Site at a station

haiku

Bright and shine

the day starts to wind

i gather the autumn leaves

Harsh reality of life

textures and abstracts

Haldi ka doodh (Turmeric milk)

It’s been a fortnight I had an accident and damaged the shoulder.  I am succumbed to bed and mercy of lord. Though my kind and lovely friends are there, all the time to look after me. Yes am blessed with good friends. Some make me laugh, some keep me distracted from pain, few keep worrying about my health and there is one who doesn’t hesitate to apply his medicinal knowledge on me. These days, every morning am being fed with haldi wala doodh (turmeric milk). I googled the properties and medicinal benefits of turmeric in healing.Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

I was having doubts about the recipe of turmeric milk i was given. I inquired with a colleague working in ayurveda section of my hospital. He told me there are various ways to make haldi ka doodh.Here is the recipe he told me for my healing:In a pan take 2tsf of desi ghee (pure ghee), heat it. Add 2tsf of turmeric powder. After 30 sec add 200ml of milk and sugar(as per your taste). Boil and serve.You can add ginger bud in ghee for sore throat.Add cardamom or saffron for flavourAdd ajwain for gastric problems.  

untitled

need some zing to life
final fling to jive

Shades of devil

I travel in stillness

the faith keeps me grounded

chick pea cutlet or diet cutlets

A heavy snack is what i crave for after a busy afternoon. They say snacking is not healthy for my knees. Well a health conscious foodie can be creative sometimes and make snacking lil bit healthier, rich in protein, low in calories and fats.

I came up with an idea of diet cutlets. Well the name diet has become rave these days and i have observed that diet food is not as delicious as fried crisp ahhhannn food.

Here i go with my chickpea cutlets.

Boil 100 gms of chickpea (chole) and 100 gm of desi channa(black pea). Mash them properly. Add chopped coriander, ginger garlic paste 1tsf, black pepper, chaat masala, salt (as per taste, mind well chaat masala has salt in it as well).  Mix properly and make a thick batter. Now make rolls of batters like cutlets (tikki). Take some oats (regular oat meal from your breakfast drawer) and sprinkle over the cutlets. (oats is healthier option than bread crumps. And they are more crispier than bread crumps).

Now shallow fry in regular vegetable oil on a pan. Or you can bake it as well.

Serve it with coriander chutney.

Father and the Child

A Father's Treasure

"Don't you see 

that children are God's best gift, 

the fruit of the womb 

his generous legacy? 

Like a warrior's fistful of arrows 

are the children of a vigorous youth. 

Oh, how blessed are you parents, 

with your quivers full of children! 

Your enemies 

don't stand a chance against you; 

you'll sweep them right off 

your doorstep." 

(Psalm 127:3-5, MSG)

YOU

blinded in your love
i see nothing,
the differences;
between small and big.

YOU teach me
how to live,
forget the past;
learn to forgive.

sun rise

The Awakening

Kopra pak or Coconut barfi

The festive season is around the corner. With just a warm good bye to ganpati, i could not resist the mithai we generally offer to the idol. Before the price of sugar sores, lemme enjoy the extremes of my cravings for desserts... it was a dull day and in no mood to go out for grocery. I thought of enjoying my Sunday eve with the most common sweet made in Indian houses.

“Kopra pak or coconut barfi”

A quick 15 min recipe needs 1 kg sugar, 250 gm of desiccated coconut powder (yes i use plenty of coconut. I am fond of coconut. One can titrate the quantity of coconut as per owns palate) 2tsf of desi ghee, 50gm of milkmaid (condensed milk) and pinch of cardamom powder for flavour.

I prefer desiccated coconut powder instead of fresh one as it doesn’t release oil on heating.

Here we go: in a pan, heat sugar with 100gm of water and make  syrup, thick enough to produce three threads. In another pan heat milkmaid, add coconut powder and mix cardamom powder. Mix properly. Once syrup is ready, add the milkmaid batter to syrup gradually and stirring constantly making sure no lumps left. Grease the tray with ghee. Pour the mixture onto the tray. Freeze it for ten to fifteen minutes. Now cut the cubes once set. Garnish with coconut powder.

Easy to go... lemme know how it tastes.