Monday

Turmeric And Salvation

If you ever wanted to know what is wrong with "alternative medicine" you need go no further than this post. The author takes every possibility and explodes it into a probability. She takes every hint and rumor and explodes it into a verity. Turmeric is a fine spice with a long history and many uses beyond the obvious. But the chances it can fulfill all they hyped-up possibilities of the post are nil.

If you are interested in reading a bad example, click on the link just below this comment.


Super Spice Secrets:


Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer's and Arthritis?



By Dr. Mercola

Take 1/4 tea spoon of tumeric and 1/4 tea spoon of ginger powder add 1/2 tea spoonof pure honey in cup of warm water. Drink it 2 to 3 times a week. A real GURU.


For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.. Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery flavor, this yellow-orange spice has more recently earned a name for itself in Western medicine as well.Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to Indonesia and southern India, and is widely used as an ingredient in curry dishes and yellow mustard. As research into this powerful spice has increased, it has emerged as one of nature’s mostpowerful potential healers.Said Dr. David Frawely, founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico:




“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose the Indian spice Turmeric. There is little it cannot do in the realm of healing and much that no other herb is able to accomplish.Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects, and is beneficial for long term and daily usage. Though it is a common spice, few people, including herbalists know of its great value and are using it to the extent possible. It is an herb that one should get to know and live with.”




Turmeric’s Beneficial Effects in a Nutshell

Strengthens and improves digestion


Reduces gas and bloating
Assists in the digestion of protein and with rice and bean dishes
Improves your body's ability to digest fats
Promotes proper metabolism, correcting both excesses and deficiencies
Maintains and improves intestinal flora
Improves elimination of wastes and toxins

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Friday

Learn how to cook Punjabi cuisine

Learn how to cook Punjabi cuisine

Do you suffer from cough, cold, nausea, liver dysfunction, stress, or high blood pressure? Instead of collecting pharmaceuticals, why not try a spice-stocked plate of tandoori chicken?





Mumbai is a Coastal City

By: Douglas Scott

Mumbai is the capital of the state of Maharashtra and is located on India’s western coast on the Arabian Sea. The seven islands Colaba, Mahim, Parel, Mazagaon, Old Womans Island, Wadala, and Matunga Sion were joined together to form Mumbai.


The principal part of the cities is concentrated at the southern claw shaped end of the island. The southernmost peninsula is known as Colaba. It has a decent range of hotels and restaurants and is home to the two of the citys best landmarks the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. Directly north of Colaba is the area known as the Fort, since this is where the old British fort once stood. Further west is Marine Drive, which sweeps around Back Bay, connecting the high rise modern business centre with Chowpatty Beach. To the north are the suburbs of Greater Mumbai. Here youll find the two airports, Sahar International and the domestic Santa Cruz.


It is never too hot or too cold in Mumbai and since it is a coastal city there is not much change in the temperature throughout the year. Due to its proximity to the sea the weather is humid throughout the year.


Mumbai is famous for its fast food consisting of vada pavs, batata vadas and bhel puri. Apart from its famous fast food, Mumbai offers lot of culinary variety such as South Indian, Chinese, Punjabi, Mughlai, Thai, Mexican and Lebanese. Amongst drinks the ubiquitously available coconut water is the most popular. Tea and coffee are the other popular beverages.


It is a city that never sleeps. No matter what time of night you venture out you will find substantial number of people on streets and roads. The city is famous for its vibrant night life. There are plenty of bars and clubs to suit every taste.


Mumbai is a shoppers paradise. From swanky air conditioned shops of big brands to street markets that involve hard bargaining, Bombay caters to shopper of every hue. There are niche-shopping areas for different items. Some of the famous shopping localities of Bombay are Crawford Market, Chor Bazaar, Colaba Causeway, and Fashion Street.


Juhu beach is one of the most famous beaches of India. It is also one of the most posh localities of Mumbai and home to many famous film personalities.


Chowpatty beach is one of the major tourist attractions of Mumbai and the site of many religious ceremonies. One can witness annual thread tying ceremony initiating young boys into the Brahmin caste, and the Nariel Purnima towards the end of the monsoons at the Chowpatty. But the place reaches it climax during Ganesha Chaturthi when lakhs of people congregate at Chowpatty and the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in the sea.


Douglas Scott works for The Rental Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Mumbai Rental Site

Article Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/24173/mumbai-is-a-coastal-city


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Thursday

Tex-Indian Cooking

Suneeta Vaswani Talks Indian Cooking



photo credit

Foul-smelling asafetida (more familiar to Western diners as Beano) is paired with many lentil dishes to make them easier to digest. The odor is neutralized during cooking, Vaswani said; a half-teaspoon for a pot of bean soup is plenty.



Famous Indian Spices

By: David H. Urmann

Indian Cuisines are one of the most diverse in the world. They are famous for their distinct and flavorful spices. See some of the famous Indian spices here.


Indian cuisine is known to be one of the world’s most delicious and diverse cuisines. Their meals are known to have the intense spicy tastes also rich in aroma taste. Spicy aroma flavor is the trademark of the Indian cuisines. Indians are known to be the origin of thousands of spice blends available in the world.


This is the main reason why their meals never run out of that spicy and aroma taste. This is the main essence of the Indian cooking ingredients. The food prepared by the chefs in India are being judged base on the blending of spices. These foods should achieve the Indian exotic warmth and pungency.


A recipe would not be called an Indian cuisine if the ingredients do not have Indian spices. Most Indian cooking ingredients include rice, atta and bean dishes. These are blended with some of the most important spices that Indians normally use. These important Indian spices include chili pepper, ginger, seed of black mustard, fenugreek, coriander and asafetida.


These spices are just some of the many in India but these are the most commonly used in the country. The Indian cooking ingredients may be difficult to prepare but cooking the whole recipe only takes minutes if you have the complete ingredients.


Since Indian spices are known to be the best spices worldwide, many people buy them for cooking different kinds of cuisines. The Indian dishes are best consumed within three months from the date of purchase. The true taste of the spices usually last only up to three months. After that, the spices usually losses its original taste.


Many people advise to get the whole spices because it ensures tastier flavors and is fresh. It is better than powdered spices that lose its freshness in just a shorter time. Since the Indian cuisine is categorized in four categories, each region in India has their own signature spices. Each region is known for their unique food ingredients and spices.


There are people who do not tolerate too much spicy food. What do Indian chefs do then? They simply take out the seeds and white pit of the spices before applying the chilies on the dish. The spice is lessened greatly this way because most of the spice is concentrated on the seeds. The intense flavor of the spices can burst out after the spices have been heated with ghee in a pan.


The most common Indian Medicine that uses great number of spices is the Ayurveda. This is an Indian medicine that combines prevention and cure. Ayurveda uses spices in preventing diseases. They have a list that they can use as medicines. These spices include pepper, turmeric paste, ginger, cardamom and coriander.


The pepper is for digestive ailments. Burns and itchy skin can be cured by turmeric paste. Ginger can give remedy to anemia, liver complaints and rheumatism. A dose of cardamom is best for fever, headaches, nausea, or eye diseases. Coriander is for internal disorders.


Another of their well known seasoning is the masala. This is a spice mixed with Indian sauces. The liquid of this masala creates a harmonious blend when mixed with water or vinegar. The spices good for desserts are cumin, pepper, turmeric and coriander. Sweets use cinnamon, saffron and cardamoms.


These spices are very important to them and have largely become integral in their cooking traditions. It makes their cooking distinct and separate from the other international cuisines.


For more information on Kitchen Mixers and ombo Toaster Ovens Please visit our website.

Article Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/309208/famous-indian-spices


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Wednesday

Chicken Tikka Masala

What’s for Supper?

I grew up here in Janesville [Wisconsin, USA - ed.] and ate supper every night. For some reason, when I went away to college I got all uppity and switched to eating “dinner” as my evening meal. And my “dinner”, formerly eaten over the noon hour, became my lunch. Got it? I would come home for the weekend from school with laundry and attitude and roll my eyes whenever my mom would tell me to grab some hamburger out of the freezer for supper. Wide eyed, I would ask, “Do you mean dinner?” Like I had no idea what she meant.


Yes, I was a pill.



About the recipe she is about to give, the author writes:

Chicken Tikka Masala, an Anglo/Indian dish I’ve been making for several years. It actually does not exist as a dish in India but is very popular in England


Here is a youtube video of someone who claims to be an authentic Indian chef who makes something which he claims to be authentic Indian Chicken Tikka Masala


And here’s another claim of a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe

Indian Meals: What To Have For Breakfast & Lunch?

By: John Hacking


Australians on vacation love a big breakfast to get them ready for the day’s discoveries. Many Australians also love Indian food. In South India breakfast foods also appear at other times during the day as snacks. Everywhere in the south you will come across idlis (spongy, round, fermented rice cakes), which are accompanied by chutney (chatni, often coconut) or sambar and frequently both. Usually, idlis are served in portions of two at once.


Also popular, and often eaten with idlis, are vadai, which are deep-fried dhal and vegetable cakes (sometimes called ulundu vadai in South India). These come with a sambar and chutney. Less common is uppuma, which is a savoury dish made from semolina, pounded rice, vegetables and spices. Puttu is a sweet breakfast dish made of pounded rice and coconut.


Equally popular throughout southern India, eaten as lunch or breakfast, are the wafer-like pancakes called dosa. Dosas come in a number of different forms: masala dosa (a lentil-flour pancake stuffed with a potato masala); uttapam (a thicker dosa topped with chopped spiced vegetables); and paper, or semolina, dosa (lacy, thinner than other dosa and with no filling). Dosas usually come with coconut chutney and a sambar, and are generally about the size of a plate, but sometimes they are larger. Think of them as southern India’s answer to pizza ! Udipi in Karnataka is considered the home of the masala dosa.


In Kerala especially you will come across appams, which are pancakes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk. The final product is crispy at the edges and rather like a pikelet in the middle. Appams are often accompanied by a hard-boiled egg in a curry sauce and this is a snack you’ll find in chai shops everywhere. Idiyappams come in vermicelli strands which are often served with milk and sugar as a dessert.


Other snacks that you’ll find in chai shops everywhere are samosas (triangular pastries stuffed with curried vegetables), namkin (spiced nibbles), bhaji (bite-sized pieces of vegetable dipped in chickpea flour), bonda (spiced potato or vegetable balls dipped in batter and deep fried), pakora (deep-fried vegetable cakes), sundal (spiced whole chickpeas), purr (deep-fried rounds of bread usually served with spiced potatoes) and paratha (flaky, pan-fried bread usually served with spiced vegetables including onion),


For the Meat-Eater

Although South Indians are predominantly vegetarian due to the expense of meat, carnivorous meals are widely available, eaten mainly by the Muslim and Christian communities. Goat (known as ‘mutton’ since the days of the Raj even though it isn’t sheep), lamb and chicken are the mainstays (religious rules forbid Hindus from eating cattle and Muslims from eating pork).


You’ll find biryanis (rice-based dishes made with meat, dried fruits, nuts and with added spices), kebabs, chicken tikka (succulent pieces of marinated chicken on a skewer) and the ubiquitous tandoori chicken (marinated with a blend of spices called tandoori masala and cooked in a special clay tandoor oven). In Mumbai, you can sample the Parsi’s signature dish, dhansak (a one-pot wonder consisting of meat and vegetables in a spicy puree of several dhals).


Goa, with its Portuguese and Christian influences, is famous for the eye-watering vindaloo, a pork curry made in a marinade of vinegar and garlic. Be warned it is hot. And remember there is a difference between Indian hot and Australian hot!


Other pork specialities include chourisso (Goan sausage) and a pig’s liver dish known as sorpotel. Xacuti, a spicy chicken or meat dish, is another Goan speciality. Chicken sukka is made with grated coconut and coconut milk.


You will never run out of intersting foods to try in India. It’s imaginative, affordable and very, very tasty.

If you’re looking for inexpensive international flights visit studentflights.com.au. Student Flights have outstanding round the world flights travel packages that means value-for-money travel for young people and the young at heart. STSF3010084


Article Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/196891/indian-meals-what-to-have-for-breakfast-lunch


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Tuesday

Paav Bhaji – Indian street food (Bread & Vegetables

Paav Bhaji – Indian street food (Bread & Vegetables)

Every time I prepare this humble dish, I am reminded of noisy streets, loud street-food vendors and hungry crowds. Why you ask? Because this dish reminds me of the quintessential Mumbai element that is street food.


Indian Meals: What To Have For Breakfast & Lunch?

By: John Hacking
Australians on vacation love a big breakfast to get them ready for the day’s discoveries. Many Australians also love Indian food. In South India breakfast foods also appear at other times during the day as snacks. Everywhere in the south you will come across idlis (spongy, round, fermented rice cakes), which are accompanied by chutney (chatni, often coconut) or sambar and frequently both. Usually, idlis are served in portions of two at once.
Also popular, and often eaten with idlis, are vadai, which are deep-fried dhal and vegetable cakes (sometimes called ulundu vadai in South India). These come with a sambar and chutney. Less common is uppuma, which is a savoury dish made from semolina, pounded rice, vegetables and spices. Puttu is a sweet breakfast dish made of pounded rice and coconut.
Equally popular throughout southern India, eaten as lunch or breakfast, are the wafer-like pancakes called dosa. Dosas come in a number of different forms: masala dosa (a lentil-flour pancake stuffed with a potato masala); uttapam (a thicker dosa topped with chopped spiced vegetables); and paper, or semolina, dosa (lacy, thinner than other dosa and with no filling). Dosas usually come with coconut chutney and a sambar, and are generally about the size of a plate, but sometimes they are larger. Think of them as southern India’s answer to pizza ! Udipi in Karnataka is considered the home of the masala dosa.
In Kerala especially you will come across appams, which are pancakes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk. The final product is crispy at the edges and rather like a pikelet in the middle. Appams are often accompanied by a hard-boiled egg in a curry sauce and this is a snack you’ll find in chai shops everywhere. Idiyappams come in vermicelli strands which are often served with milk and sugar as a dessert.
Other snacks that you’ll find in chai shops everywhere are samosas (triangular pastries stuffed with curried vegetables), namkin (spiced nibbles), bhaji (bite-sized pieces of vegetable dipped in chickpea flour), bonda (spiced potato or vegetable balls dipped in batter and deep fried), pakora (deep-fried vegetable cakes), sundal (spiced whole chickpeas), purr (deep-fried rounds of bread usually served with spiced potatoes) and paratha (flaky, pan-fried bread usually served with spiced vegetables including onion),
For the Meat-Eater
Although South Indians are predominantly vegetarian due to the expense of meat, carnivorous meals are widely available, eaten mainly by the Muslim and Christian communities. Goat (known as ‘mutton’ since the days of the Raj even though it isn’t sheep), lamb and chicken are the mainstays (religious rules forbid Hindus from eating cattle and Muslims from eating pork).
You’ll find biryanis (rice-based dishes made with meat, dried fruits, nuts and with added spices), kebabs, chicken tikka (succulent pieces of marinated chicken on a skewer) and the ubiquitous tandoori chicken (marinated with a blend of spices called tandoori masala and cooked in a special clay tandoor oven). In Mumbai, you can sample the Parsi’s signature dish, dhansak (a one-pot wonder consisting of meat and vegetables in a spicy puree of several dhals).
Goa, with its Portuguese and Christian influences, is famous for the eye-watering vindaloo, a pork curry made in a marinade of vinegar and garlic. Be warned it is hot. And remember there is a difference between Indian hot and Australian hot!
Other pork specialities include chourisso (Goan sausage) and a pig’s liver dish known as sorpotel. Xacuti, a spicy chicken or meat dish, is another Goan speciality. Chicken sukka is made with grated coconut and coconut milk.
You will never run out of intersting foods to try in India. It’s imaginative, affordable and very, very tasty.
If you’re looking for inexpensive international flights visit studentflights.com.au. Student Flights have outstanding round the world flights travel packages that means value-for-money travel for young people and the young at heart. STSF3010084
Article Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/196891/indian-meals-what-to-have-for-breakfast-lunch

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Monday

Holi 2010


photo credit: Reuters | Men daubed in colours celebrate the re-enactment of a local tradition of "Lathmar Holi", also known as the festival of colours, celebrated at Nandgaon village near the northern Indian city of Mathura

Technically, Holi is not a spice festival, it is a festival of colors [or, as Indians spell the word, colours]. People throw powdered colors all over each other and generally have a good time. When I was in India for a year I was in southern India. I was told southern Indian Holi celebrations are sedate compared to the celebrations in the north. Guess where this wonderful picture was taken.

Mathura's Historic Places - Land of Krishna
By: David Urmann

The Land of Krishna is also known as Mathura. This is the place said to be where Krishna had lived most of his life. Because of this belief, the place is flocked daily to witness where Krishna used to wander along. The significant connection of the place to Krishna makes it a popular tourist destination in modern times.

The Land of Krishna has four major attractions: the Dwarkadhist Temple, Mathura Museum, Khrisna Janambhoomi and Kasum Sarovar.

The Dwarkadhish temple is a very important temple all over India. It was built in 1814 at the heart of Mathura city. It is managed by the Vallabhacharya sect's followers. This is the most visible temple in Mathura. Visitors are awed by just the unique architecture.

The person behind the construction of the temple was the treasurer of the Gwalior state, namely, Seth Gokul Das Parikh. He dedicated this temple to Lord Krishna because he was a staunch devotee back then.

The temple shows an excellent artwork. It bears the images of not just the Lord Krishna but also of Krishna's beloved (named Radha), and the deities of Hindu. The aesthetics of the temple include the intricate carvings and paintings. This temple is the place where most of the important activities like Holi, Janmashtmi and Dipawali are held.

The Mathura Museum is now called the Government Museum of Mathura. It holds a collection of sculpture belonging to the Mathura School of Art. It is a leading museum all over India, with Sir F.S. Growse as the founder in the year 1874. This is also a leading research center in the Mathura School of Sculpture.

The museum sits in the historic Dampier Park. The building itself is very beautiful to see with an unusual octagonal shape. It is made of red sandstone. It has the splendid collection of Kushana sculptures. These sculptures are the largest and most vivid.

Mathura also holds proudly other collections of stone sculpture and terracotta. It also has a wide collection of magnificent silver and copper coins, ancient pottery, paintings, gold, clay seals and bronzes among others.

The Krishna Janambhoomi is the most visited spot in India. It has been named the Krishna Janambhoomi because it was believed to be Lord Krishna's birthplace. The word Janambhoomi comes from the Hindi words Janam meaning birth, and Bhoomi meaning place.

Old folks believe that the King Kansa, who was the ruler of Mathura, was a very cruel ruler. Ha was prophesied that the one who will kill him will be the son of his sister. Upon hearing this, he brought his sister and brother-in-law to prison. Thus, it was said that Lord Krishna was born in this prison until he became slay. There have been excavation of word about this story in the building itself.

This temple was made in the 20th century. It has a marking of the original birth spot of Krishna. It was said that the room for Krishna's birth place was the Kesava Deo temple. It has a very tight security that cordons the area to keep the visitors from touching the old items displayed. These are very old items that the temple is trying to preserve for as long as they can.

The Kusum Sarovar is a bathing place of the olden days. It was also where milkmaids had picked flowers for Krishna. Now it is a tourist attraction that highly elicits feelings of peace and serenity to all its visitors.

For more information on Mathura Shopping (http://www.mathurahotels.com/shopping.php) and Mathura Healthcare (http://www.mathurahotels.com/healthcare.php)please visit our website.

Article Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/250887/mathuras-historic-places-land-of-krishna

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Sunday

Spices: emerging threat or clear and present danger?

Spices: emerging threat or clear and present danger?

Over the last several years, there have been multiple outbreaks linked to, and recalls of, various kinds of spices. From white pepper, to red pepper, to black pepper and beyond, spices are a potentially ideal vehicle for the transmission of foodborne disease. More and more people are becoming ill from contaminated spices, and more and more recalls are occurring. So is this problem merely an emerging threat? Or is it a problem that food producers must confront here and now, finding ways to better ensure the safety of the consumers they profit from.

The cited article makes very interesting reading. After a quick glance it did not appear as if India is a serious offender. Many other spice supplying countries appear to have much worse records. Here is a quote from the article’s concluding section:

So what are we to do?

Certainly, the solution does not lie in not using the product. Very few, even among those who truly know the scope of the problem, will stop using spices altogether. And nor does the solution lie in preventing US food companies from using imported spices. These solutions are both totally unrealistic, forcing the bottom line conclusion that the food companies themselves must act as a buffer against the purchase, manufacture, and distribution of contaminated spices.

With respect to spices, the buck stops with the industry. It is time for the process of irradiation to gain a stronger foothold in the United States with respect to all products, and most definitely with respect to those food products that carry the greatest risk.

Consumer health is an important issue, it goes without saying. There may be quibbles with parts of the cited article. But that doesn’t make the issue any less important. India must make sure its products are safe and desirable by all users worldwide.

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