Month / Mar 2020

by Aman Sharma

Food to beat boredom at home.

We all know what we all are going through. The deadly virus has taken all over the world and has affected our economies and mostly importantly our personal lives. This is the fight which we can only win by staying inside. This might sound difficult but this is the least that we can do for our betterment. When the doctors, Police officers, cleaning person etc. are staying away from their homes and family just to ensure our safety. Stay inside today for a better tomorrow outside. Maintain social distance and keep proper hygiene inside your place. Keep washing your hands often. Now coming back to this blog, as we all are staying home it is the right time to make the most of this time which we normally don’t get in our daily lives. Cook yourself good meals, read books, Painting, spend time with the family or just watch your favorite movies and chill. While in this quarantine period one thing that most of us are missing the snacks or street food that we used to eat. I am fond of rolls so I decided to treat myself with some veg. rolls. They are super easy to make and also very delicious. Usually most people are strict to their diet plans and normally don’t eat their favorite food, so it is the right time to have a bite of your favorite snack. Below I am sharing the recipes of the rolls. You can make them for yourself and family.

Kathi roll

1- Kathi rolls– Wheat flour- 1 cup, Oil to cook, Salt- according to taste, Green sauce- 1/2 cup, Chaat masala (mix spice powder)- 1 small tbsp.

For filling roll- Potato- 1-1/2 cup (boiled and cut into small pieces), turmeric 1/8 small tbsp., Red chili powder- 1/5 small tbsp., coriander- 1/2 small tbsp., Garam masala (mix of ground spices)- 1/2 small tbsp. water- 2 big tbsp., Oil- 1 big tbsp., Cumin (zeera)- 1/2 small tbsp., Green chili- 1 finally cut, Coriander- 1 big tbsp. finally chopped, Mint- finally cut.

For salad- Capsicum, Cabbage, Carrot, Onions- 2Xeach small finally cut into long slices

Directions- Make a dough of the floor by adding salt into it and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. Now add all the salad ingredients in bowl and keep them aside. Now take one other bowl, add 2 tbsp. water and add all the filling material along with spices and mix them well. Now put pan on flame and put 1 tbsp oil in it. Put jeera(cumin), green chili and cook it for little. Now add filling material into it and stir it for 2-3 minutes. Turn on the flame and let it cool at normal temperature. Until then pick the flour and mix it once again, now make small balls out of it and make flat round shapes for rolls. Heat them well from both sides. Now apply green sauce on it, fill it with material and add salad on top of it. Sprinkle a little chaat masala over it and wrap it. Your kathi roll is ready.

Spring roll

2- Spring rolls–   Ingredients required- Whole wheat flour, Cabbage-1 finally chopped into long slices, Cheese- 100g meshed, green chili- 1 finally cut, ginger- 1/2 inch meshed, black pepper and Red chili powder- 1/4 small tbsp. Soya sauce- 1 small tbsp. (optional), salt- according to taste, oil- for frying it.

Directions- Mix whole wheat flour with water and make a thin batter of it. Keep it aside for at least an hour so it can become fluffy. After that heat up a pan and add 1 big tbsp. of oil in it.

Add green chili, ginger, cabbage, cheese and cook it for a minute. Now add black pepper, red chili powder, soya sauce, salt and mix it. Let it cool down. Now heat up a non-stick pan and spread 1 small tbsp. of oil on it. Lightly clean it with a cloth or napkin so there is not much oil on it. Now spread the batter in a circular shape when the pan heats up a little. Heat the spread from both sides. After that add the material on it and roll the edges inwards. Do this from all sides to turn it into a roll. After this shallow fry it and they are ready to eat. Serve it with mint sauce.

Bread roll

3- Veg. Bread rolls– Ingredients- Bread slice- 2, Cumin (zeera)- 1/4 small tbsp. Carrots- 1 finally chopped, peas- 2 big tbsp. Beans- 4 finally chopped, Onions- 2 finally chopped, Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 small tbsp. Turmeric powder- a pinch, red chili powder- 1/2 small tbsp. Coriander powder- 1 small tbsp. Garam masala (mix of ground spices)- a pinch, Salt- according to taste, Mint- 1 big tbsp. Curry leaves- 5pc, oil- to fry.

Directions- Heat up 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and roast or temper cumin and curry leaves in it. After that add onions and ginger-garlic paste and stir until onions get a little soft. Now add carrots, beans, peas and salt and stir it gently. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and ground spice mixture and roast it a little. Sprinkle coriander leaves over it and remove the pan from stove. Cut the bread corners and press it a little. Fill the bread with mixture and roll it once done. Seal the roll by applying a touch of water over it gently. Don’t press too hard or else it will tear up. Shallow fry them until a little golden brown. Ready to eat. Serve them with any of your favorite choice.

So this were the recipes of my favorite rolls that I love to eat and cooked for myself. You can also add up your favorite veggies in the rolls or can customize it according to your preference. Just keep in mind to wash your hands properly and maintain a clean hygiene. The whole world is fighting against and we all have to play our role by staying in.  STAY IN! STAY SAFE!

Thank you,

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by Aman Sharma

Living room according to vastu.

Living room is a place where you spend most of the family time together. Cherish memories with loved ones. This is the place where your guest are entertained once they enter your house. So it is very essential to make your living room according to vastu to have positive vibes in your house. Below are preferred location for a living room in the house.

 In a North facing site: The Living room can be in the North (brings health and wealth to the family), North-East.
In a West facing site: The Living room can be in the North-West (good location, but guests feel restless and leave early).
In a South facing site: One can have a South-East Living room but if there is no other choice, opt for the  South-West (guests feel at home and stay on for a long time). 
In an East facing site: The Living room can be in the East, otherwise in the North-East corner.

But for any of the reasons if your drawing room is not in the right direction you can still do some small things to keep positive energy around you in your happy place.

  • Colour of walls and décor must be positive.

Wall colours of the living must be light or pale like Light blue, green, peach etc. Avoid using black, brown or dark blue. Heavy furniture and décor more than required creates a hindrance in the way of having a positive vibe in the house, try to be a minimal or use things according to requirement only. Battlefield weapons, Animal skins, dry land painting or sad statues are not considered good, avoid them.

  • Place an aquarium

Fish aquarium not only gives you happiness but it is also believed that it protects your family from any upcoming dangers. Aquarium also keeps a steady flow of positive energy and money in the home. Aquarium can be place in east, north east or north.

  • For paintings

Paintings have become an essential part of décor. But paintings also are related with energy in the house. Putting a painting of horses running inwards on south wall is considered good. It results in making you a popular personality and gain fame. One thing to keep in mind while purchasing painting is that the face of horses must be happy, not in aggression. To have more positive energy you can hang the painting of sunrise on east wall.

  • Furniture

Heavy sofa and furniture should be placed on south and west side of the room, while small furniture items can be placed on east and north side. Wooden furniture is best for having positive energy around you. Broken furniture should not be placed in the room, it is believed that they bring sadness in the house and also results in the increase amount of bad/negative vibes.

  • Indoor planters

Plants are the best way to keep a positive atmosphere around you. Money plant or other indoor plants can be placed in east or north direction. They are believed to create a harmonious atmosphere, but only if they are chosen correctly for a specific location. Dry plants, thorny or bonsai are believed to have a negative impact in the house. Plants not only keep a good vibe but also a number of benefits to your health also.

  • What else to take care off –
  • Sofa should not be placed under the beam. Beam is considered as thing to separate and might result in the sourness of your relations. But for any reason if you can’t move you’re sitting anywhere than hang a flute or wind chimes.
  • The light in the room must not be too bright and hit directly into eyes of your guests or yourself.
  • Don’t build a toilet in drawing room or if you have one than don’t use it.
  • Electrical equipment must be placed in the south direction. While A.C. must be in west direction.

These were the few vastu tips that can be used in your drawing room to have a circulation of positive energy around you. Thank you for reading. You can ask your questions or leave a suggestion in the comment box below.

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by Aman Sharma

Indoor plants

There were times when plants were considered to be kept in the garden only. Some time back people used to make a small garden in their homes/apartments. But this concept has now changed and plants are considered as important part of the regular household items. It doesn’t matter whether you live in a skyscraper or an apartment, indoor plants have become a part of the new age homes. They make your place look beautiful and in addition they have numerous benefits which you might not get even if you try to pay for them. Below I will tell you some types of indoor plants for your house and how to take care of them.

Spread nature’s comeliness indoors.

If you buy plants from nursery, than look for its benefits more than its beauty. Also keep in mind the place where you will keep this plant. Plant will grow obviously, keep the plant in a space where it can grow to its normal size freely.

Things to take care of while buying plants.

Always pay attention while purchasing or choosing the plants. Look at leaves that they are not teared, the soil of the plant must be wet and soft. Do not buy if it’s hard and dry. If you are buying plant to put in a big place, buy a single plant that will grow big instead of buying too many small plants.

Indoor plants for your Home. For Lobby- Lobby is the open space of home. It has the highest of temperature and brightest of sun. To make this area look beautiful you can place the big plants along with wall or stands. Some of the plants that can be used are ficus benjamina, Philodendron etc these have various colour leaves which make them look more beautiful. Long plants will make your lobby more beautiful. If you have a small lobby than you can place small plants such as coleus, aglaonema on stands or hang them on walls. They take less space and also look good on walls. Various types of hanging baskets are available in market or you can also customise one with different types of ropes, wires and stones.

ficus benjamina

Plants for drawing room.

If you have light colour on the walls, place plants that have big and more leaves. Wide and colourful plants can contrast with bright colour walls. Ficus elastica, ficus benjamina, elegance etc are some of the plants which can be kept in your drawing room. You can also put some plants on your center table like agnoloma, schefflera plant etc. These are colourful and only take a minimum space. If your stairs are passing through drawing room you can also use money plant.

agnoloma

Plants for the room which have ample light.

If you have a room that receive ample light and has a moderate temperature, than you can use different plants to décor the place. Some big plants like Monstera plant, Define bakia plant, Reflexa variegata plant etc can be used. They can also be accompanied by small plants such as fern, ribbon grass etc. You can also add flower plants to make them look more colourful.

Define bakia plant

So this were the plants that you can use inside to cheer up your mood, freshen up the air and brighten the house. But the next and most important that raises is How to take care of them? Well, below is the answer to that-

1- Water them when the top soil is totally dry, don’t water them too often.

2- Put a plastic sheet under the pot so it don’t leave any stains on your floor or furniture.

3- Keep cleaning the big or wide leaves with soft cloth or cotton from time to time.

4- If your plant is growing only from one side that means it is only getting sunlight from one side. Keep rotating it or put it in a position that the plant gets sunlight on every angle.

Apart from this plants there are some other plants such as ZZ plant, Snake plant and peace Lilly etc. that can be placed in your house and are perfect for your bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms.  

I hope you guys liked this and I will be glad if you can write your reviews in the comment section below.

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by Aman Sharma

Holi Food Delight

Holi is vastly celebrated across India. It is the festival of happiness and colors. In India celebrations for upcoming festivals begin several weeks before, Markets are decorated and you can see children running in streets playing with colors. Last week i was sitting in my balcony when I noticed the children of colony playing and I remembered my good old days of doing the exact same thing. Although technology somewhat has changed the tradition of festivals as it was used to but you can still find people with great enthusiasm celebrating. I just had finished my work and now my body was demanding for some food. Usually I order food online in this type of situations but on that day I decided to cook myself a meal. I had eaten this dish before as it was made in my home near Holi every year. I would to like to share this recipe with all of you and would like to have your reviews in comment section below.

Palak Patta chat-

Ingredients required- 8-10 Spinach leaves, Gram flour (Besan) 1 cup, Red chili powder ¼ spoon, Turmeric ½ table spoon, Salt to taste, Rice flour 2 big spoons, Water according to requirement and Carom seed (ajwain) 1 small table spoon.

For Potato mixture-

1 big Boiled potato cut into slices, Red chili powder ¼ spoon, Chaat masala ½ small table spoon, Salt to taste, Few Coriander leaves, 1 onion finally chopped.

For toppings-

Green sauce1/4 cup, Tamarind(Imli) sauce ¼  cup, Curd ¼ Cup, Red chili powder & Chaat masala- a small pinch, Sev or crunchy noodles ¼ cup, Green coriander to decorate.

How to make-

Soak the spinach leaves in water and dry them. Take a bowl and add Gram flour, Turmeric, Carom seed, Red chili powder, salt, rice flour and mix them to convert it into a batter. Heat up oil in a pan and add spinach leaves to oil and fry them until golden brown.

In a bowl Put potato, Red chili powder, Chaat masala, Salt, Coriander leaves, onions and keep it aside. Now in a plate put the spinach leaves and add Potato mixture on it. Now add curd, Green sauce, Tamarind sauce, Chaat masala, Red chili powder, Crunchy noodles and garnish it with coriander leaves on top of it. Palak patta chat is ready to serve.

It is super delicious snack and can be made easily. You should definitely try this at least once and you won’t be disappointed. To accompany this dish I also made Drink called ‘Dry fruit thandai’. It is also a very tasty drink and is widely made during Holi festival. I am also sharing its recipe below.

Dry fruit thandai-

Ingredients required- Hot water, Almonds 30g, Pistachio 20g, Poppy seeds(khas-khas) 2 big table spoons, Musk melon seeds(Melon seeds) ¼ cup, Rose water 2 big table spoons, Anise(Saunf) 1 big table spoon, Black pepper ½ small table spoon, Cardamom(eliachi) 3-4 chopped, Saffron according to wish, Sugar ½ cup, Cold milk 1 cup, Rose petals to decorate.

How to make-

Pour hot water in a bowl. Add almonds, Pistachio, Poppy seeds, anise, Black pepper and let it soak for 2-3 hours. You can also keep it overnight in a normal temperature water. After 2-3 hours put all the soaked nuts along with water in a mixer and add ½ cup sugar, cardamom, saffron and mix it to make thandai paste. Take a glass and add 4 big table spoon of the paste and add cold milk in it. Your thandai is ready, decorate it with rose petals or cardamom. It is super easy to make and refreshes your mood.

So this were my two recipes that I Tried out last week, hopefully you liked it and would highly recommend this to make at your home. Please provide your review in the comment section below.

Thank you

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