World of Books and Travel

  More and more people are opting for millet food, realizing its amazing health benefits.  As you know, the year 2023 was named as International day of Millets.  I use millets almost on a daily basis, for various recipes. I am sharing a foxtail millet pongal recipe with you. Foxtail millets are tiny seeds covered in a thin, crispy hull and are available in a light yellow-brownish colour.   Ingredients required Fox Millet - 1 cup Moong dal - 1 cup Wash these two and keep aside.  1 piece of ginger -chopped 1 tsp. cumin seeds  1 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. asafoetida powder 1 tablsp. cashew nuts - broken 2 green chillies - chopped curry leaves 1 tsp. mustard seeds Preparation Keep a cooker on the stove, add 1 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil When it is heated add half of the cumin seeds, half of ginger pieces, half of black pepper and the chopped chillies.  When it is ready, add 4-5 cup water, add salt and bring it to boil.  Add the millet and moong dal int...

 Recently I came to know that betel leaf  has several health benefits.  Betel leaves have got many health benefits, if used in the right way. It is widely used in Ayurveda treatments. Betel leaves do not have any harmful effects when used alone.  But if betel leaves are used with betel nut (areca nut) or tobacco,  it can cause cancer since they are carcinogenic. Nutrients in Betel Leaf In a 100g serving of Betel leaf, the nutrients are Calories: 61 Fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 6g Fibre: 1.8g Protein: 3g Betel leaves have numerous  health benefits. Betel leaves are good source of calcium. Additionally, they also contain vitamins like vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and riboflavin. Betel leaves possess analgesic, antibiotic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic properties. H ealth Benefits  1. Helpful for Diabetes - Betel leaf can help reduce glucose levels in your blood.  2. Reduces cholesterol - The eugenol content in betel leav...

  Nutritious and delicious Mulberry leaves Recipe                                                                     Mulberry leaves recipe Mulberry leaves are used in traditional medicines as a natural medicine for a variety of sicknesses because of their high nutritional values. They  are rich in plant compounds like polyphenol antioxidants, as well as vitamin C, zinc, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.  In traditional Chinese medicine, mulberry leaf is used to treat inflammation, colds, and antiviral illnesses.                                               Mulberry leaves Health benefits Compounds found in mulberry leaves may help lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and...

  Last week,   during my morning stroll in my garden, I saw the shallot spring onion ready to be harvested. Immediately, I had an idea to make an easy recipe with it, when it is fresh.  As we all know spring onion comes with several health benefits. It is used in various ways. Usually, I use them in noodles, salads, etc. “Cookery is not chemistry .  It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.” —  Marcel Boulestin Today I had a different idea. I tried with tur dal. Cooked some tur dal well in the cooker. Later, I added one medium-sized tomato chopped, turmeric powder, chili powder, and 2 green chilies slit, salt and cooked for 3 minutes. By then, I had ground 2 tablespoons of coconut with cumin seeds ready and added it to the curry. When it was almost ready to boil, I added the chopped shallot spring onions and cooked for about 1 minute. It should not be cooked for more time, to avoid its nutrition loss. Finally, I seasoned it wit...

  Fenugreek leaves Benefits Fenugreek leaves are considered as one of the healthiest green leafy vegetables used in various cuisines especially in India. They are little bitter in taste, but highly nutritious and medicinal herbs. They can be prepared as main dish or side dish.  1. Helps to regulate blood sugar Fenugreek can regulate glucose in the blood and thus helpful to diabetes patients. 4HO-Ile is an amino acid present in fenugreek with anti-diabetic properties. It stimulates insulin secretion and increases insulin sensitivity. Therefore, this helps to maintain steady blood glucose levels. Thus,  fenugreek leaves  can help in the prevention of Type II diabetes.  2. Good for skin and hair health. Fenugreek  prevents wrinkles and also delays the signs of ageing. It also has healing properties. It contains mucilage and can even moisturise dry skin.  Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids prevent follicle inflammation that prevents hair loss, and promotes hair gr...

Garlics is a widely used spice  in cooking  all over the world.  From ancient time garlic is used for culinary purpose because of its various health benefits.  There is documented evidence of its use by  many major civilizations  including Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, and Romans.  Trusted Sourc including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Indians It is  antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, immunomodulatory, cardiovascular protective, anticancer, hepatoprotective, digestive system protective, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, neuroprotective, and renal protective properties. 1. Garlic is helpful in reducing cholesterol level.  Garlic contains a bioactive compound called allicin. That is helping to reduce cholesterol level. Another  study from the Institute of Lipid and Atherosclerosis Research in Israel suggested that allicin blocks the production of the "bad" form of cholesterol. Another study conducted...