DIETARY FIBER

Todays life become so fast pace that no body having time for even themselves and thats where we loosing track of our health, junk foods is a part of life because proper meal take time so to save some extra time these unhealthy foods are best options, but are they good for us? the answer is not at all healthy. They are maximum time zero or really low in fiber which is an important component in our food cycle.

So lets talk about what fiber is and why its so important in our daily life-
We can define a dietary fiber in the following way:

Dietary fiber or sometimes roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods having two main components:

• Soluble (prebiotic, viscous) fiber that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts, and
• Insoluble fibre that is metabolically inert, absorbing water as it moves through the digestive system, easing defecation.

 It reduces cholesterol, regulates blood sugar, cancers and obesity, checks constipation, colitis and colon cancer and even haemorrhoids. An adult's recommended daily intake of fibre is 25-30gm.

1.    Here are easy ways to lower your blood pressure-

High blood pressure or hypertension is a medical condition where the arterial blood pressure increases. 

The reasons could be too much stress, obesity, high intake of salt, diabetes etc. The probability of cardiovascular diseases such as heart strokes, heart failure, kidney disorders, heart attack etc increases with a high BP.

Given below is a list of 10 foods that can help you lower down the blood pressure:

Spinach: It contains magnesium, folate, iron, vitamin C and is very healthy for your body. Even if you don't like it, make sure that you include this nutrient rich vegetable in your diet as it contains those key ingredients.

Banana: It is rich in potassium which is perhaps the most important nutrient to lower down the high blood pressure. A banana a day keeps the high blood pressure away. It assures you of good health.

Kiwi: Of late, the kiwifruit is being prescribed to battle hypertension. Rich in potassium and Vitamin C, it helps lower down the BP. Kiwis are also rich in an antioxidant called lutein, which, it is thought, might help fight the disease.

Skimmed milk: Easily available and a part of daily consumption. It contains plenty of calcium and vitamin D and the two nutrients team up to bring down blood pressure.

Garlic: A single clove of garlic does wonders. It has several properties which help prevent clotting and thickening of blood vessels. Also, it can easily fight the damage caused due to high BP.

Beans: Kidney, pinto, lima and black beans are some types of beans you should include in your daily diet. Beans are rich, both in magnesium and potassium, capable of decreasing the high blood pressure.

Broccoli: Oozing with potassium, it also contains chromium which fights against the cardiovascular diseases. It controls the blood sugar and insulin levels.

Celery: It contains an ingredient called phthalide which rests the muscles of the vessels and aids in the smooth flow of blood. Besides that, celery has a very calming effect and is highly recommended if you are prone to stress.

Tomatoes: It contains an antioxidant lycopene, which is known to significantly reduce the high blood pressure. Also, tomatoes are rich in calcium, potassium, vitamins A, C and E, all the essential nutrients required to curb the problem.

Others: Apart from the nine foods mentioned above, sunflower seeds, olive oil, avocadoes, papaya, dark chocolates and various juices are helpful in bringing the blood pressure levels to normal. It is advisable to eat vegetables and fruits rich in potassium and calcium. Intake of salt (which contains sodium) should be minimized. Avoid eating fried stuff. 

1.    Five foods to beat your blues

We've all heard it times and again that sitting all day long at the desk isn't really good for the health. Sadly, there aren't any feasible alternatives to this mode of working. While you can't just leave your job, you can surely do something which is beneficial for your health. Eating the right kind of fruits can help you overcome the negative effects of sitting like a robot all day.

Here are five power foods you can enjoy while sitting at your desk. They can work wonders for your heart, blood pressure, and can even improve your memory and concentration.

Walnuts

Some new researches have pointed out that walnuts have more (and better quality) antioxidants than almonds, peanuts, pistachios and many other nuts. All nuts have been found to improve lipids and can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Walnuts have also been found to enhance cognitive and motor function in animals with Alzheimer's. Experts recommend seven walnuts a day.

Cup of Green Tea

Polyphenols, one of the major ingredients of green tea, is known to help repair the damaged DNA and stimulate the immune system. Besides, research shows that green tea also helps in reducing the risk of cancers, including skin cancer and prostate cancer.

Popcorn

If there ever was a list of healthy snacks, this is definitely going to be on the list. In fact, many say that popcorn is the healthiest snack available. It is 100 percent whole grain and is big on fiber and antioxidants. If you can air-pop your popcorn and add a minimal quantity of salt, you'd have the best popcorn, say experts. If your office has a microwave, just make sure you bring a pack of low sodium popcorn to work.

Dark Chocolate

This, too, contains those powerful antioxidants called Polyphenols which combat the risk factors (like oxidation of LDL cholesterol) for heart diseases and also inhibit clotting. Studies have also indicated that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Caffeine, another active ingredient of dark chocolate, can give you that much-required kick and a boost in concentration levels.

Fruits

Not only they help you conquer that “false hunger”, they are also brimming with nutrients which are needed to keep you going all day. You can choose between apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, papayas etc. but make sure you carry some fruits to the office on a daily basis. 

2.    Top 10 things that prevent weight loss

According to the records, those traps include:
1. Traditional diet and exercise advice that is all wrong.
2. Motivation that is misdirected. The choice needs to be: Which do I value more? A chocolate bar now or a longer and healthier life with my family?
3. Eating when we are really hungry.
4. Burning the candle too late, is counterproductive to fat burning. A good night's sleep burns fat and keeps us from eating.
5. Dieting and aerobic exercising together reduce calories, so primitive starvation-survival mechanisms kick in making the brain scream for food.
6. Boredom.
7. Hanging out with an over eating, unimaginative crowd. 
8. Manufacturers make foods addictive by using sugar/fat/salt combos.
9. Manufacturers make foods addictive with chemicals and preservatives.
10. Commercials could make anyone hungry. 

3.    Top tips for boosting your sexual fitness

Sex stamina advice for men

Sex isn’t just about self-satisfaction. In fact, if you really want to score high in the sack, it’s essential you build up your sexual stamina to last the distance and keep your other-half happy. Thankfully, a number of simple tips could help you on your way to a more fulfilling sex life. By following certain routines and adopting a few easy exercises, you’ll soon have the ladies queuing up around the block ... and improve your fitness in the process!

Staying fit and healthy for better sex

Sex may appear simple enough to master (unless you’re an inexperienced teenager or 40-year-old virgin fumbling around in the dark that is). However, if you really want to boost the potency of your passion, it might be time you tried some of the following techniques ...

    * Working out groin muscles — If you often find yourself hobbling around with muscle pain the morning after a steamy night of passion, it might be useful to regularly stretch your groin, keeping it primed and ready for even the most outrageous sexual position. Basic groin stretches will better-prepare your body for a forthcoming sexual epic, so make sure you regularly try out a few when you get chance!

    * Building arm muscles — Sexual stamina can require great upper-body strength, depending on which coital position you’re planning to adopt! It may therefore be an idea to enjoy the occasional free-weights session, gradually toning up your arm muscles. We’re not saying you should build yourself up into a beefcake Adonis overnight. However, the odd bout of upper-body exercise could really keep you energised for longer-lasting sex.

    * Staying mentally focused — An obvious one this, but if you really want to make the most of your sexual encounters, it’s vital you don’t let the possible repercussions play on your mind. Avoid worrying and allow yourself to stay focused in the bedroom by taking adequate precautions before you hop into the sack. Protect yourself against the perils of pregnancy scares with decent contraception and you’ll feel all the better for it.

    * Reducing alcohol consumption — If your nightly routine consists of downing the odd beer (or seven) at the local bar, before stumbling home for a swift night of passionate fumbling with your other half, you may need to reassess your thirst for booze. Alcohol can seriously damage your sexual virility when consumed in heavy doses, with its depressive nature dampening testosterone levels. A few drinks with the lads may help keep up social appearances, but they certainly won’t keep up things in the bedroom. So, unless you want to suffer the wrath of a moody spouse, unfulfilled by your semi-cocked sabre, try and take it easy, else the only hot date you’ll be making will be with that lonely single-bed in the spare room.

    * Improving blood-flow — Before you sprint to the doctor’s at the first sign of erectile problems, try and adopt a more natural way of increasing the blood flow to your groin, without the aid of Viagra. By regularly flexing and massaging your body’s central groin muscles, blood will start to flow more readily in that area, allowing you to stand to attention for longer in the bedroom.

    * Flexing the abdominal muscles — Whilst your torso may currently appear more of a flabby twelve-pack than a toned six-pack, a little abdominal exercise could go a long way in boosting your sexual stamina. The abs are key to providing bursts of sexual energy, driving the groin by thrusting it forwards and then releasing it. As a result, a few daily crunches or sit-ups could really develop your sex life, preventing you from flopping down onto your partner with sheer exhaustion in the middle of a bedtime romp. So build up those belly muscles and you’ll be feeling abs-olutely fabulous in no time!

    * Loving thyself ... but not too much — It won’t make you go blind, but ‘self-love’ could certainly damage your chances of making a potent first impression. What could be worse on a hot date than whipping off your boxer shorts to reveal ... well, not much at all really? Self-pleasure may while away the lonely nights between dates but it certainly won’t do much to strengthen your credibility in the presence of a female. No matter how desperate you get, try and save your energy for the real thing ... after all, sex is a marathon, not a sprint.

    * Stretching the quads and calves — Cramp is a big turn-off in the bedroom, with the quads and calves notably susceptible to sudden bouts of tightening pain. As a result, regularly stretching your leg muscles could seriously heighten your sexual experience, easing them into the demands of flexible sex-ercise. Don’t let muscular pain cramp your style ... work-out those quads and calves and you’ll soon feel the benefits.

Sex shouldn’t just be about making a quick entry and an even quicker exit. Instead, if you really want to enjoy a night of steamy passion and appease your partner in the process, it might be worth undertaking a few extra-curricular exercises and lifestyle tweaks to truly reach your optimum performance. Sexual stamina won’t come overnight but hopefully you will!

The top 5 high fiber foods below:

Flaxseed: In addition to both soluble and insoluble fiber, flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as cancer-preventing agents called lignans. You can sprinkle ground flaxseed on yogurt, salads or cereals to add a get some flavour while consuming them. 

Whole Grain/Bran: Cut down on maida and add more and more whole grain items into your diet. Use whole wheat flour, exchange your regular pasta with whole wheat (which contains 6.2 gm of fibre per cup of serving). Oatmeal and corn bran are also two good fibre-rich foods. It contains 12 gm of fibres while 30 gm of corn bran has 22 gm of fibre.

Nuts: Pistachio, almonds and walnuts have been known as great sources of protein. Little do the people know that they are also excellent sources of fibre. Raisins are oozing with both soluble and insoluble fibres. About 5 gm of raisins each day can prove to be extremely beneficial for your health.

Greens: Not only are green leafy vegetables great sources of iron and beta-carotene, they are also full of fibrous content. Just a small cup of cooked greens such as spinach, turnip greens, and beet greens has 4-5 gm of fibre on offer. A medium size pear can give you at least 5 gm of of fibre and a large apple has 3.3 gm of fibre in it.

Legumes/Beans/Lentils: Beans have some of the highest amount of fibre that is available in foods. One cup of black beans or kidney beans can have as much as 15 gm of fibre or even more! With more than 15 gm per single cup of serving, lentils are second only to split peas when it comes to fibre content in vegetable sources.

Garlic

Garlic

Garlic is completely herbal and most remarkable home remedy, which is very beneficial in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and impotence.

Garlic is also known as an aphrodisiac because garlic improves the blood circulation significantly from the medical point of view. Medical researches proved that garlic in certain forms could stimulate the production of NOS particularly in individuals who have low levels of this enzyme. An enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is primarily responsible for the mechanism of erection.

Folklore dating back centuries has hailed garlic as an aphrodisiac and now studies have also proven this legend to be true. We are aware that garlic aids in blood circulation and keeps veins and arteries youthful, but that is only one way it helps with impotence.

Garlic contains hundreds of minerals and nutrients. It is very likely that no one ingredient is the "active ingredient". To obtain an erection an enzyme is required called nitric oxide synthase, and compounds in garlic stimulate the production of this enzyme in people who suffer from low levels of it.

It is an herbal, natural and harmless aphrodisiac. According to an eminent sexologist of the United States, garlic has a pronounced aphrodisiac effect. It is a herbal medicine or tonic for loss of sexual power due to any cause, and for sexual debility and impotency resulting from sexual overindulgence and nervous exhaustion. Researchers recommend that two to three cloves of raw garlic should be chewed daily.

Garlic also helps with digestion, as it is gastric stimulant. It acts in many areas such as;

·      It acts as an anti flatulent, carminative and diaphoretic.

·      It stimulates the kidneys and is diuretic in nature.

·      It is a tonic, giving strength and vitality.

·      It is an expectorant having a special effect on the bronchial and pulmonary secretions.

·      It is beneficial for eyes and brain.

·      It helps to heal fractured bones.

·      It is a great antiseptic.

·      It has allicin, which has the property to destroy germs, which are not killed by penicillin. As such, it is a very powerful germicidal.

·      It rehabilitates sexual malfunctions.

·      It improves functional activity of heavy smokers.

·      Half raw garlic clove a day can increase body activity to dissolve blood clots, thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes.

·      A couple of raw garlic cloves daily can bring blood cholesterol levels down in heart patients.

It is very likely that garlic's effectiveness and safety comes from these ingredients working together in concert. And if any particular ingredient should be found more potent than the others, and that ingredient were isolated and made into a medicine, it will probably have powerful negative side effects like virtually every other drug in use today.

Now these days, there are many herbal as well as FDA approved prescription medication such Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, generic Viagra. Viagra and Cialis is successful prescribed medication for erectile dysfunction.

Garlic Allergies

Garlic is generally lauded as a health-giving herb, however some people react badly to it. As with almost any food there are a number of people who are intolerant of or actively allergic to garlic, whether through skin contact an/or ingestion.

Symptoms

Even if you don't have an explicit allergy to garlic, too much exposure to allicin (the compound produced when raw garlic is crushed) can cause similar symptoms. These include skin irritation, reddening and even blistering. Low-level intolerance or excessive intake can result in heartburn or flatulence.

A few unfortunate people do have an actual allergy to garlic. Symptoms vary but often include stomach problems after eating garlic and a skin rash from eating or from physical contact.

Garlic allergy has also been reported to exacerbate asthma symptoms, though this is more usually related to breathing in garlic dust from dry garlic and its skins.

Even if you are not normally allergic or sensitive to garlic, eating an unusually large amount can produce similar reactions. A large amount of raw garlic - with its high allicin content - could irritate and possibly even cause damage to the digestive tract. Garlic is a powerful substance and as with anything powerful it should be treated with respect.

All allergies can be potentially serious. If you suspect that you might be suffering from an allergy to garlic - or to anything else, food or otherwise - you should contact your doctor or a medically qualified clinic for advice and to arrange for testing if appropriate.

My personal rule of thumb for all foodstuffs is simple: If in doubt, don't eat it.

Better safe than sorry.

JHEENGA MALAI

Fresh Arabian Sea Prawns, marinated in rich milk fat and coral powder

INGREDIENTS

INITIAL MARINATION

Jumbo Prawns with shells-600gms

Garlic paste-25gm

Rock salt-As required

FINAL MARINATION

Fresh milk cream-150gms

Hung curd-80gms

White pepper powder-15gms

Pravaal Pishti powder-3gms

Fresh ground chilly-35gm

Green cardamom powder-3gms

Chardonnay wine-5ml

FINAL ASEMBLING

Cream/butter Jhol-To baste

Lemon juice-2ml

METHOD

1. Pat dry the prawns on a kitchen towel and apply garlic paste and rock salt

2. Keep aside for 30minutes.

3. Cream all the ingredients listed in final marination and apply on the prawns and keep aside for another 30 minutes.

4. Skewer them in an iron skewer and cook in a moderate hot Tandoor at 170 centigrade.

5. Baste when required and serve hot sprinkled with lemon juice and suggested garnish and accompaniment.

Indian Cuisine

The cuisine of India is one of the world's most diverse cuisines, characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of the many spices, vegetables, grains and fruits grown across India. The cuisine of each geographical region includes a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent. India's religious beliefs and culture have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. Vegetarianism is widely practiced in many Hindu, Buddhist and Jain communities.

India is known for its love for food and spices, and it plays a role in everyday life as well as in festivals. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the varied demographics of the country. India’s unique blend of cuisines evolved through large-scale cultural interactions with neighboring Persia, ancient Greece, Mongols and West Asia. New World foods such as chili peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and squash, introduced by Arab and Portuguese traders during the sixteenth century, and European cooking styles introduced during the colonial period added to the diversity of Indian cuisine. Generally, Indian cuisine can be split into 4 categories —northern, southern, eastern, western. 

Despite this diversity, some unifying threads emerge. Varied uses of spices are an integral part of food preparation, and are used to enhance the flavour of a dish and create unique flavours and aromas. Cuisine across India has also been influenced by various cultural groups that entered India throughout history, such as the Persians, Mughals and European colonists. Though the tandoori originated in Central Asia, Indian tandoori dishes, such as chicken tikka made with Indian ingredients, enjoy widespread popularity. 

Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the globe. Historically, Indian Spices and Herbs were one of the most sought after trade commodities. The Spice trade between India and Europe led to the rise and dominance of Arab traders to such an extent that European explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, set out to find new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery .The popularity of curry, which originated in India, across Asia has often led to the dish being labeled as the "pan-Asian" dish.

The Food in India is classified into three major categories. Satva, Rajas and Tamas. Satva, stands for balance, Rajas stands for passion, and Tamas stands for indulgence. Food is consumed according to the lifestyle of the person. For E.g.: A King has to be aggressive to defend his country; he would be taking food which would give much passion and that aggressiveness which is required. When a person tries to lead his life in want of self realisaiton, he would prefer a Satvic food or known as Satvic diet, which would help to keep his mind in balance. Tamasic food is to be taken only if it’s required, like consumption of Alcohol. This is the reason why many Indians try to abstain drinking.

The multiple varieties of Indian cuisine are distinguished by their sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Each family of this cuisine is characterised by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Though a significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian, many traditional Indian dishes also include: chicken, goat, lamb, fish, and other meats.

NORTH INDIAN CUISINE

North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients. Gravies are typically dairy-based. Other common ingredients include chilies, saffron, and nuts.

North Indian cooking features the use of the "tawa" (griddle) for baking flat breads like roti and paratha, and "tandoor" (a large and cylindrical coal-fired oven) for baking breads such as naan, and kulcha; main courses like tandoori chicken are also cooked in the "tandoor," a cylindrical shaped clay oven. Other breads like puri and bhatoora, which are deep fried in oil, are also common. Goat and lamb meats are favored ingredients of many northern Indian recipes.

The samosa is a popular North Indian snack, and now commonly found in other parts of India, Central Asia, North America, Africa and the Middle East. A common variety is filled with boiled, fried, or mashed potato. Other fillings include minced meat, cheese (paneer), mushroom (khumbi), and chick pea.

The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Popular snacks, side-dishes and drinks include mirchi bada, buknu, bhujiya, chaat, kachori, imarti, several types of pickles (known as achar), murabba, sharbat, aam panna and aam papad. Popular sweets are known as mithai (meetha means sweet in Hindi), such as gulab jamun, jalebi, peda, petha, rewdi, gajak, bal mithai, singori, kulfi, falooda, khaja, ras malai, gulkand, and several varieties of laddu, barfi and halwa.

Some common North Indian foods such as the various kebabs and most of the meat dishes originated with Muslims’ incursions into the country. Pakistani cuisine and north Indian cuisine are very similar, reflecting their shared historic and cultural heritage.

EAST INDIAN CUISINE

East Indian cuisine is famous for its desserts, especially sweets such as rasagolla, chumchum, sandesh, rasabali, chhena poda, chhena gaja, and kheeri. Many of the sweet dishes now popular in Northern India initially originated in the Bengal and Orissa regions. Apart from sweets, East India cuisine offers delights made of posta (poppy seeds).

Traditional Bengali cuisine is not too spicy, and not too faint. General ingredients used in Bengali curries are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black cumin, green chillies and cumin paste. Mustard paste, curd, nuts, poppy seed paste and cashew paste are preferably cooked in mustard oil. Curries are classified into bata (paste), bhaja (fries), chochchoree (less spicy vaporized curries) and jhol (thin spicy curries). These are eaten with plain boiled rice or ghonto (spiced rice). A traditional Bengali breakfast includes pantabhat (biotically degenerated boiled rice), doi-chirey, and doodh-muree with fruits. Bangladesh's cuisine is very similar to that of West Bengal, corresponding to the link between Pakistani and northern Indian cuisine. Fish is commonly consumed in the eastern part of India, most especially in Bengal.

Rice is the staple grain in Eastern India, just as it is in South India. A regular meal consists of many side dishes made of vegetables. The popular vegetable dishes of Orissa are Dalma and Santula. The most popular vegetable dish of Bengal is Sukto. Deep-fried, shallow-fried and mashed vegetables are also very popular. Fish is frequently featured in a regular meal.

SOUTH INDIAN CUISINE

South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the ubiquity of sambar (also called saaru, a vegetable stew based on a broth made with tamarind and toovar dal) and rasam (also called rasa, a soup prepared with tamarind juice or tomato, pepper and other spices), a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut and particularly coconut oil and curry leaves. The dosa, poori, idli, vada, bonda and bajji are typical South Indian favorites and are generally consumed as breakfast. Hyderabadi biryani, a popular type of biryani, reflects the diversity of south Indian cuisine.

Andhra, Chettinad, Tamil, Hyderabadi, Mangalorean, and Kerala cuisines each have distinct tastes and methods of cooking. Each of the South Indian states has a different way of preparing sambar; a connoisseur of South Indian food can easily tell the difference between sambar from Kerala, sambar from Tamil cuisine, Sambar from Karnataka and pappu chaaru in Andhra cuisine. Some popular dishes include the biryani, ghee, rice with meat curry, seafood (prawns, mussels, mackerel) and paper thin pathiris from Malabar area.

Tamil cuisine generally classifies food into six tastes: sweet (milk, butter, sweet cream, wheat, ghee (clarified butter), rice, honey); sour (limes and lemons, citrus fruits, yogurt, mango, tamarind); salty (salt or pickles); bitter (bitter gourd, greens of many kinds, turmeric, fenugreek); pungent (chili peppers, ginger, black pepper, clove, mustard) and astringent (beans, lentils, turmeric, vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage, cilantro). Traditional Tamil cuisine recommends that all of these six tastes be included in each main meal to provide complete nutrition, minimize cravings and balance the appetite and digestion. A typical meal, served on a banana leaf, includes steamed rice along with a variety of vegetable dishes like sambar, dry curry, rasam and kootu. Meals are often accompanied by crisp appalams. After a final round of rice and curds or buttermilk, or both, a meal is concluded with a small banana and a few betel leaves and nuts.

WEST INDIAN CUISINE

Western India has three major food groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan. There are two main types of Maharashtrian cuisine, defined by geographical circumstances. The coastal regions, geographically similar to Goa, consume more rice, coconut, and fish. In the hilly regions of the Western Ghats and Deccan plateau, groundnut is used in place of coconut and the staples are jowar (sorghum) and bajra (millet) as staples. Saraswat cuisine forms an important part of coastal Konkani Indian cuisine.

Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. Many Gujarati dishes have a hint of sweetness due to use of sugar or brown sugar. The typical Gujarati meal consists of Rotli (a flat bread made from wheat flour), daal or kadhi, rice, and sabzi/shaak (a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be stir fried, spicy or sweet). Staples include homemade pickles, Khichdi (rice and lentil or rice and mung bean daal), and chhaas (buttermilk). Main dishes are based on steamed vegetables and daals that are added to a vaghaar, which is a mixture of spices sterilized in hot oil that varies depending on the main ingredient. Salt, sugar, lemon, lime, and tomato are used frequently to prevent dehydration in an area where temperatures reach 50C (120F) in the shade.

The cuisine of Goa is influenced by its Hindu origins, Portuguese colonialism, and modern techniques. The staple food of Goans is rice and fish and the cuisine is mostly seafood-based. Kingfish (Vison or Visvan) is the most common delicacy; others include pomfret, shark, tuna and mackerel. Popular shellfish include crabs, prawns, tiger prawns, lobster, squid and mussels. Goan Hindu cuisine is less spicy, uses little or no onion or garlic, and incorporates a variety of vegetables, lentils, pumpkins, gourds, bamboo shoots, and roots. Goan Christian cuisine includes beef dishes and the well-known Vindaloo, first introduced by the Portuguese as "vinha d'alhos." 

Peshawari Chicken Tikka

Peshawari Chicken Tikka

Succulent & Spicy Chunks Of Chicken With Extra Flavor Of Pomegranate Seeds Prepared In Peshawari Style

Cooking time                            10 – 12 minutes

Serves                                      1 – 2

INGREDIENTS                                   

200- 225 gm (2 no)         Chicken Leg (Boneless)

½ tsp                            Ginger Garlic Paste

½ tsp                            Red Chilli Paste

To taste                         Salt

1 tsp                             Lemon Juice

25 gm                           Roasted Khus Khus

4 tsp                             Pomegranate Seeds

4 tbsp                           Hung Curd

½ tsp                            Ginger Garlic   Paste

½   tsp                          Red Chilli Paste

To taste                         Salt

1/3 tsp                         Garam Masala

A pinch                        Kasoori Methi   powder

2 tsp                             Refined Oil

For basting                   Clarified butter

Method

1. Clean, wash & cut each chicken leg into 3 pcs, pat dry and keep aside.

First Marination

1. In a bowl mix ginger/garlic paste, red chilli paste, salt, lemon juice, apply this to chicken and keep aside for at least 45 minutes.
2. In a processor make a paste of khus khus and pommegranate seeds and keep aside.

Second Marination

1. In a bowl whisk hung curd and add ginger/garlic paste, red chilli paste, salt, garam masala, kasoori methi, 5 tsp of khus khus paste and mix well.
2. Put chicken pieces into this marinade, coat well and keep aside for at least1 hour.

Cooking

6. Take a skewer & skew marinated chicken pieces, keep a tray underneath to collect drippings.

1. Roast in a moderately hot tandoor or over a charcoal grill for 7-8 minutes.
2. Remove and baste with clarified butter and further roast for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
3. Serve hot with a choice of a salad and chutney.