Tag: food

Indian Cuisine

The moment we Indians hear the word food our mind gets filled with hundreds of pictures of herbs, spices, dishes, sweets and what not. In India its not just about eating to live in fact it’s the other way round that is living to eat. When our moms cook food for us it is not just about taste but also her love served in the form of food. All of us have seen the serene look on our mothers’ face after we eat what she cooks for us. Any person would trade the world for it.

Coming back to Indian cuisine, which is in itself a very vast topic to be discussed because India is a land of many religions and cultures and people belonging to different cultures have different taste pallet. Each state in India has some or the other kind of food that is exclusive to that state. In fact some states are known by the food served there. Bihar is known for its traditional dish “litti chokha”, west Bengal for fish and rice, Rajasthan for “daal-baati” and Punjab for “sarson ka saag.” There is a great deal of diversity in flavors in each of these dishes.

Ingredients used in Indian cuisine are a great way to understand the distinction between various kinds of food cooked in India. While most of the dishes are cooked in vegetable oil, peanut oil is famous in northern and western India, mustard oil in eastern India and coconut oil in south India. Each culinary region also has a distinct blend of spice mix; also known as garam masala and it varies for individual chefs. Use of curry leaves and mustard seeds in very typical of Gujarati and south Indian dishes. Also Kashmiri desserts are seasoned with cardamom, saffron and rose petals.

Cuisine across India is a result of variation in the local culture and geographical location. It also depends on seasons as those fruits and vegetables are eaten which are ripe. First of all we would talk about Delhi, the capital of India, which is also the birthplace of mughlai cuisine. Delhi since ages has been known for its street food. Delhi has people from all parts of India and thus the cuisine in Delhi is an amalgamation of different Indian cuisines modified in unique ways. Western food items also influence the cuisine in Delhi.

The food in Punjab is for those who are strong hearted. It is very rich in flavors and has a liberal dose of ghee and spices. They also use a lot of milk and milk butter and no meal is complete without buttermilk. Mainly people in Punjab are wheat eaters and relish eating paranthas and maize roti. The ubiquitous tandoori chicken is a favorite of all non-vegetarian eaters.

The cuisine of Uttar Pradesh is very diverse and has absorbed and adapted a lot of cuisines to make wonderful dishes. The people of Uttar Pradesh love to eat but they also like to cook and to feed other people. As people they are extremely warm and for them the ultimate form of hospitality is to serve their guests with food until they beg for mercy. They have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes and divine desserts.

Unlike any other cuisine, Gujarati cuisine is strictly vegetarian. The difference lies in the unusual blending of sweet and salt into a harmonious whole. Gujarati food has remained more or less the same since ages. The most well known Gujarati dishes are “khaman dhokla”, “paunk”, “undhyoo” and “shrikhand.”

Goan cuisine is a combination of Konkani and Portuguese food styles.This culinary amalgamation and adaptation has resulted in fiery coconut based curries and stews using pork and beef and rich cakes and pastries. It also offers an interesting range of red and white wine.

Feni is a local cashew fruit or coconut brew that hits all the right spots in our taste buds. For people who are less adventurous, there is refreshing coconut water drunk straight from the tender green coconut.

Bengali food consists of a lot of fish, lentils and rice. Usually their breakfast consists of milk and rice flakes eaten with jaggery. Lunch and dinner are mostly elaborate affairs. The first course is rice and daal with vegetables, pickled mangoes and fresh salad. It is followed by rice and meat. Bengalis are great fish eaters. The “hilsa” fish is a specialty when cooked in mustard sauce.

Bengalis love sweets. A vast array of milk based “mithai” has originated in Bengal. The light and spongy Rosogulla and the mouth-watering Sandesh, which are the specialties in Bengali sweets, are available all over India, but nowhere do they taste as they do in Kolkata.

The food of Tamil Nadu is what is known as “south Indian cuisine” everywhere else in the country. All meals center on a base of rice or semolina preparation like idli, dosa and vada. Eaten alongside is the sambar, sour hot dal with vegetables.

The drink of choice throughout the state is coffee. It is grown in the plantations in the Nilgiri Hills. The coffee is brewed with great care and filtered such that it is guaranteed to deliver the right taste of caffeine with a flavorful punch.

Just like the culture in India, the food in India has also been influenced by various civilizations, which have contributed a fair share in its overall development and the present form of food that we eat.

June 24, 2014
INSTANT ACCHARS: PICK YOUR PICKLE
Growing up in India “Acchars” or the Indian pickle has been a substantial part of my childhood experience. I would see my Mom and Aunts spending considerable time in preparing the vegetables, gathering the spices and making arrangements for their storage for days on end. A very tedious affair indeed!! But the end product makes up for all the trouble caused. Pickles are tangy and immediately add savor to anything they are consumed with, be it- paratha, burger or pancakes.

Pickles are formed by the anaerobic fermentation of vegetables and unripe vegetables in the presence of brine (salt-water) or vinegar. This caused them to dehydrate and thus, discourages the growth of microbes. Moreover, their pH is less than 4.6 which further kills most bacteria. Thus, they can be preserved for months and depending on the recipe, even years!! The vegetables pickled in brine as opposed to vinegar, are known to contain Lactobacillus and are thus, probiotic.

Like mentioned above, making “Acchars” can be a pretty tiring job especially if you are a student or working a 24×7 job. Not anymore. Here are 5 instant Pickle recipes anyone can make. They can be stored for lesser duration as compared to the traditional pickles, but the tang it brings to our food is so worth it!!
1. CARROT PICKLE
Ingredients
1. 10 carrots
2. 1 ½ tbsp crushed mustard
3. 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
4. 1 ½ tbsp oil
5. Cumin powder
6. Turmeric powder
Method

Wash the carrots and peel them to remove a thin layer of outer covering. Cut the carrots into desired shapes, preferably rectangular. Gather all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them thoroughly. And you are good to go!! Finish this preparation within 2-3 days.
1. GREEN CHILLI PICKLE
Ingredients
1. 1 cup green chilies
2. ¼ tbsp fenugreek seeds
3. ¼ tbsp cumin seeds
4. 1/8 tbsp turmeric powder
5. 1/8 tbsp grounded asafetida
6. 1 tbsp lemon juice
7. 2 tbsp oil
8. ½ tbsp sugar
9. ½ tbsp salt
10. ¼ tbsp amchoor or dried mango powder
Method

Wash green chilies and give them a longitudinal cut right in the middle such that they still remain joined at the end. Put oil in a pan and allow it to heat it till it is ready enough to fry. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds and keep whisking them lightly till they begin to crackle. Add amchoor, asafetida, turmeric powder, salt and chilies and mix them for a few minutes. Finally, add sugar and lemon juice. Mix them properly and turn off the heat.
1. LEMON PICKLE
Ingredients
1. 10 lemons
2. 6 tbsp salt
3. 2 tbsp red chili powder
4. ½ tbsp turmeric
Method

It takes a little longer to prepare this pickle. But it can be stored for months and is extremely easy to make. Cut the lemons into half or make 4 pieces. Gather the lemons in a large bowl and pour all the other ingredients i.e. salt, turmeric and chili powder. Mix the constituents properly. Remember, depending on the climate and temperature of the place, the amount of ingredients has to be adjusted. Put the mixture in a glass-jar and put it daily under sunlight for a week or so. The pickle is considered ready when the lemon loses water and becomes soft. To store it for longer duration, add oil.

4. MANGO PICKLE

Ingredients
1. 1 cup sliced unripe mango
2. 1 tbsp chili powder
3. ½ tbsp salt
4. 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
5. 1 tbsp cumin seeds roasted
6. ¼ tbsp grounded asafetida
7. ½ tbsp turmeric powder
Method

Mango pickle is arguably the most famous and mouth-tickling pickle there is. Traditionally, it requires a long for the mango “acchar” to get ready. But you need not compromise with taste in your hectic life. So let’s get started. Firstly, take the mango strips in a bowl and add salt. Mix these two ingredients properly and leave them aside for one and a half hour. Once the mangoes lose water, drain the water and collect the mango strips. Put these strips in a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Mix these thoroughly and your delicious pickle is ready to be served. It can be stored up to 3-4 days when refrigerated.

5. AMLA OR INDIAN GOOSEBERRY PICKLE

Ingredients
1. 10 Amlas
2. 1/8 tbsp Red chili powder
3. 1/8 tbsp asafetida
4. 1/8 tsp fenugreek powder
5. A pinch of turmeric powder
6. Salt-to taste
7. 1 tbsp oil
8. 1/8 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
Method

Boil water in a pan with a pinch of salt. Slowly add Amlas to this boiling mix and let it heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain water from the Amlas and allow them to cool for some time. Once they cool down, separate them into their natural wedge shape by cutting and remove the seed in the middle. Heat oil in a pan and add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add amla wedges followed by the rest of the ingredients and cook them for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool. Refrigerate for prolonged storage.

Pickles add flavor to your life, they make your food come alive and dance. In our hectic lives, we often compromise with our meals. So the next time, you decide to half-heartedly swallow bread and a sad not-so-tasty vegetable that you prepared, think again!! Just few minutes of your precious time and you can add soul to your snack. so, come on- PICK YOUR PICKLE!!
June 24, 2014
FOOD-ball

As the FIFA fever is gripping the world with its flair and fast paced games, it makes us wonder where these players get their stamina from! Most of these players are from European and North American countries where the climate is entirely different from those witnessed in the Samba land. The temperature in Paris at this time of the year would be between 10-15°c which is much lower than the sub 40°c climates in Rio. The players are extremely fit which is natural for sportsmen but the current crop of players are fitter than any of the previous generations because of the importance given to the fitness and diet routines of these players. Every player has his own set of physics and dieticians who monitor his every move and all the food that he eats and they even decide whether the player can play the next match or not.

Sports Diets

An average footballer runs about 9-10 kilometres during the 90 minutes of a match and can lose up to 2kgs during the course of the match in this extreme heat. The amount of workload on the body is immense and in a month long tournament it can be downright gruesome! In order to overcome this, the most important thing for the players is to keep themselves hydrated. Hydration involves drinking the right amount of liquids, never too high and definitely never too low. Dehydration could affect the performance as well adversely affect the body of the player, sometimes even affecting his career. The diet consciousness came about at the end of 20th century and has picked up pace during the 2000’s. Arsene Wenger, manager of one of the most successful teams in Europe inherited an Arsenal team which was fond of eggs, fried foods and junk foods. He took it upon himself to introduce the team to light and healthier foods which saw them transform into a super power in English football!

It is a given that the performance of these players is heavily dependent on their training, skill set and extraordinary workout regimes. But no amount of skill could compensate for the need of a proper diet. A footballer or for that matter any sportsperson cannot have a long career if he/she doesn’t follow a proper and balanced diet.

Gerard Pique, the Spanish defender who is considered to be one of the best in the business, revealed his diet in an interview sometime back. He has six meals a day out of which two are heavy meals and two are snack meals and two meals between the heavy ones. He consumes foods which are rich in carbohydrates but low in calories. He also says that he avoids foods and drinks which have high sugar content.

Generally a good sleep followed by Breakfast comprising whole grain breads, milk and fresh fruits can bring about a prolific uplift in a players performance on field.

Proteins

Proteins are very helpful for a balanced diet. They can be converted to fat and stored like carbohydrates which are very necessary for quick muscle recovery thus reducing the risk of cramps and muscle tears.

Isotonic Sports Drinks

One of the huge improvements in sports diets have been the introduction of isotonic sports drinks. The science behind it is that when sodium is absorbed into blood it takes water with it which replaces the salt that has left the system through sweat. Electrolytes are the salts that are lost through sweating and these are found in isotonic drinks and getting them into the system will aid in digestion and osmosis of fluids entering the body and muscles. The energy within these drinks is in the form of glucose. Drinking this during training will help your muscles work for a longer time and drinking them after training will help your muscles recover more quickly for next training session.

The complete diet

Breakfast should generally comprise of cereals, preferably bran flakes and shreds of wheat. Bagels and blueberries are also considered to be good breakfast supplements. Lunch should generally consist of baked potatoes with beans. Sandwiches are also a good source of nutrition but the butter content should be kept to minimum and the sandwich should be a healthy filling of a proper foods. Dinners can consist of pasta, chicken, rice, baked potatoes and green vegetables.

Snacks such as chocolates can be an energy booster when taken during training but can affect the body and be stored as fats when they are taken otherwise.

The modern sportsman

It is often commented, sometimes with greed about the amount of money the modern sportsmen make through commercials and through sports. But it has to be kept in mind that in order to attain that level these men strive for years putting their minds and bodies in line. These sportsmen keep their body fit and some of them have better physique than models and actors, who spend the entire time trying to look their best. The extreme levels of fitness in modern sportsmen is due to heavy training and workout regimes and very strict and balanced diets which prevents them from eating what they like throughout their professional careers, which begin at early teens and goes on until the late 30’s in some cases. Thus while enjoying a global tournament like FIFA world cup we should pause to look at how these players prepare themselves for the big stage which could even be useful in our own lives where we often get depressed when there is one less chicken piece in our everyday briyani!

June 24, 2014
Ten Minutes or Less: Food Tips and Tricks
We live in a fast track world where things happen like… whoooosh. There are mornings when one doesn’t have enough time to make a breakfast and there are nights when after a hard day’s work no one has enough energy to stand in the kitchen and cook food for one more hour. In the age when Pizza comes under 30 minutes, who wants to wait for 1 hour for the food? So, here we are today with tips and tricks of Food meals that can be cooked in 10 minute or less.
1. Cereal Breakfast:-
This is the easiest thing that can be made in less than 10 minutes. Even you can get time to read your email and wash the dishes while you complete the 10 minutes of this dish.

Ingredients needed:-

1 cup low fat yogurt

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup corn flakes

Sliced almonds to taste

Directions:-

Put 1 cup low-fat yogurt in the cereal bowl (we are using this instead of milk). Add 1 tbsp honey to it. Now put the ½ cup corn flakes and sliced almonds for the extra flavor if needed.
1. Egg Toast:-
Egg is simply the easiest food item for any meal. It hardly takes any time to cook and is always a great source of energy.

Ingredients Needed:-

2 Eggs

Salt (as required)

2 Bread slices

1 pinch Nutmeg

2 tbsp Butter

Direction:-

In a bowl whisk the eggs. Add together salt, other spices (if required) and a pinch of nutmeg. Put the bread on this mixture and let it absorb the mixture. Now turn the bread over and let the other side absorb.

On a pan, put 2 tbsp butter and let it heat for a minute. Now, put the well soaked bread on the butter and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Repeat the same steps with other bread slice. Serve with tomato sauce. Enjoy the food.
1. Fried Rice:-
You can prepare a delicious meal with last day’s leftover rice without a fuss. Follow these steps.

Ingredients Needed:-

Cooked rice

½ cup finely cut Tomatoes

½ cup finely chopped Onions

Salt and spices as required

2 tbsp Oil or butter

Directions:-

Put 1 tbsp oil or butter in a pan and heat for 1 minute. Now add ½ cup onions to it and finely cook till it is golden brown in colour. Add tomatoes to it as soon as the onions change the colour. Add salt and other spices to taste. You can add a little Soy sauce too for the taste. Now let it cook and turn into a thick paste and in the mean time, in another pan put 1 tbsp oil or butter. When it is hot, Add cooked rice to it and let mix it well so that every grain of rice has a little oil over it.

Now, Put this rice in the paste and mix it well. Cook it for 4-5 minutes. Taste and add a little more soy sauce if needed.
1. Scrambled Eggs:-
The secret to cooking egg is that you can do anything with them. But in case you are not in mood to do anything, just break the eggs in the pan and get done with them.

Ingredients Needed:-

2 eggs

2 tbsp cream

A little salt

¼ cup finely chopped Onion

1 tbsp butter

Direction:-

Add eggs, cream, onion and a little salt to a bowl and whisk.

Put butter on a pan and let it heat for a minute. Now put the eggs mixture in the pan and cook on medium heat. Use a wide spatula to scrape the mixture off the pan and turn it over. Cook until it gets creamy and take it off the head.

Serve with toast if you wish.
1. Pasta:-
No doubt, it is the undisputed master of 10 minutes club. It is tasty, least fussy and also classy serve to show off.

Ingredients Needed:-

350 gm pasta

½ onion finely chopped

3-4 tomatoes finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp red pesto

2 tbsp vinegar

Directions:-

Cook pasta according to instructions in the pack.

In another pan, put 1 tbsp butter and heat the onion and tomatoes. Now, put all the ingredients including onion and tomatoes to a mixer and mix them well into a paste.

Tip the paste into the pan again and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, put into this gravy mix it well and serve.

It isn’t over yet. As the food is incomplete without dessert, here is the recipe of a dessert as a bonus that can be cooked in less than 10 minutes too.

Instant Chocolate Cake:-

This is the easiest and tastiest chocolate cake that can be cooked in such less time.

Ingredients Needed

½ Cup Flour

¼ cup Sugar

4 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Egg

¼ cup Milk

4 tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 tbsp Vanilla Cream

Pinch of Salt

Direction:-

Beat flour, sugar, cocoa powder and egg in a bowl. Add milk and vanilla cream when it is made into a thick paste. Now add the vegetable extract and a little salt. Keep mixing it till it is made into a smooth mixture. Put the mixture into the microwave until it is smooth and puffed. It will take 2-3 minutes. Take the dish out and enjoy.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go, make the dishes in 10 minutes or less and enjoy life without any compromise with taste due to time constrain.
June 24, 2014
Kentucky Fried Chicken: finger lickin’ good

Kentucky Fried Chicken which is most commonly known as KFC is an international fast food restaurant which currently has presence in about 118 countries. This fast food chain is specialized in preparing and serving delicious fried chickens to their customers. Currently there are approximately 19,000 outlets of KFC in different parts of the world and this shows the enormous name and success this fast food chain has achieved since it opened its first outlet in the year 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. After United States, KFC opened its first international food store in United Kingdom and then in various parts of the world. Today it is the second largest food chain in the whole world and is only behind the McDonalds.

The main product of this food chain is fried chickens which are prepared using 11 secret herbs and spices. The recipe is a secret which has not been disclosed till date. Today they also offer chicken burgers, French fries, salads, desserts, wraps and soft drinks. People are just crazy about their trade mark bucket fired chicken which is simply luscious in taste. If you have not visited KFC yet then this is one such place where you should surely visit and for sure you will feel like eating fried chicken sold here again and again. “finger lickin’ good” is the official slogan of KFC which can be seen with its logo. Yum Brands now owns this brand and has a clear cut motive to expand this internationally acclaimed food chain to each and every corner of the world. The total revenue of KFC is 23 billion US dollars for the year 2013.

One of the reasons why KFC fried chickens are so popular among the masses is that they are served fresh to the customers. If the prepared chicken is not sold within 90 minutes then according to the company’s policy, it is simply discarded. People love to eat here as the chickens sold here are exquisite and appetizing. You will simply love the crispy chicken legs, chicken nuggets, hot wings, zinger burgers and other dishes here as they taste succulent and luscious. KFC has simply redefined the way the chicken is prepared and eaten in different parts of the world.

Harland Sanders is the person who started this business. He is commonly called as Colonel Sanders by his lovers. Initially he used to sell fried chickens in his restaurants at Corbin, Kentucky. His restaurant was named as Sanders Court & Café. Harland Sanders used to cook the fired chickens with the help of his secret recipes which his mother taught him and people used to love his cooked chickens. His success story is simply amazing and we should learn from his life and struggles. Harland Sanders had a dream to expand his empire and sell his delicious chickens in different parts of the country. The struggle that he went through and still where this food chain stands today is unbelievable. It shows that if you are determined to work hard and chase our dream then nothing can stop you from attaining success. He was determined to use the franchising concept in his fried chicken business.

Before opening his first commercial outlet he had to travel to almost all the parts of the United States where he tried to convince the restaurant and business owners to use his recipe and start selling fried chickens. In return he asked for a small amount of share from the profits made. The restaurants and the business owners thought the Harland Sanders idea’s to be a flop one and he was rejected by almost everyone. It is said that he faced over 1000 rejections. Just imagine his will to taste success. His strong will power made him a known figure in the whole world. By the year 1963, Harland Sanders managed to open a whopping 600 franchise of KFC in the United States alone but his growing age forced him to stop indulging into business any further and so he sold the KFC Empire to the group of business enthusiastic people in the year 1964. The reigns of the empire has been many shifted a times since then but the picture of Colonel Sanders still lies in its logo. He is synonym to the brand KFC.

KFC entered into the Indian environment by opening its first outlet in Bangalore in the year 1995. The company had doubt that about its success in India as people living here as so much indulged into the religious work and so the success of the brand was under severe spotlight here. Today there are about 370 KFC outlets in India. In India where we eat so much of spices in our food, KFC chickens are wonderful options for those who want to try something different and a food with fewer spices and more nutrients. For the Indian public, KFC has also started the vegetarian products in their menu such as the vegetarian burger, paneer burger, paneer wraps and so on with a motive to pull the vegetarian crowds to its restaurant.

June 24, 2014
Health Benefits of Eating Eggs

Eggs are excellent source of vitamins which helps the body in functioning appropriately and so doctors often recommend people to start eating egg regularly. Not only vitamins, eggs are also rich in essential nutrients which are very much required for the proper growth and development of the human body. You should daily eat eggs to stay healthy. Some people just eliminate the yellow yolk which is present inside the egg and eat only the outer whitish portion. This is not a good as the yolk is the only one which provides the essential fats, vitamins and nutrients to the human body. But that does not mean that the whitish portion of the egg is not important. They provide the proteins to the body.

A normal large egg contains the following: Selenium (22 % of the RDA), Vitamin A (6 % of the RDA), Vitamin B5 (7 % of the RDA), Vitamin 2 (15 % of the RDA), Vitamin B12 (9 % of the RDA), Vitamin E, iron, Folate, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and many others essential nutrients. Just imagine a single eggs is how much beneficial. If you eat eggs regularly then you are surely not going to get deficiency of any of the above mentioned vitamins and minerals. Further a single large egg also has 77 calories, carbohydrates and 5 grams each of fats and proteins.

Much people are not aware of the Choline, which is a very important nutrient considering the fact that it is responsible for the growth of the brain. It is often named with the B-complex vitamins. Egg is a tremendous source of Choline. This nutrient is required for various metabolism processes that go inside a human body. The synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is only possible if the body has adequate amount of Choline in it. If your body is deficit of Choline, then you are prone to cardiovascular and liver diseases. Also there are chances that you may suffer from neurological disorders. All these can be avoided if you eat egg as one egg contains about 113 mg of Choline. So go for it and stay away from these life threatening diseases.

One egg has about 212 mg of cholesterol in it, so often people have this doubt in their mind that it will affect their body in negative way. In a human body it is the responsibility of the liver to maintain the amount of cholesterol. If you consume less cholesterol food then liver compensates for it and if you are eating foods such as eggs which are rich in cholesterol, then liver produces less cholesterol. One of the biggest advantages of eating egg is that it raises the level of the HDL cholesterol which is very much required by the body and reduces the LDL cholesterol which is responsible for the various diseases that occurs in the body. This will in turn helps in keeping the cardiovascular disease away from you.

We have not mentioned about the antioxidants which are present in the egg so far. So let me tell you egg is a wonderful food item which has two most essential antioxidants required by the human body and they are Zeaxanthin and Lutein. Both of them are present in the yolk of the egg and are excellent for the proper functioning of the eyes. In the recent times cataracts is one such disease because of which many people have lost their eyesight. These antioxidants which we have mentioned here reduce the risk of cataract by providing power and stamina to the eyes.

You must have read it in your books that proteins are must for the human body as they are considered as to be the building blocks and performs several work in the human body which is very essential for its proper growth. There are 21 amino acids which the human body requires and out of these 21, there are quite a few which the body cannot produce on its own and so the protein rich foods are eaten to compensate for them. Egg provides all those amino acids which the body requires. In short if you want to stay healthy, then continue eating eggs regularly.

If you daily eat eggs in your breakfast then it can help you in losing your body fat and you can easily become fit and slim. When measured on the Satiety scale, an egg gets a reading of 19 which is quite high. This proves that eggs helps in shedding weight and improving the body mass index by a whopping 61 percent. If you have obesity problem and you do not eat eggs then this is one such food item which you should start eating. With so many health benefits that it provides and considering the fact that it is easily available and pocket friendly food item, one should include eggs in their diet chart. Moreover there are so many egg recipes available, so just try them and stay protected.

June 24, 2014
DETOX YOURSELF

The connection between the body and mind is really strong, the way your body feels plays a great part in the functioning of your brain whether or not you experience a state of well being. Keeping your body free of toxins and other harmful nasty things will help you maintain a healthy living.

Thinking of doing a detox and wondering how to start? Detoxing the body is effective for starting a new diet plan. Detoxing with various foods that is the best way to help give your body the nutrients required also helps your digestive system to take a break from having to break down and digest food.

Are detox programs really good for your health?

Along with recommendations for detoxing comes warning, which makes the would-be-detox dieter totally confused.

1. Detoxing helps you boost energy

By cutting out the sugar, fats, Trans fat, saturated fat, caffeine and replacing them by fruits and veggies gets you a natural energy boost.

2. Help you get rid of excess waste

One of the greatest benefits of detoxing is that it helps you get rid of excess waste that your body had stored earlier.

3. Better immunity

While you are on a detox program, it frees up the organs to function the way they should. Through this it gives your body a boost and absorbs nutrients better.

4. Help to lose weight

A detox program would help you reduce weight in a short term and get rid f unhealthy eating habits.

5. Better breath

One of the contributors to bad breath is backed up colon. When you cleanse it and get your digestive system function properly, you will find your breath improves.

6. Glowing skin

You can expect a glowing smoother radiant skin at the end of your detox program, you can add sauna to your detox plan to help the body sweat out additional toxins.

7. Healthy living

A detox program is like a bridge between your old habits and new ones towards a healthy living. Once if you quit eating your weakness foods and replace those with healthier choices, you will be moving towards a healthy life.

8. Anti-aging benefit

By reducing the toxins you will see long term benefits in an increased longevity.

10 foods that will detox your body

1. Beet

It is mentioned as one of the super food. You should make an effort to include in your regular meals and definitely have it if you are planning a detox diet. It helps in making sure that the toxins you are getting out of your body are actually getting out.

2. Broccoli

Even though you are sick of seeing broccolis when health food is mentioned but actually it is a nutritional punch in a mini tree shaped veggie. It works with the enzymes in your liver to turn toxins into something your body can eliminate easily.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage helps your liver with the byproduct being lower cholesterol and also helping you expel the toxins getting them out of your system so you can start fresh.

4. Garlic

Garlic is of those crucial pieces in the puzzle of your detox plan. it helps you in boosting your immune system.

5. Ginger

Ginger has also been given the status of a virtual medicine chest, it has digestion friendly properties. It is considered as a staple in any health diet. It is one of the best detoxifying herbs as it stimulates digestion.

6. Green tea

It is great for cleansing the body from toxins and impurities. It purifies the whole to create a healthy circulation system and complexion as well. Adding a cup of green tea with each meal for daily detoxification will show improvements in health and physical appearance as well.

7. Lemon

It is very common to hear to begin your day with warm water because it improves digestion. They help to detox your body.

8. Olive oil

It is used for cleansing the colon. It has a lot of health properties and makes a good choice than most other options.

9. Turmeric

It is called the “detox diva”. Turmeric helps as liver cleanser and can rejuvenate the liver cells and recharge their capacity to break down the toxins. You can detox using a turmeric tea and substitute it for any other beverage to make the most of its health benefits.

10. Water

On a daily basis drinking water all by itself is one of the best ways to flush out the toxins. You can use any of the other detox foods along with water and get even more benefit from it.

Make sure to avoid alcohol as it has a very toxic effect on the liver and will fail your detox program. Also avoid caffeinated beverages as it can have a dehydrating effect on the body. Cut out on sweets, chocolates and sweets as excess of sugar will cause excess stress on the liver and your cleansing efforts will be a waste. Also avoid overeating as it leads to accumulation of toxins.

June 24, 2014
Food Items Best for Children

For parents, it is very comfortable to purchase and prepare nutritious food for your kids but the difficult part is to make them eat it. It is a very difficult job for the parents to provide their kids with the necessary nutrients. This job becomes so frustrating because the parents can’t compel their kids to eat those nutritious foods. These days’ kids are much happy with the food stuff like pizzas, burgers and many more but these items does not provide the essential nutrients to the body. Parents must ensure that their kids get the supply of all the required vitamins and minerals from their meals as it is very vital in the growth of the child. So below there are some super nourishing food items that are best for the children.

Milk:

it is most essential drink for the kids. It is well liked by the kids but as they gradually grows up they tends to like it less. The reason behind it is that they start drinking so many other drinks which are obtainable in the homes. But milk is fundamental source of protein, calcium and so many vitamins. So make sure that milk is included in the diet of your child. You can add so many flavors to the milk in order to make it more likable by your kid. If the child is taking in foods that are rich in calcium then milk is the best source to compensate for that.

Apples:

Similar to many other fruits, apples are greatly enjoyed by the children. Apart from being sugary and juicy it is an immense source of nutrients that are very essential for the healthy wellbeing. The amount calorie in it in low and it is rich in Vitamin C. It is very important to know that the apple loses its fiber after peeling it off. So it is much better to provide your children with unpeeled apples rather than peeled apples in order to deliver them with the essential and needed fibers. Children tend to enjoy eating apples so it is necessary to include it in your kid’s diet.

Yoghurt:

It is another food that is very rich in calcium and hence it is quite beneficial for that child who doesn’t like drinking too much milk. So you should make sure that your child’s intake includes a good amount of yoghurt. The children usually enjoy eating it and hence it becomes so easy for the parents to make their kids eat it. But it is necessary that one should select the appropriate yoghurt for their kids with low fat and which does not include huge amount of added sugar in it.

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Vegetables:

As everyone knows that vegetable plays a very significant role in supplying nutrition to the body, but parents usually end up forcing or tricking their kids to eat them. Generally kids don’t enjoy eating spinach, sprouts etc. which are very nutritious and beneficial for the body. But apart from these vegetables, there are so many other that the children tend to relish. The vegetables that are usually friendly to children are pea, potatoes and carrots. Apart from this, it is very vital that the parents familiarize their kids with a lot of vegetables starting from the initial stage as gradually they will start eating them.

Oatmeal:

A nutritious breakfast is very important for the kids so they can perform very well at their schools. It has been found out that the breakfast helps in improving the memory of the children. Oatmeal can be treated as a very healthy breakfast your kid as it is very rich in fiber. In addition to that the cognitive functioning and implementation is also increased. It is not compulsory to serve oatmeal only during the breakfast. We can prepare it as more edible and appetizing by accompanying it with honey, berries and walnuts.

Eggs:

They are a perfect blend of taste and nutrition. Eggs are greatly enjoyed by the children and in addition to that they are very rich in vitamins as well as minerals. Moreover they provide proteins to the body. They include vitamin D and iron. They also contain choline. Eggs play a very crucial role and help to build and repair the muscles. They support the body in absorbing the calcium. A little amount of cholesterol is present in the eggs but they don’t include a great amount saturated fat. And hence eating an egg normally is acceptable. So serving the kids with scrambled eggs in the breakfast is a great source of nutrition.

Cheese:

Calcium is very essential for the body and hence parents must include calcium rich foods in their kid’s regime. Low fat cheese provides a great amount of calcium to the body. One can come out with various methods to include it in your kid’s diet. You can serve the kids with the vegetables topped with melted cheese. It is quite evident cheese sandwiches are very famous among the kids, so it can act as a delightful lunch.

June 24, 2014
The cultural capital of India – Kolkata

Kolakta which is the capital of West Bengal and it is the former capital of British India during the year 1772 to 1911.It is one of the ancient and largest cities in India and also one of the major ports in India.IT is located on the eastern bank of hugli river.A city of commerce, transport, and manufacture, Kolkata is the dominant urban centre of eastern India.

Kolkata-city

Origin of name Kolkata:

The ancient name of Kolkata is Calcutta, it is a older version of Bengali name Kalikata. According to few people the name Kalikantha is derived from the word Kalikshetra which means ground of goddess Kali.According to few people the name came as the city is located on the bank of the canal Khal.The other opinions are as it is famous for the manufacturing of shell lime, the Bengali words for lime are Kali and the burnt shell in Bengali is kata, thus the name originated according to few people.As it is famous for manufacture of shell lime the government of West Bengal has changed its name to Kolkata.

Landscape:

The city has a maximum elevation of about 9 meters above sea level.The city handles a large portion of India’s foreign trade in both agricultural and manufactured products.The main thoroughfare in Kolkata is Jawaharlal Nehru Road.Along this road we can find many shopping malls, city’s shops, restaurants, and hotels. On our way we an find Indian Museum which has a vast collection of ancient Indian artifacts and on this road we can find Birla Planetarium which is one of the largest planetariums in Asia.Maidan park covering over 985 acres and the main attractions of the park are Fort William and the Victoria Memorial Hall which is massive monument in the museum which is made up of marble.

Indian-Museum-Kolkata

The city is having many old churches, temples, mosques.The largest mosque in the city was Nakhoda Mosque which was built around 1926 to 42.The Kali temple is an impressive Hindu temple which is famous all over the country.Coming to churches St. Paul’s which is an Anglican cathedral is built around 1839 to 47.Durga puja which is famous Hindu festival celebrated very grandly throughout the city during the months of September and October.

Kolakta kali temple

University of Calcutta which is being the oldest and is found during the year 1857 and this is one of the leading Institution in the city of Kolkata for the higher education.In this city of Kolkata there is National library with a collection of about 20,00,000 volumes.This library is situated at Belverdere Estate which is located near Alipore Zoo.

Calcutta_university_1857

The city of Kolkata is having an International Airport which is being served by several railways and highways, including the Grand Trunk Road which links Kolkata with Delhi and upper part of India.In India first Subway is opened in Kolkata during the year 1984.

Kolkata_international_airport

Climatic conditions:

The city is quite hot with moderate temperatures during December to January and is having high temperatures during April and May.The average annual rainfall in Kolkata is about 64 inches.Winter falls from the end of November and continues till February.it is pleasant and the fogs and mists reduce the visibility in the early hours.

People:

We can find many religions in Kolkata but the major are Hindus, Christians, Muslims.Because of this multi linguistic in nature we can find many languages are being spoken by the people but most dominant language is Bengali.Many people from various parts of the world visit this city for various purposes being a cosmopolitan city.The population in Kolkata is extremely high and overcrowding can be find in almost every place we visit in the city.This overcrowding is found from many decades this is mainly due to the migrants of the people from the neighbouring states like Bihar, Orissa, Uttar pradesh, Jharkhand are coming to Kolkata in search of employment.

Over crowding in Kolkata

Economy:

Kolkata Is one of the India’s prominent economic centres because of its manufacturing industries, finance, trade, exports, imports and is having major activities like printing, publishing, and newspaper circulation, as well as for recreation and entertainment.In addition to all these there are many resources available in Kolkalta like coal, iron, manganese, mica, petroleum, tea, and jute.

Kolkata Cuisine:

Kolkata is having unique food habits and many of them eat meat and fish regularly.People of Bengal mostly prefer to eat fish, goat, mutton and chicken and the only exception is beef and few Muslim communities even eat it also.As Kolakta is having countless rivers, ponds and lakes many varieties of fish are available here and we can also find prawns, shrimp and crabs also in abundant.Most of the people eat fish as a dish in any of their day meal.They use different types of spices both for fish and vegetables.

Kolkata cuisine

Fish:

Fish is the dominant kind of protein in their cuisine because of the numerous number of ponds, lakes, rivers.Almost every part of the fish are eaten and few spare bits of the fish are usually used to flavor curries and dals.The salt water fish Ilish is very popular among the Bengali’s and is also known as the icon of Bengali’s cuisine.There are many ways for the cooking of these fishes depending on the texture, size, fat content and the bones.They can be fried, roasted, a simple spicy tomato based gravy.Some are cooked with curd or yogurt with sour sauce, with sweet sauce or even the fish made to taste sweet on one side and savoury on the other.There is a saying that the Ilish fish can be cooked in 108 different ways.

Varieties of fishes in Kolkata fish market

June 24, 2014
Chicken 65 Recipe

Chicken 65 is a delicious Indo Chinese dish which is very popular in south India.This recipe can be found in many of the dhabas and restaurants around every part of the country. Many of the people like to order this dish whenever they have visited dhabas and it is also most adorable by the children.This can be served as a great starter and many people like to have it with the drinks. This dish gets the flavor from the ingredients like ginger, garlic, red chillies and vinegar.For the preparation of this dish we can take either chicken with bone or without bone.The main important ingredient from which the whole flavor comes to this dish is only from the curry leaves.

Delicious Chicken 65 Recipe

Different stories for the name chicken 65:

This famous chicken recipe is originated in Chennai.Universally this dish is called as chicken 65,but there are many stories regarding the name of the dish. But many people exactly don’t know the correct reason why does it so called.Few people say that the dish is so called because the first price of this dish was 65 rupees and few say that the weight of each chicken piece is about 65 grams and thus the name came into acceptance.But many people say that the number 65 in the chicken 65 represents the year in which this dish was introduced by a famous hotel in Chennai named Buhari.Thus the name chicken 65 was originated.This dish is used as a simple meal for the Indian military during the year 1965.

But the exact name Chicken 65 came as follows.Actually this dish was started from a Military canteen in Chennai where there were a set of Indian army soldiers from the northern states of India usually visited as it was one of the popular canteens. As they don’t know the regional language they used to suffer a lot with this problem.Most of the Soldiers tried to order this item by showing the number in the menu.As it is the 65 item on the menu later when ever they visited this canteen they get used to that number in the menu and they easily ordered this item by saying the number 65 to the canteen members, later it became famous with that number and spread all over as chicken 65.

history-of-chicken-65

Ingredients:

1) Take one 450 grams of Chicken ( make sure it is boneless and is cut into small cubes )

2) Take half table spoon of rice flour

3) Take one table spoon of corn flour

4) Take one table spoon of red chilli powder

5) Take one table spoon of garam masala powder

6) Take one table spoon of ginger garlic paste

7) Take one table spoon of lemon juice

8) Take one pinch of red food color

9) Take one pinch of turmeric powder

10) Take two table spoons of curd or yogurt

11) Take one raw egg

12) Take salt that is sufficient for taste

13) Take refined oil required for making a deep fry

14) Take chopped onion cut in the form of rings for garnishing

15) Take chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Ingredients that are required for making chicken 65

Preparation:

Chicken 65 is a spicy, red and deep fried chicken mostly taken as a snack item before meal or at the evenings and is accompanied with the onion slices, slit green chilies and lemon slices.The preparation of chicken 65 is different from one place to another depending on their taste requirements.This dish can be prepared by using boned chicken or boneless,here we are we are taking boneless chicken.Basically chicken 65 is red in color because it is deep fried and red food color is added to it.Chicken 65 can be prepared in many ways but the taste is lied within the spices.

Step 1:

At first take a bowl and add all the ingredients rice flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, red food color, turmeric powder, curd, salt sufficient for taste and mix all of them along with the egg yolk for about two minutes, now add the chicken pieces slowly to the ingredients mixture and mix them well until each piece is gets the spice attached to it and leave it undisturbed to marinate for few minutes.

Chicken marination for making chicken 65

Step 2:

Now take a pan on the stove, switch on the flame and add oil to it that is required for making a deep fry.Leave the pan on a medium flame so that the oil gets heated up.Now take the marinated chicken pieces that are ready for cooking and put them slowly in the oil piece by piece and care should be taken that the oil should not spill.After adding all the pieces to the oil make a deep fry until their color changes to nice reddish brown color.After their color is changed take a plate with a tissue paper placed evenly on it and move the chicken pieces on to it.That’s it very hot and spicy mouth watering chicken 65 is ready.Garnish it with vegetables or onion, green chillies, lemon slices, coriander leaves and serve it.

Hot and spicy mouth watering chicken 65 recipe

June 19, 2014