World of Books and Travel

  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...

Ginger has got a great role in our life. It has several health benefits and hence it is used both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Ginger c ontains gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties. 1. It aids digestion. 2. It helps to combat muscle pain. 3. Ginger helps in reducing joint and arthritis pain. 4. It works against nausea, including pregnancy related nausea.. 5. Ginger is helping in reducing Asthma. 6. It may also help in lowering blood sugar and improve heart health. 7. It may also help in lowering cholesterol levels. How to use Ginger? Ginger is used in our daily cooking. It can also be used to make ginger tea, and in smoothies.

  We had visited The new Model Village set at Jakkur when my grandchildren came on holidays last month. The new model village  is a very popular tourist attraction in Bangalore. It is spread across four acres of land within Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Education and opened to the public in late 2020.   What is so special about this model village, you may wonder. A visit to this place will give you a glimpse to village life   and   how the villages function. It is a close to reality   sculptural journey with more than 1000 sculptures, into the cultural heritage of Karnataka's villages. You can see various depictions of village life like siblings playing in a house, classes conducted in a village school, the role of domestic animals in the life of villagers, how the letters are delivered by a postman, how a panchayat works, and home scenes from a regular day in a village and more.  It is a great place to take your city born children to know about ...