Some Mouth Watering Indian Dishes Cooking Guide

Naan: Traditionally made in the tandoor oven, naan is a leavened flat bread that is widely popular in India. It is generally served hot and is often used as a scoop to pick up other food. It can also be stuffed with different fillings – peshawarinaan is filled with a mix of nuts and raisins and keemanaan is filled with minced lamb (or goat or mutton).

Onion bhaji: Eaten as a snack in India and often as a starter in the UK, the onion bhaji is part of the much wider pakora family (snacks fried in chickpea batter). Bhajis (of any variety) are top of the comfort food list during monsoon season and are usually served with a cup of tea or coffee.

Panchphoran: Literally translated to mean five spices, this Bengali spice blend contains cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds and brown mustard seeds. The spices are left whole and are used as a rub for meats, added to stews, sprinkled on vegetables or added to pickled vegetables.

Quaschawal: This is rice fried in ghee which is flavoured and coloured with saffron.

Rogan Josh: One of the signature recipes of the Kashmiri cuisine, it is made using cubes of lamb cooked with onions, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, yoghurt, Kashmiri dried red chillies and other ingredients.

Samosas: These tasty triangular snacks originated in Uttar Pradesh and today are enjoyed around the world. The fried pastry is filled with a savoury filling such as spiced potatoes, peas, onions, lentils or meat.

Thali: Named after the dish in which it is served, the thali features an array of dishes including rice, dal, vegetable dishes, chutney and yoghurt served in individual dishes called katori. Served as a set meal in some restaurants but as an all-you-can-eat option in others, it is a hearty Indian staple.

Undihuya: This spicy vegetable stew has its roots in Gujarat and is created using a range of seasonal vegetables. A blend of spices including cumin, coriander seeds and turmeric powder are used to create this hearty dish.

Vindaloo: This is a hot and spicy dish that originated in Goa and has strong Portuguese influences. It is traditionally made using pork, but is often made using chicken, lamb, prawns or vegetables – it appears on many an Indian restaurant menu.

Wazwan: A Kashmiri speciality, the wazwan is a multi-course meal that is a source of great pride for people living in the state.

Xacuti: Another Goan classic, the xacuti is fiery and traditionally made using rabbit or chicken. The heat comes, in part, from the six to eight Kashmiri chillies that go into the dish.

Yoghurt: Popular in India for its cooling effects, yoghurt is used to make drinks, added to curries and served as an accompaniment to dishes.

Zeera: Also known as cumin seeds, this spice has a warm flavour and a strong aroma.

With your new-found knowledge of all things Indian cuisine, why not try out your new skills and order something different from the menu next time you go to an Indian restaurant? Head to one of London’s popular fine-dining Indian restaurants and sample the best of the country’s cuisine.

 

Tidying Your Home and Garden

From time to time we all need to spring clean our gardens and homes and make them look their best. Depending on where you live in the world you will either have a lot or a little to do. The best time for tidying up your garden is after the winter months as it will probably be looking worse for wear after being neglected for so long. Working on your garden in the winter is out of the question in many places that suffer from very cold winters, so many people have to wait until the start of spring to begin thinking about getting their garden in shape.

 

Garden before spring cleaning -image:commons.wikimedia.org

Here are a few tips to help you get your garden in order before we take a look at spring-cleaning your house:

• Try to wait until the soil in your garden has had time to dry out. Walking around on wet soil will only compact it and form clods that are hard to work with. When spring arrives you will find that the sun soon dries out your soil, enabling you to tidy up your flowerbeds and vegetable patches
• One negative factor that is associated with winter is the arrival of weeds. When temperatures start to rise, so do weeds. When you see the first weeds of spring, get to work and get rid of them before they have chance to get out of hand. Whether you use a commercially available weed killer or you simply get rid of them by hand, you will need to be ever vigilant if you want to eradicate weeds and show off your garden to its best
• Removing old leaves and branches that have fallen during the winter months will let the sun get to areas of your garden that have previously been covered. You may want to make compost out of this mulch and feed it back into your garden

Many people like to carry out a spring clean in their house as well as their garden. You will be able to find experts online to help you if the job is too big for you. If you live in San Antonio, death clean up experts also offer other services that can help you to get your home in a liveable condition once again. Whilst you may not have a dead body in your house, these experts will be able to help you get rid of the clutter that has built up in your home and many of them also offer an odour removal service too. Wherever you are in the world, you should have no trouble finding a cleaning expert to help you get your house back in order.

Follow these tips for getting your house clean and clutter-free:

• Organise your clothing by getting rid of old clothes that you no longer have use for. You will be able to find many charity shops that would be happy to take these clothes off your hands. You will soon be left with a collection of neatly arranged clothes that you wear on a regular basis.
•  Clean walls and working surfaces. You will probably find that the walls in your house can get marks on them, especially if you have young children. By simply cleaning these marks with some warm, soapy water you will be able make your house look like it has been redecorated by professionals.
• Carpets can hold a lot of dust and they may even start to smell if you have split any liquids or food items on them. Try to vacuum your carpets on a daily basis and always clean up after any spillages. You may want to contact a specialist cleaning company if your carpets are really dirty.

If your house is not too messy, you will be able to carry out the spring clean on your own. You could start by simply collecting all the old magazines and newspapers that you have accumulated over time. You will be able to recycle much of the rubbish such as recycle empty ink and cartridges you collect and maybe make a bit of pocket money by selling it to recycling businesses. For teaching your kids about the importance of recycling and sustainability, you can check out first this recycling for kids guide.   Before long your home and garden will be looking great best again.  

Principles of Natural Pools: Important Concepts for Maintaining a More Sustainable Home

Living in a continent as dry as Australia, it wouldn't be a surprise if people have a major desire to cool off as often as they possibly can in a swimming pool or beach. Extremely hot weather can be uncomfortable and distracting — not to mention harmful to health, if you're exposed to it long enough or frequently enough — and a quick dip can easily help a person feel more refreshed and rejuvenated.

Of course, not everyone will have the means to drive out to one of the many splendid beaches Down Under on a whim, or even to a public pool — or, even if they did, many will likely prefer to cool off somewhere that is easily accessible, safe, and private. Therefore, many who want to be able to go for a swim in a safe environment, whenever they like, choose to invest in having a swimming pool installed in their own home. And because in Australia water is a precious resource, it's fortunate that there are companies you can contact that maintain the principles of natural pools so that homeowners can have a sustainable solution to their need or desire for their own home pool.

What is a natural pool?

The traditional swimming pool, as all would know, is a space carved out of the ground, cemented and tiled over, built with a filtration system, and filled with water that needs to be regularly treated with chlorine to kill bacteria and prevent the buildup of other unsavoury organisms. Anyone who has ever gotten into a typical pool will know the bleachy smell of the water, the dryness in their skin and the mild to severe irritation to the eyes and nose that are commonly associated with swimming in chlorinated water.

A natural pool, on the other hand, makes use of specific types of plants and gravel that serve as its filtration system. These natural features filter out nutrients that would result in the growth of algae. It also uses a black liner that harnesses solar gain so that the water can be warmed without using electricity.

What are the things to consider when building a natural pool? With this down-to-earth technology, your family can experience the following benefits of natural pools:

• No chlorine smell and irritation to the skin and eyes
• No chemicals required as the plants do the work of keeping the water clean
• Less water used. Water collected from the pool's outdoor shower will be reused in the pool, and rainwater harvesting ensures that you'll have a steady supply of recycled water to top up the pool
• Costs less to maintain
• Makes use of environment-friendly building materials
• Creates a habitat for wildlife
• Provides a more invigorating swimming experience

A natural pool would be like a private little oasis within your own property. Imagine taking a dip in a pool with crystal clear water, surrounded by lush foliage and without a hint of chemicals whatsoever — it’s possible to have a sustainable (and breathtakingly beautiful) paradise in the midst of the extreme Australian environment.

About the Author:

Kenneth Lawrence is a passionate "handyman". His craft involves DIY concepts and he loves to share guidelines and tips about stuff on home improvement. He writes and reads about almost anything that can help him hone his skills and increase his knowledge about DIY concepts. He occasionally writes for http://watermevertical.com/principles-of-natural-pools.

Yellow Umbrellas

Our hotel room has swimming pool view. Captured in the early morning, the swimming pool still looked empty. Yellow umbrellas were noticeable easily.

Monday Mellow Yellows