Happy 70th Independence Day to India!

I cannot describe India in just 5 lines here on my blog! Today she celebrates 70th Independence Day and has come a long way! 31 States, 1618 Languages, 6400 Castes, 6 Religions, 6 Ethnic Groups, 29 Major festivals and one Country! 

India sits on layers upon layers of history, with each layer contributing to the present in some strange way, adding to our rich culture and spirit of tolerance. This is a land where many of the great religions of the world were born. It is the land where foreign influences of the past, Persian, Greek, Chinese, etc were welcomed and assimilated. In theory, India is “secular,” but in many ways, she is a Hindu land, with her 30 crores deities:) But it is the land where, for the better part Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, and Jains can live in absolute freedom. All religions are free by law to preach and propagate their beliefs. 

It is a land of every possible form of contrast—a clash of colour and a cacophony of sound. She is wealthy. She is poor. She is highly educated. She is illiterate. She is cultured. She is wretched. She is finicky about cleanliness and rules. She is utterly filthy. India is extremely corrupt and bogged down by bureaucracy, chaotic and crowded. Cricket is a religion and Bollywood stars are worshipped.

The way this great giant of a country rouses herself every morning and functions amidst all this chaos belies explanation. When so much of money is siphoned off due to corruption, from government projects, why do the bridges stay strong and why do the buildings not collapse? Why, with the chaotic roads, the accident rate is not higher than in other countries. I think God Himself must love India very much.

Salute to her and may she be blessed with greenery, no-smoke, peace inside out!!

Recipe:

Shown in this post are the colors of Indian Flag: 3 bottles of glasses with orange roundels, lime roundels and mint, and ginger with blueberries! Washes down the acidity and helps you keep your body cool in hot summer days aiding in digestion and losing weight!

njoY!! happY independencE!! :)

excerpts from courage to tremble.

Sol Kadi (Kokum/Amsol Kadi)

Sol Kadi or Kokum(Amsol) Kadi is a staple drink in many households of Goa, coastal Karnataka and Maharashtra(konkan). It is made in two different ways, one without using coconut milk and other one using coconut milk. Both taste delicious, my favorite being the latter :) I enjoy it even more after seafood meals. It is basically a cooling summer drink. Kokum is an outer skin of the fruit that is dried and used in kadis, fish curries etc. It imparts sour taste like tamarind and color is simply gorgeous. Goan thalis are incomplete without sol kadi :) I simply love the color of the drink, it is so eye pleasing.

In my house, my mom always made the sol kadi without coconut milk and I used to not enjoy it as a child, but now everything is just reversed :). I tuck in a packet of kokum in my bag without fail when I visit my hometown :) It has lots of health benefits too which will be jotted at the end of the page.
Konkani meals are never complete without kokum kadi or a buttermilk(tempered).

Let us check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 10-12 Kokum/Sol soaked in 1 cup water 
• 2 cups coconut milk*
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2-3 pods garlic 
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt as per taste

When it sits for some time this is how it looks, stir it before serving.

Preparation: 

• Grind coarsely chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and cilantro in a mixer.
• Soak kokum(sol, amsol) in water for atleast 30 minutes. It imparts fantastic color. Now squeeze all the water out of kokum and discard kokum. 
• Take 2 cups of coconut milk, add kokum water, above ground mixture, salt and mix everything nicely. 
• Chill kokum kadi for an hour before serving.
• You can garnish it with few cilantro leaves  before serving it.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* you can make coconut milk using coconut powder or canned coconut milk too. Authentic method to do is take about 1 cup of grated coconut (if frozen use little lukewarm water) add some water and grind it for few seconds, squeeze out the water in a bowl. Repeat the process for 2-3 more times. Use that water which is coconut milk in the kadi.

Health Benefits:  

Kokum (Gracinia indica) has multiple health and medicinal benefits. Kokum is an excellent source of antioxidants thus helps to minimise the impacts of many diseases. It also promotes cell regeneration and repair. Cold blend of Kokum can be rubbed on the skin in case of allergic rashes. (It is true as I have experienced it first-hand). It cures acidity to a great extent, the cold mix of kokum, sugar and little amount of salt is given to overcome the problems of acidity. One can take the mix of Kokum along with black pepper and salt to overcome indigestion. Basically, keep kokum handy in your kitchen :) it is of great use!

Mango Lassi - Summer Mocktail

Yay!! Mango season is here! Today is my lucky day as I got 2 boxes of mangoes which are just ripe and ready to be eaten. If someone gives me a choice between a Mango fruit and a dish made with Mango without giving a second thought I will choose the fruit. But lassi is an exception :) Made with yogurt and milk, this drink is a rocking summer mocktail. It just takes a few minutes to prepare and after relishing it, I can bet that your day will pass by blissfully :)

I have my blissful moments looking at my son enjoying that juicy delicious fruit. The dedication with which he eats the mango is exactly the way I used to eat...sucking away on that gigantic center seed/pit till no flesh is left on it hehe. He simply loves mango lassi. It makes a healthy and filling after school drink.

So let's take a look at this gorgeous MANGO LASSI recipe:

MANGO LASSI

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mango pieces 
• 1 cup thick yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey (adjust depending on the sweetness of the mango)
• pinch of cardamom
• pinch of saffron (optional)

Preparation:

• Add mango pieces in a blender and grind to a smooth paste.
• Add yogurt and grind again blending it together.
• Now add cardamom, milk and pulse few times. 
• Adjust the thickness as per your liking. If you want your lassi to be more orange in color, add saffron.
• Your delicious lassi is ready.

Note: If fresh mangoes are not available don't be disheartened, you can use a store bought good quality mango pulp too.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: Mango is considered as the king of the fruits in Indian subcontinent. It's an exotic tropical treat which can be enjoyed over the summer season everywhere. It really is a special fruit rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidant compounds. According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. It is abundant in vitamin A.