HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING FRUITS

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING FRUITS

Kiwi : Tiny but mighty

This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fibre. It’s Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.


Apple : An apple a day keeps the doctor away?

Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attach & stroke.

Strawberry : Protective Fruit

Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals.

Orange : Sweetest medicine

Taking 2 –4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon : Coolest Thirst Quencher

Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene – the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C & Potassium.

Guava & Papaya : Top awards for Vitamin C

They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fibre which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes.

SHAHI TUKDA (Double ka Meetha) - An Indian bread pudding

SHAHI TUKDA
Here is the recipe for Shahi Tukda, Shahi tukda is also known as "Double ka Meetha" in Hyderabad. Its basically a bread pudding. Very easy to make and totally shahi(royal), your guests will surely be impressed with your culinary skills, not knowing how easy it is to make this.

Shahi Tukda A very exotic and delicious Mughlai dessert, Shahi Tukda was a part of the royal Dastarkhan of the Mughals. Shahi Tukda is sliced bread, dipped into a gravy of treacle (sugar gravy), cream and saffron (optional).

There are 2 ways of preparing this.

1. Sugar syrup method
Recipe Ingredients-
½ cup ghee
3 cups cream of milk
3 tbsp almonds chopped
10 sliced bread
300 grams sugar
5 drops rose water
1 cup water
How To Prepare : To prepare the syrup, boil water and 100 grams of sugar together until the quantity is half. Cool it and add rose water. Keep aside.
Cut broad finger slices of the bread and deep fry them with ghee. Immediately dunk them into sugar syrup. In another pan, warm the cream gently and stir in the rest of the sugar until it is fully dissolved. Keep aside for cooling.
While serving, pour the cream over the bread slices dunked in syrup and garnish with almonds.
Another way of making this,
Boil milk, To this add sugar, cardamom powder, saffron and condensed milk, cook this milk on a low flame for 20-25 minutes till it thickens a bit.
Allow it to come to room temperature, then soak the fried bread slices in this mixture and refrigerate it. Garnish it with silver leaf and nutes, especially pistachio, green sliced pistachio looks very good as a dressing for this desert and compliments it well.
You can try whichever method is suitable to you, it tastes excellent prepared any ways.
So tantalize your taste buds.... Do try this recipe and see the reaction on the faces of your guests when you say you have prepared Shahi Tukda for dessert....they sure will be impressed.
Tip : You can use leftover bread, dont use past expiry date though.

LASOON MIRCHI CHA THECHA (Crushed Garlic and Green Chillies)

LASOON MIRCHI CHA THECHA (Crushed Garlic and Green Chillies)
My husband Yo’s aunt who resides in Barshi, taught me this recipe. Here is Savita Kaku’s recipe. She is one of the greatest connoisseurs of food I ever know. She cooks and explains everything with so much passion, that anyone would want to learn from her.

Ingredients
Green Chillies – 10-12
Garlic Flakes – 4-5
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1-2 tsps

Method
In a small pan, heat oil, Add the green chillies and garlic flakes and fry till you see the skin of the chilly getting lighter in color and the garlic getting fried. The raw smell of the garlic should be completely gone.
Pound the fried green chillies and garlic along with some salt in a motar with a pestle. (known as Khalbhatta in Marathi). Transfer to a small bowl. Your thecha is ready to be eaten with Bhakri or Chappati. You can fry some cumin seeds and add to the Thecha to enhance the flavor.

Note: Since you are handling chillies, be careful as to not touch your eyes or face. Be careful while pounding. Maintain a distance.

HIRVYA MIRCHI CHA THECHA (Crushed Green Chillies)

HIRVYA MIRCHI CHA THECHA (Crushed Green Chillies)
Being married to a Maharashtrian who hails from Sholapur which is known for its spicy food introduced me to their most spicy Hirvya Mirchi cha thecha.

Ingredients
Green Chillies – 10-12
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Oil - 1-2 tsps

Method
Pound the green chillies along with some salt in a motar with a pestle.(known as Khalbhatta in Marathi). In a small pan, heat oil, add the cumin seeds when they start to fry, add the pounded Chillies and fry till you see the skin of the chilly getting lighter in color. Transfer to a small bowl. Your thecha is ready to be eaten with Bhakri or Chappati.

Note: Since you are handling chillies, be careful as to not touch your eyes or face. Be careful while pounding. Maintain a distance.

JUNNU / KARVACH

JUNNU – AN ANDHRA SPECIALITY / KARVACH - MAHARASHTRA
Junnu is a delicacy enjoyed by the people from Andhra Pradesh. It is known as Karvach in Maharashtra. Junnu/ Karvach is usually prepared with the first milk obtained from the cow after it delivers the calf. Since everyone can’t get this milk, especially people living abroad and in big cities, there is another recipe using China Grass for preparing this dessert so you don’t miss out on the delicacy.

Ingredients
China Grass (Agar Agar) - 10 grams
Milk - 1 Litre
Sugar – 1 ½ cups
Cardmom powder – 1tsp
Coarsely Ground Pepper powder – 1tsp (optional)
Seasonal fruits can be used for decoration

Method
The china grass should be first washed well in a colander to remove traces of any preservatives.
In a saucepan, Add one litre milk and allow to boil. When milk starts boiling, Add the china grass. The China grass melts in the boiling milk in 4 to 5 minutes. Now add the sugar and stir constantly. Once the sugar and china grass have blended with the milk, Add the cardamom power and coarsely ground pepper. Stir well for a few seconds and switch off the gas. Allow the mixture to cool a little.
You can just pour onto a plate and cool in the refrigerator (DO NOT PLACE IN DEEP FREEZER) for about an hour and cut it into squares or diamonds after it becomes solid and enjoy. This tastes exactly like Junnu / Karvach.

Serving Instructions
Pour the mixture into small ice cream cups or glass bowls.
Top it up with seasonal fruits. Place the cups/bowls in the refrigerator, in about an hour, the mixture solidifies like ice-cream. After it becomes solid, it will not melt like ice-cream. It will be like a milk jelly.

Note: Pepper is optional. Please note that after it become solid, Pepper and cardamom powder form a sort of layer at the bottom.

Tip: Consume this dessert as soon as possible. You can store it in the refrigerator for 2 days. If not kept in refrigerator, consume on the same day.

GUJARATI METHIA KERI (FENUGREEK & MANGO) PICKLES

GUJARATI METHIA KERI (FENUGREEK & MANGO) PICKLES
Ingredients

1 kg raw firm mangoes, chopped in chunks
200 gms crushed mustard seeds
200 gms fenugreek seeds
Salt as per taste (approx 150 gms)
2 tbsp turmeric
1/4 cup Red chilly (as per taste)
2 cups mustard oil

Method

Place mango chunks in a jar and put some salt and 1/2 of the turmeric in it. Shake the jar so the pieces are evenly coated. Keep aside.
Shake this jar in a pendulum motion every 7-8 hours, for 2 days.
On the second day, soak methi separately, keep it overnight.
On third day, drain water from methi.
Empty the mangoes into non-iron colander and allow the water to drain for 15-20 minutes, Retain the drained water. In this water, put the soaked Methi seeds for about 2 hours so that the essence of the mango enters the fenugreek seeds, rendering it a sour and salty taste. Meanwhile Pat dry the mango chunks, and dry in sun for 4-5 hours on a towel. Now, drain the methi and dry them completely with the towel.
Mix all the ingredients except the mango chunks
Heat oil very well till smoky. Let it cool. In half the oil, add the mixed ingredients and then add mango chunks Mix it well, so all chunks are coated with the masala.
Transfer to a clean jar and press down lightly. Pour remaining oil on top, oil should cover the pickle.
Allow to marinate for 10 days before using.
Take out in small quantities for use in a small glass jar. The main jar should always have a layer of oil floating on top. Add more oil if required, but remember the oil should be first heated and then cooled.

Shelf-life: More than a year

MAHARASHTRIAN PITLA

MAHARASHTRIAN PITLA
Being married to a Maharashtrian exposed me to the rich Maharashtrian cuisine and one of the best things I learned and absolutely adore is their Pitla and ocfourse Zunka which is a slight variation to the Pitla. This can be had with Bhakri(A jowar or Bajra roti) or Chappati. It is an instant dish and can be prepared in a jiffy. If you don’t have any vegetables at home except onions and you are hungry and need to dish up something, Pitla would be the best option.

Ingredients
Besan (Gram flour) – 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Green Chillies – 2 finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 sprig (optional)
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil – 1-2 tbsps

Method
Fry the besan in a little oil till it turns light brown. It should loose its raw smell. Keep aside.

Heat some oil and add the mustard seeds, once it starts to crackle, add the onions and fry till the onion becomes transparent and nicely fried. Add the curry leaves and fry for a minute.

In a bowl, Take the Besan, turmeric powder, red chili powder, asafoetida and salt and mix it with water, to form a batter with a liquid consistency. This is a sure shot method of preparing a successful Pitla for beginners according to my mother-in-law. As when you make a batter, there wont be lumps and it will be easier to handle the cooking. Once it simmers. Garnish with coriander leaves. The Pitla is usually in liquid consistency like the Dal. So you can even mix it with rice and eat.

Serve the Pitla hot with chappatis or white rice.

PUDLA

PUDLA
The Pudla is like a gram flour Dosa made by the Gujaratis. Its usually an instant menu in most households. The picture of the Pudla in my blog is a flatter version as I feel if flat the Pudla gets cooked well and we dont get the raw gram flour smell. But usually the Pudla traditionally is a bit thicker something like our Uttappam.
Ingredients
2 cups – Gram flour (Besan)
1 Onion, very finely chopped
Finely chopped Ginger – 1 tbsp
Finely chopped Green Chilly – 1tbsp
Salt as required
Chilly powder as required
Coriander leaves
Oil
Method
Take a vessel and put the Besan in it. Add 1 cup water and stir to make a smooth batter. Add the salt, chilly powder, onion, ginger, chopped green chillies and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and set aside for 15 minutes.
Take a non stick tava, put one teaspoon of oil and spread it evenly on it. Keep the gas on a low flame. Stir the batter once and pour a ladle full of batter onto the Tava. Either spread it in a round fashion with the ladle as you do for dosa or tilt the pan to spread it (like making a crepe).
Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook, uncovered, until it becomes golden.
Repeat with remaining batter, stirring before using.
Remember that if you are doing the crepe method of tilting the tava. The flame should be low and the tava shouldn’t be very hot so you should keep sprinkling water after every pudla is done.
Enjoy the hot Pudlas with green coriander Chutney or Tomato Sauce.

MORU CHAARU

MORU CHAARU
This is an instant recipe. When you don’t have time and there is nothing else except sour buttermilk, tasty Moru chaaru is what u can make. It has all the qualities of moru chadam(curd rice) but tastes better.

Ingredients
Buttermilk – 2 cups
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Udad Dal (ulutham paruppu)– 1tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Red chillies – 1-2 broken into 2 pieces (according to taste)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig (if you have)
Salt to taste
Method
Heat Oil, splutter mustard, red chillies, Udad dal and fenugreek seeds and the sprig of curry leaves.
Pour buttermilk and add salt.
Remove from the flame before buttermilk comes to boil.
You can have it with rice and papadams
Its nutritious, good for health and tastes really awesome.

LIPS

LIPS

-To prevent your lips from chapping, use hot water fermentation on your lips and then apply a mixture of vaseline and honey. Apply this mixture about three times a week.
-To prevent your lips from drying you can use a ground mixture or rose petals and milk butter.
-Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause dryness of lips.

-Increase your water intake during winter to keep your lips look fresh. You can also humidify the rooms to deal with winter dryness.
-If in spite of water intake your lips seem dehydrated, apply cool wet cloth to hydrate lips. Also try to seal in the moisture with a lip balm. Apply lip balm every hour or two to treat dry lips and to keep them healthy. Use balm with an spf of at least 15 to save your lips from sun damage.
Don't lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn't moisturize them.
Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying.

-Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent your lips from chapping. Avoid using lipsticks that can dry out your lips.
-Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
-Chapped lips are also susceptible to infections. Apply over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to avoid infection.
-You can also try applying clarified butter or milk cream before going to bed for a few days.
-Other remedies that you could try are - rub a slice of cucumber on your lips, apply neem extract, and use aloe vera gel.

-A saline bath is also seen to help some people.
-If you're plagued by dark, almost black lips, here's what you could do: Mix equal amounts of almond oil, glycerin and honey with rose water, shake well and apply.??
-If your lips turn black, try this, Make a paste of milk cream, lime juice and honey and apply it to your lips and u will see the change in colour. If it is very black, use this concoction everyday till u see the results.