Garnishing tips

For Garnishing food one should use one's imagination and ingenuity. A bland dish is made more distinctive and appetising with a touch of artistic decoration. Food and drinks will have more visual

Home Freezing Of Foods

Housewives find it convenient to buy food stuffs in seasons when they are in abundance, and freeze them for several months for use after the season is out. One an also do bulk cooking and store it for later use.

Meat, fish , poultry, fruits, vegetables and cooked foods can be frozen for months if carefully packed. These should be washed and wiped and packed in polythene containers. Fruits may be frozen as a dry pack mixed with sugar or as wet pack, i.e. in syrup. In either case, they should be sealed properly. Vegetables should be blanched before freezing. Meat should be cut in convenient pieces, fat and bones removed. In case of fish, scale and gut them. Remove head and tails of big fish. If desired they may be filleted. Wrap them up individually.

Eggs cannot be frozen whole because the shells crack. It is advisable to separate them into white and yokes and freeze separately.

Cooked foods should be well cooled down and frozen immediately. Do not over cook nor add too much seasonings as this can be done while reheating for serving. Aluminum foils or foil containers are ideal for freezing. Foods once thawed should never be re-frozen.

Gourmet's Tips

Cooking At Pressure / Pressure Cooking.

The idea of cooking at pressure is to save time and fuel. Normal cooking keeps the housewife tied down to the kitchen. In pressure cooking there is also the additional advantage of saving food value and flavour; since the cooker is tightly closed throughout the cooking process, Certain foods which takes a long time to cook in normal conditions, like tough meat, etc. become soft quickly by pressure cooking.

To test if your cooker is in order, boil two or three cups of water in it
and let it come to pressure.If it takes about 5 minutes to produce the hissing sound,
on strong heat,the gasket and safety valve are in good condition.

The gasket and fuse should occasionally be smeared with oil to keep it soft.Stretch the gasket a little before you put it on to the lid, so that it will
fit well and will not permit steam to escape.The gasket has to be cleaned with a wet cloth to remove any food particles that stuck to it.Do not keep tight fitting lids
on vessels kept inside the cooker.Cleaning of the lid should be done carefully to
avoid extra stretching of the gasket.

Rough handling will cause dents in the rim and thus spoil the cooker.While cleaning the lid take care that the vent is open and not clogged with food particles.

Important Safeguards for Pressure Cooking

You Can get total satisfaction from your Pressure Cooker if you follow the simple instructions given below...

1. Read all instructions. In Particular, remember to follow the safety precautions and please do not tamper with the safety devices.

2. Do not place a do dry / empty cooker on a heat sources.

3. Do not fill cooker over 2/3 full. For rice and dried vegetables, which expand during cooking, do not fill cooker over 1/2 full.

4. Please avoid dried cooking of foods that tend to foam, froth or sputter. They may block the vent tube.

5. Always check vent tube before use. Hold lid up to light and look through vent tube to be certain it is open...

6. For proper closure, lid handle must be directly above body handle.

7. Do not open cooker until pressure has been reduced to zero and weight valve has been removed.

8. when there is still pressure in the cooker, do not remove the weight valve. Only if no stream escapes when the weight valve is tilted, weight valve is to be removed and lid is opened. The lid should not be forced off. Cool the cooker further if necessary.

9. CAUTION : For safe Pressure cooking, replace the metallic safety valve every time you replace a worn out gasket. In case, replace the metallic safety valve every year, otherwise it may not function at the time of need and cause damage,

10. Do not use cooker for other than intended use.

Health Benefits

Cardamom - Health Benefits.

Cardamom, commonly known as Elaichi is a spice variety native to India. However, countries like Nepal , Srilanka, Guatemala, Mexico also cultivate Cardamom to a greater extent. It is a perennial plant with a thick rootstock. It grows to a height of 6-12 feet. It is the dried unripened fruit of the plant. The pod contains tiny brown aromatic seeds which are slightly pungent to taste. The Indian cardamom is said to be of superior quality than the others. Cardamom is best stored in pod form, because once the seeds are exposed or ground, they quickly lose their flavor. It is often referred as the ‘Grains of Paradise’.
Cardamom is usually used to flavor a variety of dishes. The spice is also very popular in the Scandinavian countries. cardamom is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and pulmonary tuberclosis, inflammation of eyelids and also digestive disorders. It is also reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom.

Onion Health Benefits.

Onion is an integral part of every kitchen. It adds flavour to the dish it is added to. Onions and other members of the Allium family are said to have some impact on blood pressure and cholesterol. There are many different varieties of onion, red, yellow, white, and green. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids. Onion also protects against stomach and other cancers, as well as protecting against certain infections.

Spinach - Rich source of Iron.

Spinach is an excellent source of Iron and magnesium. Spinach is easy to cook and also can be prepared in many ways. The leaves are crispy and green in colour. It has a slight salty flavour. It is good for lactating women. Spinach is available all around the year fresh in the markets. Spinach should be made an integral part of our daily diet.

Health Benefits of Onion.

Onions belong to the lily family, the same family as garlic, leeks,
chives, scallions and shallots. In the ancient times the Greeks and
Romans used onions for their medicinal value. They used Onions to
treat headaches, snakebites, hair loss, infertility etc., Onion is
being used for centuries not just to add flavor to foods but also for
its therapeutic properties. Egyptians worshipped onions. The onions
formed an integral part of all their burials as they thought the
strong aroma of the onions would bring breath back to the dead.


The onion is a biennial plant, producing a bulb in the first season
and seeds in the second. Onions are grown from seeds and sets. Onion
sets produce a less durable bulb than onions grown directly from seed.
Anyone of the planting method may be used to produce spring onions or
green onions, which are onions harvested while immature. Seeds are
sown directly into the garden, covered with one-fourth inch of soil
and should sprout within 7- 10 days. The leaves of the plant are long
cylindrical and have a smooth surface.

Onions possess antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Onions are
said to the lower the glucose levels in the blood stream. Onions are
a very good source of chromium. chromium deficiency arises due to the
consumption of refined sugars and white flour products and lack of
exercise. One cup of raw onion contains over 20% of the Daily Value
for this important trace mineral. The regular consumption of onions
has resulted lower high cholesterol levels. Onions are used to heal
blisters and boils. Onion helps lower risk of heart attack or stroke.
Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide
protection against cardiovascular disease. Onions helps destroy worms
and other parasites in the stomach.


Onion has been used as an ingredient in various dishes for thousands
of years by many cultures around the world. The onion production is
steadily increasing, onion is now the second largely grown crop after
tomatoes. Onions can be eaten raw, cooked, fried, dried or roasted.

Diet control and weight loss

Burn calories at a higher rate. Control your diet and maintain and reduce your waistline.

Weight loss can be achieved in many ways. You can achieve weight loss by diet control, exercising, yoga, medicines, etc.

The best way is to follow a combination of all these to ensure that your daily routing life is not affected in any way.

The thumb rule is very simple "be happy". Always try to come out of stress and other worries. Feel free and flying. Most of us feel very heavy and tired only because of our mind. Mind is the cause of all diseases. Your confidence is what will talk about your fitness.

Know all, follow what your want. You are the best judge for yor life.+


Diet Control and Weight loss : Food intake plays a very vital role while trying to reduce or control weight. You have to know what to eat? how to eat? and when to eat?

Healthy Habits: Healthy habits that can be followed in daily routine life. These habits will improve blood circulation in the body and also increases the energy levels.

Workplace Workouts: Keep yourself fresh and energetic during work hours. These simple and easy methods can be followed for complete relaxation of the entire body.

Tips and Technics to Treat your eyes: Most computer users suffer from the problem of tired eyes, dark circles and headaches. Follow these ten tips to avoid them.

No to fat! Watch your waistline from expanding.

1. Take control of what you eat. Weight watchers should have complete control over what they eat. One should never have the habit of eating everything laid in front of them. Eat as much as required. In simple, do not over-eat.

2. More of fruits, vegetables and whole grains are important for daily healthy life. Increase the intake of unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These types of foods can be consumed in plenty without gaining weight. Meat can be included in ones diet, care should be taken that its lean meat and not the deep fried ones.

3. Eat more fiber. Fiber rich diet should be made an integral part of one's meal. This not only aids in increasing the metabolism but makes us feel full sooner and stays longer in the stomach ensuring decrease in appetite. Refined grains like white rice and those used to make white bread and sugary breakfast cereals have had most of their fiber and nutrients striped away.

They turn into blood sugar (glucose) so fast that, like sugar itself, they can cause a spike in our insulin level. This tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

4. Cutting down on sugar is essential as the insulin spike caused by eating foods like white rice is even more dramatic when eating sugar itself. One has to be cautious on sugar in coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and these drinks aren't filling.

5. Too little of a good thing. Fat should not be totally eliminated from our diet for its required to maintain a healthy body. One should learn to differentiate between beneficial and hazardous saturated fats.

6. Eat frequently, but always eat slowly. Never skip a meal, and eat healthy snacks between meals. Eating frequently prevents hunger pangs, provides consistent energy, and maintains metabolism efficiency. Human bodies are designed with survival mechanism which results in slowing down the metabolic activity when one tends to go on a crash diet or skips a meal to conserve energy. Eating slowly gives our body time to tell us they are full before we eat more than we need.

7. Consume lots of warm water. Consumption of lots of warm water not only burns the calories but also increases the metabolic activity.

8. Avoid fried foods. Fried foods, especially deep-fried, although they are tasty to eat contain a great amount of fat. While chicken and fish are usually leaner than beef, they can contain more fat than beef when they are fried.

9. Cut down on fat when you treat yourself to a Pizza avoid the luxury of the extra layer of cheese or mayonnaise. Eliminate the cream from your salads.

10. Exercise regularly. Exercise not only helps to burn calories, but your body will continue to burn calories at a higher rate even after you stop exercising. If walking is all you can do, then walk because it's been proven to be great for you. But don't sit too long. The human body is good at adapting. If you dig ditches without gloves, you will develop calluses to protect your hands. If you sit too long, you will develop extra padding to keep you comfortable!

11. Increase your protein intake. Without protein your body cannot build new muscle. Protein also helps to increase your metabolism - which burns calories.

How to get a Good Night Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep? If not, you are not alone. A recent study has found that one in every two Indians (46 per cent) sleeps less than six hours. A busy work schedule, a hectic social life, household chores and children’s worries leave little time for sleep. Modern life builds up so much stress and anxiety that when we do get to bed, most of us find it difficult to sleep well.

Adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night, to perform optimally. Children need even more sleep. Less sleep causes morning headaches and daytime fatigue, leading to poor concentration and performance.


Insomnia includes the inability to sleep, frequent awakenings during the night and not being able to go back to sleep, or waking up too early. Women are more likely to suffer from chronic insomnia – the ratio is about two women to one man. Working women, in particular, build up a large sleep debt over the years.

To a large extent, we can control the quantity and quality of our sleep. The key to a restful night’s sleep is to calm down your brain rather than rev it up.

What you eat affects how you sleep. Some food slows down nerve traffic and calms the brain and contributes towards a restful sleep; such food are called sleepers. Other perk up the brain and keep you awake; such food are called wakers.

Sleepers contain tryptophan, an amino acid that makes up protein, which produces the sleep – inducing substances, serotonin and melatonin. Food that contains tryptophan or make more tryptophan available to the brain make us sleepy.

Ideal sleepers are food which contains moderate amounts of carbohydrate stimulates the release of insulin which clears amino acids that compete with tryptophan making it more available to the brain. At the same time, protein contributes tryptophan directly to the brain.

Great snooze food includes; dairy products (paneer, cheese, milk and curd), meat, poultry or seafood, whole grains vegetables and pulses (including soyabeans).

Indian dinners usually have a fair share of these types of food. However, our traditional cooking practices include a lot of fat and spices, both of which in terferes with sleep.

Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan; this explains the soporific effect of a glass of milk at bedtime. Foods containing caffeine such as tea,coffee, colas and chocolates are wakers. a high-protein meal without carbohydrates contains the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain.

An all carbohydrate snack, especially one high in sugar, is less likely to help you sleep. It will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low, you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. Also, you will miss out on the sleep-inducing effects of tryptophan.