DAHIWALE ALOO KI SUBZI

INGREDIENTS:
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp asafetida
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
3-4 curry leaves
1 green chilli, slit
250 g potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
2 tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp coriander- cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup curd, beaten and mixed with 1 tbsp Bengal gram flour
2tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
METHOD:
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and asafetida. When the seeds crackle, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and green chilli and sauté for a few seconds.
2. Now add the cubed potatoes, chilli powder, coriander- cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt and sauté till the masala coats the potatoes evenly.
3. Add half a cup of water and bring it to a boil.
4. Mix in the curd and let it boil while stirring continuously so that the gravy does not split.
5. Remove, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with mutter puris.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

Women are twice more likely to suffer from IBS than men and genetics and heredity play a role. You may be at a higher risk of IBS if it runs in families although you cannot predict whether a child of an affected parent will develop the disease. But the chances are about one in 20 that a blood relative also has IBS; either crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Have a healthy food habit it will surely reduce you from acquiring IBS to some extent.

SIMPLE EXRECISE AT HOME

AB CRUNCHES WITH EXTERNAL SUPPORT:
Lie down on your back with heels supported on a chair or stool. Place your hands below your head for support, absolutely straight. Pull your navel in and raise your shoulders while exhaling contracting the ab muscles. Inhale and slowly go down to the starting position. Repeat or perform the action 18-20 times over three sets for stronger abs.
STRETCH:
Lie down on your stomach, chin touching the floor, toes tucked in, and palms next to the chest. Inhale, as you raise your upper body stretching your abs, elbows straight. Shoulder should be open and the chest stretched out. Look up towards the ceiling; maintain normal breathing as you stay in this posture for 30 seconds to a minute.

HANDY HINTS FOR THE SUPER HOMEMAKER

1. Place carrots in a bowl of water to retain their freshness for a longer time. Make sure that you change the water every day.

2. While making any preparations with coconut milk, always add a pinch of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to the milk. This will prevent the milk from getting curdled.


3. To check if the baking powder is active, add one teaspoon of it to one-third cup of hot water. If the bubbles come up vigorously, it’s active and can be used

4. Dampen incense sticks before lighting them to enhance their fragrance and keep them burning for a longer time.

GUAVA PANHA

INGREDIENTS:
2 raw guavas
A pinch of pink food color
Sugar-as per requirement
A pinch of black salt
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
METHOD:
1. Boil the guavas in water till they become very soft. Drain out all the water and add a little pink color.
2. Strain the pulp.
3. Add sugar, black salt and cumin powder. Mix well.
4. Store in a sterilized bottle and refrigerate.
5. When you serve, pour 2 tsp of this mixture into a glass and top up with chilled water. Garnish with guava slices and serve chilled.

CANCER

About 10 per cent of cancers are inherited. If any of your family members has had cancer, it is possible for mutations to be passed on from one generation to the other generation to the other. Genetic screening can help you know whether you have inherited the mutation. Remember, inheriting a generic mutation does not necessarily mean that you will get cancer. Your genetic make-up together with lifestyle choices, your environment, etc. can put you at a greater risk to cancer. Experts estimate that5-10 per cent of breast cancer are linked to gene mutation passed through generation of family. If you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer, you have a greater risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. And yet many women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

FARAALI DAHI WADA

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh curd
2 tbsp milk
½ cup khajur-imli ki chutney
¼ cup green chutney (optional)
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
2tbsp coriander, finely chopped
Oil for cooking
A pinch of rock salt
FOR THE WADAS:
¼ cup samo flour (sanwa millet)
¾ cup bottle gourd, thickly grated
1 tsp ginger- green chilli paste
1 tsp ginger- green chilli paste
1tbsp fruit salt
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
METHOD:
1. Whisk the curds and milk together till smooth.
2. Add salt and mix well. Refrigerate to chill.
3. To prepare the wadas, combine all the ingredients, except oil, in a bowl and mix well.
4. Divide the mixture into 10- 12 equal portions and shape each portion into a roundel like a wada.
5. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and cook all the wadas, using a little oil, till both the sides are golden in color. Keep aside.
6. Now soak the wadas: drain and squeeze them gently.
7. Arrange these wadas on a serving plate and pour the prepared curds on it, then put khajur-imli ki chutney and green chutney on top.
8. Sprinkle roasted cumin powder on the wadas, garnish with shopped coriander and serve.

MUTTER KI PURI WITH DAHIWALE ALOO KI SUBZI

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp semolina
1 tsp ghee
½ tsp salt
FOR THE STUFFING:
1 ½ cups green peas, boiled
2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp fennel powder
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste
Ghee/oil for deep- frying
METHOD:
1. Combine the whole wheat flour, semolina, ghee and salt and knead to make a soft dough.
2. Divide this dough into 12 equal portions and keep aside.
3. To prepare the stuffing, first grind the green peas and green chillies into a fine paste without using water. Keep aside.
4. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
5. When the seeds crackle, add the green pea mixture, lemon juice, fennel powder, chaat masala and salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes dry. Keep aside.
6. Now divide this dough into small portions. Place a teaspoonful of the styffing in the center of the puri dough, seal the edges and roll out into puris.
7. Deep-fry the puris in ghee over medium heat
8. Remove and serve hot with dahiwale and serve hot with dahiwale aloo ki subzi.

HEART DISEASE

Your risk of heart disease increases with menopause. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease before the age of 65, especially if your mother or sister developed it at an early age. This goes hand in hand with metabolic syndrome-a combination of fat around your abdomen, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides, which have a greater impact on women than on men. Rich diet and food habits and regular exercise will avoid heart disease to some extent. Meditation and yoga also reduce of getting heart disease to some extent.

OBESITY

Being women, your genes can affect the stored amount of body fat and also the distribution of body fat. Genetics also influences the conversion of food into energy and how your body burns calories during exercise. Obesity can run in families. Similar eating habits, lifestyle and activities are generally inherited. Also, if both your parents are obese, your risk of being obese is increased. Exercise and diet is the only way to reduce your obesity without any side effects. So do exercise regularly and have a rich diet in your food habits.