs. Now, chia is grown commercially and are typically small, oval, tiny seeds. According to USDA, a 1 ounce, i.e. 28 grams serving of chia contains, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 5 miligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber, 27% phosphorus, 30% manganese. The nutrient values in Chia, as mentioned are similar to other edible seeds, as flax or sesame. Chia seeds are recommended to be added in your diet and these can be added to other foods as a topping in your breakfast cereal, smoothie, energy bars, yoghurt, sprinkled whole on top of salads or can be added on icecream or just consume it raw. As these seeds are tasteless, they hardly affect the flavor of your food, when added. Just have some and get ultimate benefits.

Read on and you will know how chia seeds have become elixir for life and give so many benefits to your body and maintains your health. I can bet, you will be amazed.

Low in Calories: Chia seeds, being full of nutrition, has very low calorie content. This is such an added bonus which helps in decreasing belly fat. So, if youe exercise daily and are eating chia also, alongwith, this can prove excellent in getting a perfect shape of body. Chia’s stabilizing effect on blood sugar also fights the insulin resistance which is responsible for belly fat and this type of resistance is harmful for your health. So, if you are concerned abput your belly fat, go start consuming chia seeds.

High in Antioxidants: Chia seeds also shine in the area of Antioxidants and this is well known that consuming antioxidant rich food can have ultimate positive effects on health. Chia seeds, being high in antioxidants help to protect delicate fats in the seeds. Most importantly, antioxidants fight in the production of free radicals, which contribute in aging and diseases like cancer. This is remarkable as chia seeds have an ability to fight such deadly diseases.

More Fiber: They have loads of fiber. This is clear from the nutritional information above, that just one ounce contains 11 grams of fiber, which is about a third of the recommended daily intake of adults. Moreover, almost all the carbohydrates in the chia are fiber. Because of this fiber, it gives them ability to absorb 10-12 times their weight in water, Chia are low carb- friendly food, and are 40% fiber, by weight, which makes them best sources of fiber in the world. This great content of fiber in chia seeds have excellent beneficial effects on health.

Stock of Omega-3: Chia seeds are fully packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, like flax, which is nearly 5 grams in one ounce of serving. Isn’t that a good stock in such tiny items. The Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for brain health. However, humans are not good in converting this into DHA, and there’s better conversion of omega 3s into plasmas than with flax.

Improves Heart Health: Chia seeds have been shown to increase Healthy cholesterol, thereby balancing blood pressure and lowering LDL and triglyceride cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Also, as they are high in fiber, protein, omega 3s and antioxidants, they are very well source of heart healthy nutrients thus maintain overall heart health.

Combats Diabetes: For diabetic patients, it’s a good news that chia seeds can improve blood sugar levels and combats diabetes. The study shows that in type 2 diabetic patients, chia seeds can significantly lower blood pressure and diabetes.

Strong Teeth and bones: Chia seeds have many nutrients which are important for bone health. As one ounce serving of chia contains 18% of the daily recommended intake of calcium and has phosphorus, manganese also in good amounts. All of these are really essential for bone health and strong teeth and are an excellent source of calcium for those who don’t eat diary products.

Makes you feel Full. Faster: Chia seeds are incredibly easy to incorporate it in your diet and adding chia seeds in your daily recipes will dramatically improve the nutritional value. Also, tryptophane, an amino acid, found in chai seeds help regulate appetite, sleep and improves mood. So, eating it with your regular foods incur you so many benefits.

So, as now, you know so much about chia, go get some from your grocery store and continue reading and eating them. Don’t be fooled by their size, these tiny items are a powerful nutrition punch. Chia seeds are one of those you shouldn’t to miss to have.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

September 14, 2014
Chutneys are Yummy! Part 1
Often while having food, you find that the dish lacks a certain punch. A flavor so to speak. You wonder how to solve this problem. Well, worry no longer. There is a solution at hand which will leave your taste buds tingling in the process. What can that be you ask? One word we say in reply. Chutneys!

Chutney (also translated as chatney or chatni) is a family of condiments mainly associated with South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spice(s), vegetable(s), and/or fruit(s). Chutneys may be either wet or dry, and can have a coarse or fine texture. There are various types of chutneys.

The name “chutney” covers a wide variety of foodstuffs. The common element which makes them all “chutneys” is that they are added to meals to add flavor; the best English “translation” of “chutney” is “relish”. As such, they can be, and are, eaten with a wide variety of foods.

The word “chutney” is derived from the Sanskrit word caṭnī, meaning to lick. The first chutneys in India would have been sticky fruit based preserves. Sugar, although available in India, was not widely cultivated and honey would have been used to sweeten dishes, this leading to the chutneys being used as more of a dipping sauce rather than a condiment. It is written differently in several North Indian and South Indian languages.

Let’s have a look at some popular Indian chutney recipes!
- Peanut Chutney:
Peanut Chutney, a versatile and easy-to-make spicy chutney, is a must-have accompaniment in South Indian cuisine. It can be of two types, wet and dry. This recipe is for making wet peanut chutney for Dosa and Idli, and it can be used either as spread or as an accompaniment.
- Ingredients:
1) 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, skin removed.
2) 3 garlic cloves.
3) 1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste.
4) 4 dry red chillis.
5) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds.
6) 4-5 curry leaves.
7) 2 teaspoons oil.
8) 1/2 cup water.
9) Salt to taste.
- Directions:
1) Put the roasted peanuts, garlic, 3 dry red chillis, tamarind paste and salt in the chutney jar of the grinder.
2) Grind them together till a medium coarse powder.
3) Add 1/2 cup water to the mixture, and grind again until a smooth paste is formed. Transfer the paste to a serving bowl, and proceed to prepare tempering.
4) Heat oil in a small pan. Break 1 dry red chilli into two pieces. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add curry leaves and the remaining 1 dry red chilli. Sauté for 10 seconds and turn off the flame.
5) Pour the tempering over the prepared chutney paste. Peanut chutney is now ready to be served along with steamed Idli and Dosa!
- Tips:
1) If roasted peanuts are not available, then you can dry roast them over low flame in a heavy based pan for 7-8 minutes. Let them cool for 3-4 minutes and remove the skin.
2) Increase or decrease the amount of red chillis to make more or less spicy respectively.
3) You can avoid topping it up with mustard seeds tempering if you are going use it only for making Dosa.
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes.
- Cooking Time: 2 minutes.
- Servings: 2.
- Coconut Chutney:
Making South Indian Coconut Chutney for Dosa and Idli is very simple. Just blend fresh coconut with chillis, curd and ginger, and mix tempered mustard seeds. However, the real taste differentiators in this recipe are roasted chana dal, tamarind paste, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Follow this recipe and discover how good the chutney tastes. But yes, don’t blame us if you get addicted to it!
- Ingredients:
1) 1 cup roughly chopped fresh coconut.
2) 1 teaspoon grated ginger.
3) 2 green chillis, chopped.
4) 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal.
5) 1 tablespoon curd.
6) 1 teaspoon lemon juice or tamarind paste.
7) 1/2 cup water.
8) Salt to taste.
- For Tempering:
1) 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
2) 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds.
3) 4-5 curry leaves.
4) 1 dry red chilli.
5) 1 teaspoon oil.
- Directions:
1) Take chopped coconut in a small chutney jar of the food processor or grinder.
2) Grind it to make a medium coarse paste and transfer on to a plate.
3) Add green chillis, roasted chana dal and ginger to the same chutney jar.
4) Grind mixture to a smooth powder.
5) Add crushed coconut, curd, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 cup water.
6) Grind them to make a medium coarse paste. If required, add more water to get the desired consistency of chutney and grind again. Transfer to a bowl.
7) Heat oil in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add cumin seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves and sauté for 10 seconds.
8) Take the pan away from flame and immediately pour tempering over the prepared coconut paste. Mix well. Delicious Coconut Chutney for Idli and Dosa is now ready to serve!
- Tips:
1) Adjust quantity of water accordingly to make it thick or diluted.
2) Avoid the addition of green chillis while making coconut paste, and avoid dry red chillis in tempering while making white Coconut Chutney.
3) Consume fresh chutney immediately or refrigerate it, and use it for up to 3 days.
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes.
- Cooking Time: 2 minutes.
- •Servings: 6.
Watch this space for recipes of more mouth-watering chutney recipes. Coming soon!
September 14, 2014
4 things that make Gol Gappe the best

Gol gappe belong to the Indian family of street food which is found in almost every corner of a city. Gol gappe, which is the plural of gol gappa, are fried, hollow puris that are stuffed with boiled chick peas and potatoes and toppeed with some tamarind chutney and filled with flavoured water that has generous concentration of mint and some spices. Gol gappe are best had at a roadside vendor. Now, if you are going to lecture us on hygiene and health, let me just say, take a chill pill! Life is all about relaxation and enjoyment. We all definitely have eaten weirdest things on the earth which were not even edible, when we were little babies. Did we die? No, I do not think so. And come on, won’t it be a matter of pride to have “died of eating gol gappe” on your tombstone? Jokes apart, there are a great number of reasons that you should be aware of to put off that (facade of) hesitation that has gripped you. In this list, we have tried to point out some of these reasons why you should absolutely go and have a gol gappa, right away!

1. The Taste

Gol gappe have a crunchy texture to them. The hollow, fried balls are crispy and gel completely in fabulous way with the gooey filling inside. The flavoured water, fondly and simply called “pani”, takes the flavour of gol gappe to an entirely different level. The pani has a spicy and refreshing touch to it, which makes it a delight to have in any weather. Talking about the weather, it is monsoon presently and having a mouth full of gol gappa and rain drops on face is just the dream and beats almost everything in the world. It is said that little things do wonders and the humble chutney that goes into the preparation of a gol gappa defines the same, like a boss. The tangy taste of the chutney blends smoothly with the pani, adding an element of sweet to the spicy, making the gol gappa a snack to die for.

2. The Price

In today’s world, when the prices for a meagre cellular phone have crossed over fifty grands, we know that we are in a soup, a financial soup. We are living in an age where living by the budget is more important than living by the holy scripture. Inflation has been on an ever increasing rise since almost forever, so it seems now. It only makes sense to know of a great food item that does not burn a hole in your pocket and is as cheap as meagre Rs. 20! Having something to eat at such low cost is surely a great booster. the brilliant taste that one gets at such brilliant price advocates having gol gappe to a great extent. it is an awesome street food option and one of the very few ones which have stuck to the notion of being street food with respect to cost factor.

3. The Fun

The ideal and traditional way in which a plate of gol gappe is had is one where the gol gappa chef hands over a single piece to the customer, at a time and waits patiently until he/she finishes his/her huge bite. This old school way of having gol gappe cannot be matched by anything else. In addition to this, there are some more fun elements attached to eating a gol gappa and that is the way it is supposed to be had. You have to take it in, in one single go. Do not even think about taking half a gol gappa in one bite and the ither half in another. This is just as absurd as it could get and no to pleasing to watch, too. Gol gappe are of two varieties, one is made up of sooji and the other one is made up of atta. One reaches the zenith of fun while having a gol gappa that is made of atta because of the huge size that it has. Having an atta gol gappa in one go is a feat that everyone wants to accomplish and with a little bit of practice, can be, too.

4. The Perks

When you were a kid, you must have gone all crazy about the tazos that you could get with a packet of Lay’s chips. Now, when you are a grown up, you must be going crazy about the 30% extra discount that you get at your favourite showroom because of the platinum card that you possess. In both of these situations, the fact remains that we all like having something extra. Having perks alonside the main product/service is a privilege that everybody loves. Now, when you are eating a gol gappa, you have the perks of asking for some more pani because you know that it is never enough. Its spicy flavour would make you sweat like a pig but who cares! Why? Because another perk comes to your rescue in that situation. It is the privilege of asking for an extra papdi from the vendor and he happily gives it away. Try doing something like that at your high-end restaurant and you will be given the stare of your life. So, gol gappe come with some sweet, little perks that you must enjoy. After all, little things make you feel special in a way that is really sweet.

So, what are you waiting for? Go, ask that bhaiya to give you a full plate of gol gappe and rejoice!

July 30, 2014
Why AVOCADOS are Healthiest of all foods.

Avocados. Are. Really. Healthy. Do you know that? If you have eaten it, you have definitely experienced its benefits, but if you don’t consume it, maybe you doubt its perks. The Avocado, not so common in India is very renowned and beneficial fruit, healthiest of all. It has proven benefits and is loved all over the world and is consumed with all the consciousness. Avocado, also known as Alligator pear are commercially valuable and cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. Although it is techmically a fruit, this mild-flavored avocado is also used as a vegetable. It is also sometimes known as butter pear beacause of its saccharine flesh and its textured skin. Native to Mexico and Central America, there are 4 main varieties of avocado; Hass (considered to be best and used often), which has dark, greenish skin, Ettinger which is pear shaped, smooth skinned, Fuerte and Nabal which is spherical. This fruit is highly nutritious, containing Vitamin E, potassium, iron and niacin and gives nutrition to the body in a great way. It has excess of 25 essential nutrients including Vitamin A, B, C,K and also contain fiber, protein and other beneficial phytochemicals such as glutathione, lutein, betasitosterol, which protects our body against many diseases. It is available all year round in grocery stores and veggie and fruits area of your locality and Its best to keep it in fridge once ripe to maintain its freshness. If you have to decide about choosing the best avocados, go for an unblemished skin, not too soft but gives flesh when squeezed gently and if you buy hard ones , it can be ripen quickly by putting them in brown paper with a banana, out of the fridge.

The preparation of avocado and eating it easy. Just run the small, sharp knife all the way around avocado from top to bottom. To remove the stone out of avocado, ease it out with the spoon, firmly and lever out. The flesh of avocado discolours rapidly when exposed to air, so brush it with lemon juice, if you are not going to eat it straightway. Though Avocados are best used Raw, not cooked, yet there are many recipes with avocado and is even used as vegetables sometimes. You can mash it with tomatoes, garlic, chillies to make the classic Mexican dip, guacamole or you can even slice it thinly with tomato and mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil to make an Italian Salad. Or enjoy it as you like.

The Mayan Indians have a popular saying,”Where avocados grow, hunger or malnutrition have no friends.”

Now, you may be having curiosity to know the health benefits of Avocado and why it is one of the healthiest foods in an entire world and why it is recommended to have one Avocado a day and how it can make a difference to your life;

Good for Heart: Avocados are best for heart health, Having Vitamin B6 and folic acid, which helps in maintaining homocysteine levels. It is something which is associated with increased risk of heart diseases if have high levels of homocysteine. Also, other nutrients like Vitamin E, glutathione, monounsaturated fat helps in maintaining heart health. In addition Oleic acid in avocados improves the cardiovascular condition.

High Fiber Content: If you’re tired and bored of eating and trying other things for fiber, come try the avocados. They have quite fiber content. There is like 10 grams of fiber in a medium-sized avocado, with 75 percent of fiber is insoluble; the one that speeds up the digesting process and other 25 percent is soluble; which is responsible for making you feel full.

Awesome for Skincare: Yes, you heard it right. Avocados prove to be great moisturizer, treat sunburns and even reduce wrinkles. There’s this simple face mask; Mix honey, yoghurt, avocado together and put it on your face on keep it there for some time. And just see the magic after how your face glows out. Also, there’s this thing called Avocado oil, simply awesome and is said to do wonders for your body. Even cooking with avocado oil, can fight many diseases like heart disease, cancer and signs of ageing. So, use Avocado and its oil to the rescue.

Antioxidant Properties: Avocado is wonderful antioxidant as it contains master antioxidant “glutathione” which is an antioxidant booster and helps in fighting free radicals in the body. It boosts the body’s immune system and keeps the nervous system healthy. So, this fruit an be a wonder for you.

Eye-Protection: Avocados are best for eyes and can prevent eye weakness and even age related eye health decline. Use avocados and eat then daily for perfect eyesight. As having carotenoid lutein, it protects the eyes from age-related eye degeneration and cataracts. For healthy eyes, go for avocados.

Avocados are fattening but in a good way: Don’t be surprised. I’m talking about avocados which contain incredibly healthy monounsaturated fats which is amazing for your heart . Yes, they do hav more fats than any other fruits, but ina healthy way. So, don’t deter from eating them for weight concern.

Some Quick Serving Ideas:

Use chopped avocados for garnishing on black bean soup.

You can combine sliced avocado with fennel, fresh mint and oranges and it can be a lovely salad.

Want something new? Spread ripe avocados on bread in place of mayonnaise when making a sandwich. It can be a very helthy replacement.

Add avocado to your creamy tofu-based dressing recipe to give it richness and beautiful green colour.

Well, with so much of info and so many recipes, you should run to your nearest fruit shop and start having it. Keep loving Avocado and it will love you back all the more.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

July 27, 2014
Here’s all about HONEY!

Normally, honey is consumed by every household and is considered to be better than table sugar. The disntictive sweet flavor of honey with so many health benefits is the reason that people consider it over sugar and other sweeteners. Honey has medicinal effects on our body is really best alternative to satisfy our sweet tooth. I really like the flavor of honey on almost anything; be it in milk, on buns or bread or on cookies or pastries. I like it ,actually love it. Its doesn’t give sweetness, but the rich look to the food when its drizzled and is just lovely.

Honey is made by bees using nectar from flowers. The honey bees transform the nectar collected into honey by process of regurgitation and evaporation and then they store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive. The sweetness of honey comes through monosaccharides fructose and glucose and has same degree of sweetness as granulated sugar. It can be a very effective replacement of sugar and must be consumed on daily basis. Just a spoonful everyday can do wonders. Honey is nutritious food; it contains 21 calories in a teaspoon and contain vitamins and minerals in v ery trace amounts, because it mainly has high fructose and glucose content and little sucrose, maltose and has small amount of Vitamin C and folate and minerals such as magnesium and some water content while, white sugar is devoid of any kind of such nutrients. Yes, it may be recommended by nutritionists to replace table sugar with honey but it is not highly recommended for diabetic patients who are advised to limit their carbohydrate intake as honey has carb content in it. Honey even have antioxidant properties. However, the composition of honey depends on the flowers available to the bees that produced honey.

When reaching for honey, always prefer raw, organic honey for maximum perks. Now, Come, let’s take a defined and clear look at the nutritious and health benefits of honey;

Antioxidant Function: Honey is proven to have powerful antioxidant properties which may slow down the cellular damage caused by unstable molecules or atoms called as free radicals, while sugar has no such nutrients and antioxidants. Though, honey has fewer antioxidant function as compared to other well known sources of antioxidants like blueberries, walnuts etc. but is still better than white sugar. Consume it.

Best for Skincare: Honey can prove to be best for your skin and can make awesome skin facials and face masks. The antibacterial and antifungal constituents of honey make it a ultimate skincare poduct. Apply a dab of raw, organic honey on the blemish or scars on youir face and let it do its work overnight. Wash it off in the morning and see the wonder. Do it regularly and make your face glow like anything.

Effective in cough, cold and fever: Many evidence have shown that honey is wonderful for treating cough and cold infection in children and help them to sleep. It soothes the throat and hlps in relieving the sore throat. It is recommended to give a teaspoon of honey half hour before bedtime is really effective in reducing coughs and inducing sleep.

Boosts Immune system: Raw organic honey is full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and it is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral and thus protects the bosy from harmful bacteria and as a result contributes in boosting the immune system of a person. Many diseases like cold, cough, thrat infections and irriattions are kept at bay when honey has a major role play in your kitchen.

Good for heart: Honey is really good for your heart health. Honey and cinnamon has long lasting positive effects on your heart, Honey mixed with cinnamon shows that it will revitalize the arteries and veins and reduce the cholesterol by certain levels. This mixture , when taken daily can reduce heart risk and prevnt it from occurring.

Some quick servings with Honey:

Mix a spoonful in your morning milk or night milk and enjoy the exotic sweetness.

Spread it on your cookies or marielite biscuits or toasts and sandwich them and then eat them or lick it . It will taste yum. I, myself do that.

Put it in your cornflakes or oatmeal and will be great start for the day and keep you energetic the whole day.

Drizzle it on your banana cupcake or toast spread with ricotta cheese and honey is best to serve or eat all by yourself.

In your herbal tea or green tea dip a spoonful with lemon and it will do wonders for you , if consumed regularly and your tea will be tasteful than ever.

On your chocolate coconut oat bars or peanut bars or sandwich on bread toast with peanut butter and honey. Just simply awesome.

When ill, take a teaspoon of honey with raw minced garlic and swallow it. May taste horrible but is really healing for your body. Also, for losing weight you can drink warm lemon water with hoey every morning before eating anything.

Truly, with no doubts, we can say that honey is a superfood, a nectarian delight and amazingly healing. Now, its upto you how to and when to consume honey and how to maximize its benefits in your life for your body.Use it as a sweetener while eating or as a face mask, either way its going to serve you well. So, Go on, enjoy the sweet, sweeter, sweetest Honey.

Sweet. Healthy. Food. Called.Honey!

July 27, 2014
Stay healthy during monsoon

Rains are awaited by all and it certainly creates a wonderful environment. Rainy season is a kind of relief from hot and sunny days. Every single person cherishes the rains. But there are some areas that need our attention. With rains come health irritations like aversions, illness and stomach problems. The level of humidity is increased during the rainy season that affects the digestion. But nothing to get worried about as certain changes in our diet and nourishment can surely solves the problem. So it is very essential to keep an eye on what we eat during the monsoon to stay perfectly healthy.

Drink lot of water: It is necessary to take in extra amount of water in rainy days as the humidity level increases and it becomes difficult for the sweat to get evaporated. Consequently, the body heat is not released properly. It has been also found out that drinking water prevents the various skin problems. As a result it is recommended to keep ourselves hydrated during the rainy seasons. Carbonated and gaseous liquids should be avoided because they can result in indigestion. Drinks like tea can work as a great substitute of it. So during this monsoon do not forget to possess a water bottle with yourself all the time.

Go for fresh and hygienic foodstuff: Keep in mind to wash every single fruit before eating them. While cooking, the vegetable should be washed thoroughly and steam them to destroy the microbes which are present on them. Filthy and unclean food stuff is harmful for the body and can result in sickness. It is advisable to take in cooked foodstuff rather than eating them as raw. Soups are too very beneficial during the rainy days as it provides the body with needed nutrition. Therefore always try to go for recently cooked food stuff.

Say no to outside food: This particular point is of great importance. You should keep yourself away from eating the street food. Street foods are quite enticing to all of us but they could possibly hold many germs which results in stomach diseases. Hence take a firm decision of not eating out.

Stay away from oily food: It is greatly recommended to stay away from the oily and fatty food items. The digestion in the body gets weaker during the rainy days as the humidity level goes up. Hence the ability of body to digest the oily food items becomes feeble and thus upsetting the stomach. Therefore, try to eat light and less oily food items.

Reduce the consumption of dairy items: The dairy foods have the supreme tendency of getting contaminated by germs. As a result the consumption of the dairy products must be low. It is better to consume curd rather than milk even if the milk is filled with all the desired nutrients. Apart from that, one should try to boil and disinfect the water before drinking it.

Intake of balanced diet: As we know that digestion is weak throughout the rainy days therefore it is advised to eat reasonably. Stop taking in food stuff even when you are not starving. Perfect balanced diet is much needed to stay from stomach problems at the time of monsoon. Fruits such as apples, litchis as well as bananas must be consumed. Along with them include carrots in your diet too. Spice up the food with pepper, turmeric as they advance the resistance of the body and supports ingestion.

Avoid drinking juices: Make sure you don’t drink juices especially from outside as they may apply water which is not filtered. It is greatly recommended to drink at once the juices prepared at home.

Sea food can be harmful: During the rainy season, make sure that you stay away from the sea foodstuff. Give more attention to fishes as well as prawns and greatly avoid eating them as rainy season is the propagating season for them. Even if you are taking in the sea food make it certain about its freshness as well as cleanness.

No spicy foodstuff: There are many people who deal with skin infections throughout this season. It is advisable for them to stay away from the spicy foodstuff, as the spicy items arouse the temperature of the body that certainly results in skin illness and infections. It is better to visit to a doctor if the infection stays for long.

Some more tips: Food items such as barley as well as oats are found out to be very beneficial for the stomach during the rainy season. Garlic is also very valuable as it enhances the immunity of the body. Fruits are considered as the supreme source of energy. But make sure that you don’t eat watermelons during the monsoon. Instead of watermelons try to eat apples, pears more. It is said that taking anything in extra amount is bad for health so avoid doing that.

With the assistance of these advices try to stay healthy and strong during the monsoon and at the same time relish the rains of the monsoon.

July 14, 2014