Fiber is important for digestive health

                              

Wheat bran is the hard outer layer of wheat. Being rich in fiber it is considered as one of the best sources of dietary fiber that we all require daily for optimal digestive health. As you know, good quality fiber is essential to regulate our digestive activity and as such, it is effective in the prevention of cancer and other disorders of the digestive tract. Wheat bran is also rich in Iron and some other micronutrients. It doesn't contain cholesterol, sugar or sodium. Wheat bran can be added to Atta for fiber betterment. 

http://www.bagrrys.com

Millets are nowadays getting a lot of attention. The widely grown varieties are:

• Pearl millet
• Foxtail millet
• Finger millet (Ragi)
• Proso millet
• Kodo millet
• Little millet

Pristine organics product 'Refiber' is awesome. It contains Ragi which is rich in calcium. It helps in the management of cholesterol metabolism and fat absorption. It is purely organic. The ingredients include Organic Finger Millet, Organic Foxtail Millet, Organic Little Millet, Organic Kodo Millet, Organic pearl millet and Organic Amaranth.

Finger millet (Ragi) is rich in Calcium and Iron. Including this daily in the diet is a sure way to provide us the daily requirement of these two very important nutrients very much needed for healthy bones and prevention of osteoporosis. Include Ragi in the daily diet of children especially girls for them to get strong bones. Always keep in mind 'prevention is better than cure'.

http://www.pristineorganics.com

Quaker Oats plus, I like this variety of Oats introduced recently. This is a cool combination of :

• Oats
• Ragi (Finger millet)
• Wheat
• Barley

Barley is said to be good for heart health. Rich in beta-glucan, it helps in reducing cholesterol levels. Moreover, it lessens the risk of Type - 2 diabetes.  

http://quaker.co.in

I take a little of all the three every day; Wheat bran, millets and oats plus. Just a teaspoon full of all the three together with diluted low-fat milk and sugar. Simmer on low heat for some time until thoroughly cooked. Put a crushed almond, a speck of nutmeg and a small seed of cardamom. Cool it and enjoy with crushed ice or have it warm. It is yummy, both ways😊

Note: Please read the DISCLAIMER attached to this blog.

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Chinese long beans, home cultivation

 

 

The other day I posted about growing ladies finger organically at home in Magical present, my blog. I have mentioned I put a sturdy plastic net to protect those plants, hope you all remember. Well, this net is now serving as Trellis support for my Chinese long bean plants!

I bought seeds of Chinese long beans/yard long beans/asparagus bean/pea bean/achingapayar/sitaw /butong from a local vendor at the market. It was an impulsive buy; normally I go for high yield variety from reputed seed suppliers only. Moreover, the guy told me this is bush variety and will not need support since it is not a climbing vine. Anyway, the two seeds I planted sprouted quickly and stems began elongating day-by-day. I was confused about what to do because I have very limited outdoor space at home being in a metro city so I do not go for any climbers. I bought it from the vendor only because he told me this is a bush variety. Well, it wasn't! I watered it too daily when I go there to water ladies fingers. The plant began clutching to the plastic net that I kept for protecting my ladies finger plants. I was about to pluck away these two but decided to keep it there anyway. As days went by these two began growing vigorously entwining the net crisscross. I was in a dilemma again. A week ago, that is after almost 45 days since planting seeds these two began flowering. The flowers were colored bluish-white. Two days ago I noticed bean sprouting from these buds and today I found it has elongated to about 15 cm! I do not know if it will reach a yard or so, but I will have to pluck those to cook, maybe after a few days, otherwise it will become fibrous.

The potting mixture was the same I used for planting ladies finger. Good quality organic soil, cow dung powder, vermicompost, cocopeat and a handful of neem cake powder. I was so excited to see these beans coolly dangling from the stems. It was totally unexpected! I read online it will take at least 60 days for it to fruit and will need a lot of space for a climber like this. Nothing like that here, it occupies only a limited space and seems happy growing crisscross, up and down.

Pesticide usage and other harmful cultivation practices are big problems here. It has become almost impossible to find pesticide-free items. Our State has assumed the status of a consumer over a period of time depending on the neighboring States for almost everything including vegetables. Being a small State, the availability of land for cultivation has become less. Labour has become costly with limited manpower. Certified organic products are expensive. There is widespread coverage in the media in Kerala about the harmful health problems associated with a toxic pesticide, fertilizer, and hormonal use. The Incidence of serious diseases like cancer is on the rise like never before. This has prompted people to grow whatever possible in their homes even if it is very limited in quantity. Organic vegetable gardens have become popular here. There are training classes on organic cultivation; agencies are supplying seeds and other planting materials. People are sharing their experiences online and through other forums. Organic vegetable farming movement in Kerala has picked up in a big way.

Urban farming in Kerala is challenging, but things are possible. That is my experience 😊

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Chinese potato (Koorkka)

Chinese potato is a common edible tuberous crop in India. It is very popular among people over here. This yummy tuber is known as 'Koorkka' in Malayalam, our mother tongue.

Chinese potato/country potato / Hausa potato is cultivated in Africa, India and many parts of Asia. The botanical name is Plectranthus rotundifolius  / Solenostemon rotundifolius.

The crop looks smaller than potatoes and comes in bizarre shapes and sizes. It has a dark brown skin that can be scraped off easily. The sweet taste and unique aroma is undoubtedly the plus point of this cool tuber that makes it stand out among the innumerable edible roots and tubers available for culinary use.

The above dish is called 'mezhukkupuratty' (a dish that is a little oily) that is made of Koorkka. The cut pieces of Koorkka mixed with vegetable masala powder, a little red chilli powder, water, and salt is sauteed with a little oil in a saucepan. That's it... Yummy dish😊

Well, this is my recipe :), nothing elaborate. No claims this is an authentic Keralite mezhukkupuratti (Upperi) recipe for which there are plenty of culinary sites and blogs online😊, if interested, readers may kindly browse.

Koorkka is a rich source of Calcium and Iron.

Note: Please read the DISCLAIMER attached to this blog.

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Don't worry, be happy...International day of happiness

March 20 has been recognized as the International day of happiness by the UN.

Happiness is a fundamental right and pursuing it is serious business. Happiness for all human beings on this planet and let us all try to make each other happy.

These photos were taken in Dubai during the Dubai shopping festival some years ago. It was wonderful, festive season over there and the weather was cool! These drummers were awesome; we all felt thrilled. People were dancing and even they invited many to join them drumming on stage. You don't need any special training for playing those drums, they will tell you what to do and we are in sync with them! So simple!

During the height of frenzy, a guy would shout with the microphone in hand 'forget the past, be happy, live in the present'

Well, not so easy to forget all the bitterness of the past but why can't we give it a try, at the least?

You are all familiar with the Burj Al Arab, the iconic structure on the Jumeirah beach in Dubai. I never tire taking pictures of this magnificent artistic structure! I have blogged a lot about this awesome hotel. What a beautiful building!

I have a happiness group on my Google plus page; ' Find happiness here', kindly join 😊

Live happily, spread happiness 😊

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Greenery, everywhere...!

 Arecanut trees against the backdrop of setting Sun...

 Coconut tree...

 Beautiful yellow flowers...

 Wonderful white flowers...

 Green pepper!

 This is Chinese chilli (Kanthari mulaku, in Malayalam ), a very hot chilli variety...

 Green pepper...

 A cute rose flower...

 Tomato cultivation...

Plantain, a fruit, and a plant...
A common sight in most of the households in Kerala, especially in the villages.

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Camphor Tulsi (Karpoorathulasi, kapoor tulsi, camphor basil) and other common varieties of this divine plant in India

Camphor Tulsi

Camphor tulsi/Karpoorathulasi/Camphor basil is a rare variety of Basil. Rub the leaves of this divine plant, the fragrance resembles camphor!

Tulsi (Thulasi, basil), as you all know, is a holy plant worshiped in India. All Hindu households will have a Tulsithara, a raised structure in front of the house facing the main door where this holy plant will be grown. Some use a special clay pot as the container to grow Tulsi where space is limited.  Nowadays people have started growing Tulsi, somehow or other, in pots and containers in small apartments as well.

Thulasi leaves and flowers are used in Hindu rituals of worship of Gods and Goddesses. This holy plant is considered sacred in Hinduism. It is a divine plant.

There are three varieties of Tulsi (Holy basil) popular in India.

• Krishna Tulsi - the leaves and stem are purple in color, the aroma of the leaves is mesmerizing. 
• Rama Tulsi - the leaves are green. 
• Shyama Tulsi - the leaves are long and narrow.

Krishna and Rama are the varieties commonly grown in houses in India. Other varieties, if present are said to be auspicious. I have here Krishna, Rama, Camphor and Lemon varieties. Trying to get Shyama tulsi, God willing will get it as well asap.

There is a lot of confusion regarding the nomenclature of this species and the local names in India. I tried my best online, but I feel there is no consensus regarding the classification, local names, and varieties. Hope someone knowledgeable will enlighten us sooner or later. So I have used the common names that I am familiar with in this post.

Lemon Tulsi

Tulsi has innumerable medicinal uses as well. It has been claimed to be having anti-diabetic, carminative, immunity boosting, anti-cancer properties and the like. Some varieties have culinary uses as well, like Thai basil.

Camphor Tulsi/Karpoora thulasi is a water-loving plant. You miss it to water one day, hmmm...it will collapse if it is growing in a pot!

Rama Tulsi

We worship this divine plant. May God bless you all.

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Do it yourself - self watering plant pot

Things are all fine until we go for holidays for our plants especially the indoor beauties. I have tried self-watering plastic bottles with cotton wicks while away on holidays and it had served the purpose very well. 

Recently I began researching more about organic vegetable growing that led me to self-watering plant pots. Read a lot about watering, organic manures, organic pests repellents, organic seeds etc. There are plenty of commercial plant pots that are self-watering but expensive. So I thought of making one like this one with materials available locally.

Here is a plastic plant pot. I have kept two stones inside so that the square blue plastic sheet you will find below will fit perfectly about an inch above the base of this pot. Holes were put on this blue sheet and two cotton wicks inserted. Below this water will be collected and above this blue sheet good quality soil, cocopeat, vermicompost, and a little neem cake powder were put. 

A small hole was also put on the brick colored plant pot about an inch above the base so that excess water may be drained out. I have not fixed a plastic tube that extends from the top of the soil to the base reservoir because this is a small pot and I am quite sure that I can control watering this plant to prevent overflow and over-watering. For bigger pots, it is better to use a plastic tube to pour water that reaches directly the reservoir at the base so that the source of water is at the base and water absorption takes place from below. No topsoil watering in this case. Also no need to keep the plant pot on a base plate here to collect excess water like we do in normal plant pots if we can control watering.

As you know cocopeat has great water retention properties. Neem cake prevents pests invasion and Vermicompost is rich in plant nutrients. The excess water that we pour together with the nutrients will collect in the reservoir. It will be absorbed by the wick by capillary action and enters the soil.

So this should work for 3 - 5 days even if we are not available at home to feed these beauties. For more days go for bigger pots and reservoirs.

You are all familiar with the second plant😊  It is an easy-care indoor plant that figured in NASA's list of awesome indoor plants which purify indoor air.

But what about the first dark green plant?
Please name it😊

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Silent night, holy night...

Silent night, holy night...!
With his magical voice, Elvis made this song divine! Hats off to Elvis Presley!

Merry Christmas!

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Backbone, a sculptural installation by Shanthamani Muddaiah at Aspinwall house grounds, venue of Kochi - Muziris biennale 2014

Nestling on the beautiful grounds of the Aspinwall house lies this brilliant sculptural installation!

'Backbone' was created by Shanthamani Muddaiah.

This beautiful coastal land full of greenery has a rich and colorful history. Blessed by natural beauty, suitable for the growth of exotic spices and condiments, inhabited by simple souls centuries ago, life here was peaceful. They welcomed visitors with great hospitality. Visitors wanted business relations as well that turned later on to hostile takeovers and acquisitions.

This art has captivated me. Spent a lot of time appreciating it and taking pictures. An awesome work, no doubt!

 Cinder and cement...awesome!

Standing here all these thoughts surfaced in my mind like an archeological excavation. Each and every piece we have unearthed are precious, they all have awesome stories to tell, nature here speaks volumes, only we need to listen, the backbone of events that shaped the lives of scores of generations who lived here. Moreover, still it is getting reflected on one and all; we experience it...just be here😊

 One of the best!

Thanks for portraying such a brilliant, a thought-provoking work😊

http://www.shanthamani.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AiFT-fViHU  watch artist interview.

Visit my other blog for more about Kochi - Muziris Biennale 2014.
www.magicalpresent.blogspot.com     Started a series about this historic art event yesterday. You will see a lot of posts from me about this awesome event in the coming days.
http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org

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Christmas decorations!

Malls, shops, and public places here have already been decorated welcoming Christmas!
We visited Oberon mall the other day. The whole place looked really wonderful!

www.oberonmall.com

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