Health Fitness Food

spinach kebabs by Ritu Mendiratta tomato soup by Chitra Balachander cracked wheat dalia by Ritu Mendiratta chavanprash by Anita Chahal raw turmeric-ginger pickle by Sunita Sethi cough remedy by Anita Chahal Kullar by Nature Kahlon broccoli amla soup by Mandeep Kaur dahi gatte by Ritu Mendiratta home made chayavanprash by Radhika Maheswari chatpatte moth by Ritu Mendiratta Amla Candy by Parul Bansal

What is the history of Chola Sheb? How many of you know of its significance in Sikh history? Do you know the chola belongs to Shri Guru Nanak Dev? 2016 began on a great note. A ride through Himachal’s snowcapped hills, criss-crossing the Beas (Vipasha in ancient Hindu Texts) and the Satluj (Shatadru in the Rig Veda) umpteenth times, visit to mythological Shakti Peethas and stay at important gurudwaras (sikh pilgrimages) on the slopes of the Himalayas allowed enviable and relishing moments to savor. chola saheb - chola of guru Nanak The magnificent view of Bhakra Dam, serpentine mountainous roads at Bharwain, Kangra, Nadaun, and Naina Devi and imposing hills rising over  5,000 ft near Bilaspur still entice us to have that scintillating experience again and again. On top of it, it was a self-driving adventure through the hills. The food at local dhabas in Himachal was so inviting and worth relishing again. The chants of Jai Mata Di continue to r

mani- sweet sour Recently, I visited Dinanagar, my friend's place. Dinanagar is a small town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. The place is close to some hilly parts of Himachal Pradesh. This means the recipes of hill dwellers have fused with those of the bordering Punjab districts. So my friend introduced me to a pahari (hill) recipe, which is both sweet & sour. The tangy gravy makes a delightful accompaniment with rice and even roti. I enjoyed it today with rice, roti, and shalgam-aloo bharta . Without much ado, let's go to the recipe. I have altered the recipe a bit. Ingredients 8-10 imli (tamarind) pieces 1 tbsp sugar (or more if you want) 2 tbsp- besan (gram flour) 1/2 tsp- fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1 tbsp- mustard oil salt, turmeric kasuri methi (optional) coriander leaves (optional) Process Boil imil in 2 cups of water. Take a vessel. Add oil. Put methi dana. Next add besan. In the authentic version, they do not roast besan, rather, m

til ladoo Looking for a traditional Indian sweet recipe? This til ladoo recipe can come in handy. Loaded with benefits of sesame seeds, this easy and quick ladoo is inspired by Nature Kahlon's kullar recipe. gur til ladoo - winter sweets by Naturedeep Kahlon What's in the recipe? Til ladoo - 2-ingredient winter delicacy with a dash of walnuts.  No sugar, no butter, no heating required. Gather, churn, and bind - it's as simple as that! Explore the benefits of sesame seeds here . This winter sweet tastes good and is easy to churn and roll out :) In fact, this special Indian sweet recipe comes from our grandmoms who used to spend hours cleaning sesame seeds during winters, then dry roast them on chullahs, mix with jaggery powder, and bind the dough into balls with clarified butter or ghee. Fond childhood memories there. Having observed my grandmom do this for us all makes me luckier. Ingredients 2 tbsp til (sesame seeds) 1/2 tbsp g

Shalgam bharta ? Yes, you have heard it right! After alloo bharta, shalgam or turnip bharta would become a welcome addition to your dining table. cooking with turnips: bharta Shalgam or turnips aren't too welcome at my place, especially as a vegetable, though I love to munch on them in the form of salad. I decided to experiment with this vegetable loaded with vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and calcium, In fact, its slight bitter taste is attributed to its high calcium content. It is a proud member of the cruciferous vegetable family. According to WHFoods, "The glucosinolates in turnip greens are phytonutrients that can be converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) with cancer-preventing properties. All cruciferous vegetables have long been known to contain glucosinolates, but it has taken recent research to show us exactly how valuable turnip greens are in this regard." To know more about turnip benefits, please check here . Though these taste bland, t

shalgam chana dal Not fond of shalgam recipes or looking for more turnip recipes to tinker the taste buds of your loved ones? I know this may taste like a bland vegetable, but I love shalgam in every form - as salad, as chutney, as bharta, and as curry. I have even tried shalgam recipe as a snack. Now I am sharing a new turnip recipe in the form of a finger-licking good dal curry. A few days back a Bengali neighbor introduced me to this sumptuous chana dal shalgam recipe. I wanted to give it a try. Since hubby does not like turnip (shalgam), I found this recipe useful as I could include this healthy vegetable in our meals. When I tried it, hubby approved the recipe. Could I ask for more? If you have fussy eaters at home, who detest the very taste of turnip, then there is a way to bring  them to the dining table! Perhaps, you need just 2 key ingredients - chana dal (chickpea lentils/bengal gram) and turnips. Surprised? Well, make this healthylicious chana dal

oats atta cookies After a long break, it's time to bake another healthy cookie batch. This time I have experimented with baking with whole grains, so I have come up with oatmeal cookies with almond. Homemade cookies Ingredients atta cookies 1/2 cup- oats 1/2 cup- wheat flour 1/2 cup- besan (gram flour) 1/2 cup- suji (semolina) 1/2 cup- almond powder 1 tsp- baking powder 4 tbsp- ghee/butter 3 tbsp- oil 3 tbsp- sugar powder (you may add more, depending on your taste..I take less sugar) 1 tbsp- curd (optional) 2 tbsp- milk (or more if the dough feels too dry) 4-5 elaichi (cardamom) pieces, 1 small cinnamon stick (dalchini) Baking with whole grains Process oats cookies Grind oats. Grind almonds. Sieve baking powder, wheat flour, gram flour, suji. Mix almond powder. Add sugar. Add ghee, oil, curd, milk, elaichi, and cinnamon.  Put this mixture in a grinder. You may use your food processor...this will ensure instant mixing of ingr

A few days ago, my dear friend Nautre Kahlon posted a traditional Punjabi recipe on Facebook group Healthy Recipes by Homemakers . This sweet delicacy called Kullar, a true delight for many in Punjab and north India, made from sesame seeds (Til in North India) and jaggery (Gur) has been used by our grandparents to stay warm and get rid of debilitating joint pain during the cold winter days. This lip-smacking medicinal delicacy inspired me to explore its scientific basis. To my surprise, I discovered research papers that attested to its medicinal qualities. According to a recent report in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, sesame seeds are superior to most-used medicines as far as knee arthritis treatment is considered. Based on a report compiled by Azerbaijan’s Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, the study found that sesame seeds offer better and more effective results compared to common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) when prescribed to pati