Pets> Perks of Having a Pet Dog

Image1: Hugging Pillow, the pet dog

Image2: Say hello to Tilli the Daschund

Image3: Early morning cuddle

Image4: Hey there!
Image by: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Unadulterated affection
Your dog jumps with joy and licks your face with the same excitement everyday whenever you come back from work. Doesn’t it surprise you one bit that the four legged pal of yours never gets bored of welcoming you daily for so many years? This is one unadulterated form of affection that most non-animal lovers miss out on.

Stress buster
The joy of being received and unconditional love has the power to shoo away all your work tensions in a jiffy. If you haven’t realized it by now, then next time you enter your home and your dog greets you, see how you feel.

Will keep you fit
A pet dog will never ever let you be lazy. If its time for walk, it will ensure that you get up from your couch and take it out for a run and play. Think about it in this way, your pet dog enjoys your company no matter what. You don’t have to be well dressed or clean shaven, you can play any kind of silly, on the spot games and it will respond to your command. A pet dog offers you conditional fun. What more do you want?

A friend
With a pet dog around, you normally don’t feel lonely. Believe it or not, your pet dog can give you company when you’re in the lowest moods. It will be there for you, it may not talk but it surely does understand emotions. Dogs are highly sensitive, they know when you are low and will be by your side.

Will listen to you
Had a bad day? Sit in front of your pet mutt and pour out all your day’s worries to it. Its eyes will respond and you will know it understands.

Healthy you
If you are enjoying your pet’s company and vice versa, imagine what it can do to your health? You tend to laugh more, play more and live life to the fullest. This way, a pet dog can help keep you healthy.

Culture, Travel & Food> More than Moussaka

Image: Dial 'M' for Moussaka
Image by: Wasaby

Text by: Tanya Munshi

A perfect combination of good food and ambience, that’s what Greece is all about. Greek food is influenced by its neighboring countries by that Balkans, the Middle East and Turkey. Apart from olive and lemon trees aplenty, the vineyards offer some of the most exotic wines the world ever has tasted.

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You get a variety of baked, grilled or fried sea food that will keep you wanting for more. In meats, lamb, pork, beef and chicken are widely consumed. Casserole lamb which is braised, skewered and broiled and served with veggies is a staple diet. Meat and veggie combination is quite popular here, that is topped with cinnamon spiced tomato sauce, known as the avgolemono.

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The moussaka is a popular baked dish made with garlic scented meat sauce/ mince meat, egg plant, with a crusty white sauce on top. A heaven for amazing salads, thanks to the abundant vegetables grown there, to the feta i.e. a white and salty Greek cheese made from goat/ sheep milk and homemade bread is what makes all the difference.

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A hearty meal is best completed with butter nut cookies, honey fila pastries and thick Greek coffee. Did we miss the fruits? Orange, apple, figs and melon constitute a lazy bite.

Pre-Pet Planning> How to Choose a Pet Bird

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Bringing a pet home should be one of the most planned decisions taking every member of the family’s opinion into consideration. Remember, lack of care, attention and love can be detrimental to your pet’s health – be it a dog, cat, fish or bird. Birds are delicate pets, and you have to be extra careful before picking one. Here are some handy tips –

Time
As always, time is a very important factor for choosing a pet bird. You need time while selecting a bird (no hasty decisions), so do your research well by speaking to friends, the internet, and the vet – whatever you can, before you take the final decision.

Cost
Keep in mind, that the more exotic a breed, not only the initial cost will be high, your bird care and maintenance could be high as well.

Care
Your family members and you have got to decide before hand the maintenance and care for your bird. Maintain your bird’s health record in a file. You have to know every detail and keep every possible record, with regard to health certificates, prescriptions, diet chart and the breed of the bird. So, when you are travelling or on a holiday, if you leave your pet with a friend/ neighbour or carry the bird with you, you are well prepared.

Noise
Remember that birds are going to make noise and you cannot stop that, and if you try to, then having a pet bird is not such a good idea – then go for a fish bowl. For instance, birds like macaws and parrots are loud birds. If you are very sensitive to sound, even smaller breeds like lovebirds or budgies can be noisy for you. A better bet – doves, canaries or even finches should do.

Cage
Don’t be miserly with the size of a bird cage. Your bird should get some space to move around, so pick a cage accordingly. Larger the bird, bigger the size of a cage, but that doesn’t mean when you get a pair of lovebirds, you give them a tiny cage.

Exercise
Some birds need to be kept out of their cage for some exercise. In such cases, ensure that your windows are shut (so your feathered friend will not escape), if you have ceiling fans, ensure they are switched off. You need to give your bird some space to spread its wings.

Food habits
Birds are messy eaters, and you have to accept the fact. Your bird’s diet will consist of seeds, sprouts, grains and fruits. Parrots like chewing on bits of fruits, especially guava and a green chilli.

Bathing
In a small bucket of water, add one to two teaspoon of turmeric powder. Pour it over the birdcage and bathe your bird through that. Turmeric is an anti-septic and it is a natural way of keeping your bird clean and healthy. While bathing your bird inside cage, keep the cage in a bathroom or a garden, where it will be easy for you to clean the cage. Take a long brush and clean the base of the cage, while your pet bird may keep wandering around trying to dry itself in the cage.

Kids and pet bird
If you have small children, teach them not to trouble the bird too much. Ensure your kids don’t put their hands inside the cage, chances are if the bird is taunted enough he can nip.

Home & Kitchen> Quick Cooking Tips

Image: What's Cooking?
Image by: Billingham

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Cooking is a hobby and it can be very relaxing for some. Personally, I find cooking quite creative. With a bright red tomato - sliced, fresh green lettuce leaves on the side, finely chopped spring onions and diced chicken – I look for ways to make the dish as colourful and delicious as possible.

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But if one has to toil the entire day in the kitchen, especially after returning form work, then this hobby would change into a chore. The aim here is to keep cooking a hobby by following some easy kitchen tips. This will save cooking time and keep cooking an enjoyable task.

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Tips to make life in the kitchen simpler:

1. Keep unpeeled boiled potatoes in the refrigerator. Whenever you have to make a curry, take the number of potatoes you need, peel and cube them and drop them in the curry. Keeping unpeeled boiled potatoes in the refrigerator will save you a lot of cooking time. Don’t remove the peel and keep otherwise the potatoes will spoil soon.


2. To remove the skin of tomatoes, first place them in warm water for about 5-10 minutes. This will help you to remove the tomato skin with ease.


3. Whenever the prices of tomatoes shoot up or are in short supply, tomato ketchup, puree or sauce work just fine.


4. At times over ripe tomatoes can leave you a little flustered. Fret not; just place them overnight in cold water with salt and next morning you will find firm and fresh tomatoes.


5. Trying to set yogurt? Well, boil the milk on a low flame a little longer to condense it. Then pour lukewarm (not hot) milk in a ceramic bowl and add two tablespoons of curd to set it. Now for the magic potion – add 2-3 drops of tamarind juice in it, stir slowly and set aside. You will get yourself a curd that’s thick and delicious.


6. Boiled the milk to find that it’s turned bad? Not to worry, squeeze half a lime or 2-3 teaspoons of white vinegar and mix it well. You’ve got yourself paneer!


7. If you don’t have lemon or curd to marinade meat or fish, no problem! Use 1-2 capful of white vinegar instead.


8. For seasoning the dal, sambar or rasam, splatter in sprouted mustard fenugreek seeds. Sprouted seeds are known to possess higher nutritional value.


9. Having guests over? Add 2-3 drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling while preparing rice. This will make the rice look whiter!


10. Love to have a few papads along with your meal, but watching your weight at the same time? Simple, just place them in the microwave on low and you get fat free roasted papads!


11. Not getting the time to make paneer? You want to store it for a little while longer after purchasing it? Cover it up with a blotting paper and place it in the refrigerator.


12. Don’t fry after thawing the paneer. Cut into equal pieces and drop them in boiling water to get soft and delicious paneer.


13. During season, buy fresh green peas. Take out the peas, wash them thoroughly, dry them and place them in packets in the deep freezer. This way you can enjoy peas all year round.


14. Chop beans, carrots, lady’s finger, cabbage, and cauliflower etc. After washing and drying them, place them in food grade plastic packets and store them in the deep freezer. This will save time during cooking.


15. For those of you who cannot do without a cookie with milk, tea or coffee…place a blotting paper at the base of the cookie jar. This will keep the cookies fresh and crisp for a longer time.


16. To save time, keep curry leaves, coriander or mint leaves – washed, dried and placed in separate containers in the fridge. Whenever you have to flavour a dish, take the leaves you want and add a dash of it in the boiling curry.

Published in CookingGoddess.com, on May 12, 2007
Link: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/Kitchen-Couture/Quick-Cooking-Tips/

Culture & Travel> Popular Historical Routes in Europe

Text by: Tanya Munshi
So you’re already in Europe and wondering from where to begin? Maybe you could set aside a weekend (if possible), to follow a trail that was once alive in the past. Here are a few destinations that some popular travel guides recommend.

Snowdon Mountain Railway: Wouldn’t you want to be a part of a 110 year old tradition? This very train has been known to ferry passengers cutting across the highest peaks of Snowdon.For more information go to Snowdon Railway

Severen Valley Railway: Follow the River Severen by the steam engine that will take you along the 26 km stretch, and crossing the famous Victoria Bridge.For more information go to Severen Valley Railway

North Yorkshire Moors Railway: More than 150 years old, this track will take you through a 29 km journey of forests, meadows and valleys from Pickering to Grosmont. For more information go to North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Bluebell Railway: This rail will take you from Lewes to East Grinstead. This journey too is a popular trail often taken by many travelers.For more information go to Bluebell Railway

The Royal Scotsman: Keep your travel journal and camera handy, as you’re going to love this. If you plan on visiting The Royal Scotsman, then gear up for a two day travel through the Highlands. A photographer’s delight, a scene of the archaic castles set amidst the green pastures.For more information go to Royal Scotsman

Editor's note: Compare rail pass prices at the cheapest source of rail passes online: Rail Pass and Rail Europe.

Pets> How to Choose a Fish Store

Text by: Tanya Munshi
If you’re a first timer who wants to keep pet fish, then here are some ways to pick a reliable fish store. The best way to choose a good pet shop is to take out time and patiently check out several pet shops.
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Hygiene
Overall the general hygiene and cleanliness of a fish store is important. If you find that most tanks have a crust or residue in and around them, that’s a sign of an unhealthy fish tank. It also shows the lack of hygiene and care that the pet shop owner shows toward the fish and the tanks.
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Appearance
Spotted a dead fish in the fish tank? Avoid buying from that tank, better still leave. If the aquatic plants don’t look fresh and green then its not a good sign. The water in the fish tank should be clean. If it’s cloudy, with lots of deposits floating in the water, don’t even think about it.

Fish
While you’re at the shop if a new set of fish has just been bought, it’s advisable you don’t buy them. Fish are delicate, and are usually tired from a change of environment and new place. A good pet fish store will offer to replace a fish, if the new fish that you have bought from there has died within a couple of days.

Fish Tank
Ideally, a fish tank should be of a minimum 10 gallons (37.85 litres) and a good fish seller will not over crowd it with lots of fish. Overcrowding of fish in one single tank can make it difficult to pick a healthy fish and chances of injury in a fish are higher. Since its over crowded, the fish will tend to bump into one another.

Hobby> Buying a Camera? Read this

Image: Camera tips
Image by: Rediff.com

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Buying a good digital camera can be a confusing task as there are a lot of them out there. Here's a guide on what to keep in mind before investing in one.

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Megapixel
The thing to look for in a digital camera is a megapixel number, something between six and eight. "The higher the number, the greater the resolution (clearer image detail)," says Lt Col MK Munshi (Retd), a Mumbai based aerial and still photographer.
"Anything above eight megapixels is used mostly by professionals who want to blow up images to massive sizes," says Col Munshi.
However, megapixel isn't everything. The quality of the lens is also very important. Thus, a camera from Nikon/ Olympus could take fantastic pictures even though the mega pixel of CCD (Charged-Couple Device or Colour Capture Device, which is an image sensor and is the screen you see on the back part of your digital camera) is of a lower value.

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Focal length
The focal length is the distance between the centre of the lens and the film when an in-focus image of a far away object is formed.
Shibu Arakkal, a Bangalore based photographer recommends a wider focal length lens of 28 mm -- 105 mm to the 35mm -- 105mm one.
For example, in a room where space is a limitation, the 28 to 105 mm wide focal length lens would allow you to cover practically the whole room whereas a 35 mm lens would just photograph a portion of the room.
"Since both the lens (tele and wide angle) have a 105 mm zoom capability, they achieve the results of a 105 mm zoom lens. Thus, a 28 mm -- 105 mm lens is more versatile," adds Col Munshi.

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Points to note:
~ A 28 mm lens has a greater "depth of field" than a 35 mm lens, which means objects closer to the camera as well as those at a distance, remain focused. ~Depth of field is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus. ~The longer the focal length--35mm, 50mm or 105mm-- the smaller the "depth of field".

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Optical zoom
Go for a digital camera with at least 3x optical zoom as this will increase the size of your 'subject' (the object/ person) that you are shooting.
~Avoid higher digital zoom cameras as they only increase the size of the pixels, making your images look stretched. Don't fall for advertisements stressing only on higher digital zoom but not the optical zoom.

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Easy operation
Many people look for different features in a camera for easy handling. "Features to look for include anything that assists in low light shooting conditions, image stabilization, noise reduction and different flash modes," says Shibu.
For example an Olympus Zoom camera has three flash modes-- Red Eye Removal, Fill-in and the plain Flash. Thus, multiple flash options are offered in several digital camera brands.

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Using videos
Digital cameras have lower resolution than digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, (possibly to capture more images or more frames in one cassette or media), says Col Munshi.
Some digital SLR cameras do offer a video capability, but then the number of video frames may be limited because of the higher resolution (leading to bigger image size) and the limitations in capacity on the memory/ storage in a digital SLR camera.

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Digital SLR Cameras
~In SLR cameras, the primary lens meant for taking the picture is also used as a 'view finder (display unit in a digital camera) and for picture composition.
~Since the exposure metering (for exposure control) is based on the light coming through the primary lens, the exposure metering is far more accurate than in the case of non - digital SLR camera.
~An exposure meter is used to make selective light readings. This instrument helps you in analyzing the amount of light being reflected from your subject. Some of the latest digital SLR cameras are equipped with an in-built exposure meter.
~Digital SLR cameras offer a set of interchangeable lenses, ranging from wide angle (say 28 mm) to telephoto/ zoom lenses for meeting various photography requirements. These facilities are not available in non-SLR cameras.
~Because of these facilities a digital SLR camera is costlier than other cameras.

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Best buy
There are many top brands in the market today like Nikon, Olympus, Canon and Sony.
Nikon is usually one of the costliest digital cameras, especially the digital SLR variety while cameras from Canon are usually good and have user-friendly features.
From where
~Ideally buy your camera from an authorised dealer and always insist on warranty.
~ Most camera brands have exclusive outlets across the cities in India.
~ Photography exhibitions offer the latest discounts and accessories for your camera, so make use of them.

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Checklist
~Read the fine print. Whatever the cost of the digital camera, it should include the basic accessories mentioned with that brand like a camera case, batteries, charging cord, USB cord etc. ~ Buy extra accessories such as memory cards, batteries, tripods from the same camera store if possible. Don't buy non-branded accessories from un-authorised showrooms. You may run the risk of ruining your digital camera and wasting a lot of money.
~ Check for special offers like free rechargeable batteries with charger or a 512MB/ 1GB memory card.
~ Amateurs can make do with an eight megapixel camera.
~ Read reviews from photography magazines and web sites. These will give you insights about brands, price and performance.
~ Ask for a demo. Try out a few digital cameras by taking pictures, zoom in and zoom out, wide or tele lens, to see which camera you are most comfortable handling.
~ Check out different stores before settling for the one you like.
~ Check with the camera store for equated monthly instalments (EMI) options, if any. Electronic showrooms such as Vijay Sales in Mumbai offer EMI options for digital cameras.

Published in Rediff.com, on April 5, 2007
Link: http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/apr/05slid1.htm

War is not out there

Image: Give peace a chance
Image by: Jayel Aheram

Text by: Tanya Munshi

War is not out there
But in our hearts
It’s the war between our conscience and us

War in not out there to show how strong we are
War is not out there to show our nuclear power

If war does have to exist
Let it be to conquer hearts
To fight for our rights
Let us use all our might

War is not out there
But in our hearts
Confronting the fear in our souls
Fighting to sustain our hopes
War is not out there
But in out hearts

History glorifies war
What kind of war?
That can wipe out mankind totally?
I think, war is between us
Humans and humanity

In this never ending war
It’s the mankind which suffered
War is not out there
But between
The dead and the living

The dead is Humanity
While living is the Man

Home> Keeping Kitchen Pests at Bay

Image: Dream kitchen
Image by: thekitchendesigner.org

Text by: Tanya Munshi

• At night, powder the corners of your kitchen with boric powder. Cockroaches are allergic to this powder.
• Remove all the empty cardboard boxes if you have stored them in the kitchen. These are cockroach haunts. Since the boxes are porous and cool, it’s the perfect place for roaches to breed.
• Regular spraying of insect repellent in all corners during a kitchen spring-cleaning session, will keep these pests under control.
• Seal all broken and chipped corners in your kitchen. These are insects’ favorite places of breeding and hiding.
• Place dry red chillies – 2-3 of them in the rice jar. This will prevent rice insects from infesting the rice.Once or twice a week, place all the pulses on plates and place them in the sun. It will destroy tiny insects and drive most of them away.
• I have heard that lizards are allergic to calcium. Don’t know who said that. But as the old wife’s tale goes – place clean empty eggshells on corners or top of the shelves. Lizards are known to flee from the kitchen.
• Apply toothpaste on a cotton wool and place them in the corners of your kitchen. I don’t think lizards will like that either.
• Keep 2-3 cloves in the sugar jar to keep ants away.Get a regular pest control done for your entire house.
• As soon as you drop any food item, clean immediately. This will prevent ants from getting attracted to the kitchen.
• Use airtight containers at all times. Certain spices and pulses are best stored in the fridge.
  Regularly get your waste bin cleared.
• Close the bin at night, as that’s the hot spot for pests.

Published in CookingGoddess.com, on April 29, 2007
Link: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/Kitchen-Couture/Keeping-Kitchen-Pests-at-Bay/

Pets> Introducing a Pup to His New Home

Image by: chadmill

Text by: Tanya Munshi

It’s like bringing a baby into your home. A tiny cuddly ball of fur is now going to be a part of your family. So aren’t you going to do anything and everything to make it feel at home?

Remember, the puppy has just left the warm cocoon feeling of being close to its mother. So you’ve got to be extra sensitive and patient if the puppy starts feeling ‘homesick’.

If you really want the puppy to gel with your family, then don’t leave it alone. It should feel a part of your family. So keep it close, even at night.

You need to decide what place will be its den. If you want to train it to have a particular spot as its bed, then start from day one. Let the little one have a bed right next to yours in the same room. Don’t let it sleep alone in another room.

To train the puppy to get used to its bed, keep a name for it. Gradually the puppy will know that a particular word means ‘going to bed’. Every time the pup responds correctly to your command, give it a treat.

Another very important point to remember is that give a compact and a cozy bed for your pup. Pups learn early from their mothers not to dirty the area in which they sleep. In case of a larger bed, the pup might find one area cozy and choose to do its job in another.

Remove all the ‘obstacles’ from its way like fancy glass or decorative items, flower pots or anything that you feel that a puppy is bound to hurt itself or break. Once the little one has settled down in its new place, gradually you can start putting the things back.

Especially at night the puppy will start howling in sorrow. Please don’t be mad. It’s missing it mother. You can pick it up and cuddle it for a while till it calms down. Remember, its like a baby who needs its mother. Sometimes, the midnight howls could be a signal that your pup wants to go for its job. Then take it to a fixed spot and allow it to relieve itself. Remember to use one specific command.

Culture & Food> A sip of Bluemchenkaffee

Image: Time for a coffee break

Image ny: mav.mbecker.net

Text by: Tanya Munshi

A flourishing sausage and dairy industry, not to forget the beer, wine and spirits that make Germany a popular foodie destination. If you're traveling to Germany, prior knowledge of what to eat and drink can surely help.
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Spit roasted baby pig, cheese and sour cream or flour dumplings with cheese and butter are to die for. Germany takes pride in being the second largest producer of hops, a vital ingredient where the dried flowers of the hops plant are used to lend a bitter flavor to beer. Cabbage, carrots, oats, potato, rye, barely, beet and sugar are other predominant ingredients here.
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Traditionally, every guest is served with the traditional German coffee and cake. This coffee is milder than other coffees available and when prepared very mild is known as Bluemchenkaffee.
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A typical German meal with a starter, soup, main dish and side dish will be accompanied with wine, beer or mild drinks such as Radler and Limo. Radler is a concoction made of beer and lemonade, while Limo is a sweet sparkling water with lemonade.

Culture & Food> Influences of Rajasthani Cuisine

Image by: Bengal*Foam

Text by: Tanya Munshi

We can understand the culinary style and food habits of the people of Rajasthan if we know their history, landscape, religion and climate. The lack of fresh green veggies, made the locals create one of the finest cuisines out of the ordinary available produce and ingredients.

Traditional culinary practices:
Like most Indian customs, cooking was more of a tradition than a profession. Passed on for generations, the secrets of spices and condiments were guarded with life. Such a custom emerged in Rajasthan as well. The cooks took great pride in presenting exotic dishes to their masters and their guests that they would never forget.
Usually the spread used to be so lavish that it would be virtually impossible for a person to taste every dish in the menu. But for a host, presenting exotic dishes was a matter of pride in the past and it still is.

In the Kitchen:
The traditional Rajasthani kitchen mainly comprised of brass and heavy-bottomed utensils. Food was mainly cooked on brick and earthen stoves, with coal or dried camel/ cow dung cakes burned as fuel.

Way of Living:
The battle for freedom and the turmoil caused during the war in the lives of the locals influenced their food eating habits tremendously. Food that could be eaten cold and the ones did not spoil easily were soon invented due to the necessity of a restless time.
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Landscapes:
The desert area forced them to experiment food with milk, buttermilk and clarified butter (ghee), rather than water. Dairy farming never really took off in a big way, due to extreme weather conditions. But to counter this, the locals use goat and camel milk. Camel milk being thick and rich forms the main ingredient in most dishes and sweet meats in Rajasthan. Curd, buttermilk and lassi are popular milk products that are heavily consumed to beat the summer heat. Even with the limited milk produced and available in Rajasthan, it has one of the most exotic and wide range of sweet meats likes halwa, chashni and other desserts.
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Vegetation:
Culinary experiments began to take place, where locals started using dried lentils (dal), beans etc, from plants like ker and sangria that are locally grown. The traditional cuisine of Rajasthan therefore includes gathey ki sabzi, papad, mangodi, pakodi, all made from gram flour, which became a dominant ingredient in their food style. Corn and bajra too formed a vital part of the cuisines, by which rotis, kichdi and rabdi were prepared. To add to the flavor of these food styles, chutneys made from herbs and spices like coriander, mint and turmeric were soon created. Chapattis and rotis are predominant here, along with maida, dalia and atta that are the byproducts of wheat. Bajra, jowar and chaney ki rotis are highly nutritious.
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Spice and Flavoring:
Rajasthan’s dry red chilies are known for their flavor and color. Dried and powdered, dry red chilies are used to flavor curries and for the dash of rich red color in Rajasthani cuisine.
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Meats:
The meat is divided into two categories – red and white meat. While red meat is prepared in rich red chilies, the white meat is cooked in delicious gravy of cashew, cream, coconut, condiments like cardamom and cinnamon. Khud Khasrgosh and Sula are two predominant meat preparations of Rajasthan.
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An Exotic Rajasthani Meal:
Daal-bati churma - a staple in dry regions
Jaisalmeri ker sangria - a curry made of dried herbs
Papad ki sabzi - papad along with soaked and sprouted fenugreek
Jaipuri paneer methi-dana – cottage cheese with fenugreek flavoring
Jodhpuri gatta curry – made of besan
bhindi masala – okra cooked in masalas
Chukki ka matar – green peas
Rotis - made from jowar and millet
Khichdi – rice and dal preparation
Kadhi – curd based curry, seasoned with mustard and cumin seeds
Salad
Chutneys
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Deserts:
Kala jamoons
Malpuas
Churma
Sooji ki kadi
Gewar
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Popular foods across regions in Rajasthan:
Dil Jani – from Udaipur
Sohan Halwa – Ajmer
Tilpapadi – Beawar
Mishri Mawa and Ghevar from Jaipur
Malpua – Pushkar
Bikaner - papads, badi, kachoris, sweetmeats like rassagulla, and bhujia
Jodhpur – dal-baati-churma
Jodhpur - high quality lean mutton

Pep Talk> How to Improve your Sleep

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Psychologist Prachi Vaish suggests some basic and effective ways to boost your sleep power:
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Rest according to a schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends and vacation. By doing so, your circadian rhythm (internal clock) will not be disturbed.
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Exercise
Regular exercise improves sleeping habits. Exercise between 20 to 30 minutes a day, but take care not to exercise within five hours of bedtime.
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Don't lie awake
If you cannot fall asleep, don't lie in bed awake. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake. Get up and do something else until you feel sleepy. For example, read something extremely boring; you'll feel sleepy in minutes.
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Limit alcohol, nicotine, caffeine
Nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants, and should be avoided upto six hours before bedtime. Alcohol is a sedative and may appear to promote sleep. But, once the effect wears off, sleep patterns become erratic.
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Eat and drink long before bedtime
A heavy meal before bed can cause indigestion, which can keep you up. Drinking fluids before going to bed can interrupt your rest if you need to go to the bathroom.
Try to avoid both food and fluids for at least two hours before bedtime. But a glass of warm milk or warm water with a teaspoon of honey can help if you're having trouble falling asleep.
Relax
Spending some 'down time' before bed can help you relax and sleep comes easier. Meditation, relaxation techniques and breathing techniques may all work. Relaxation could be as simple as a warm bath, or quiet reading.
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Reserve your bedroom for two activities
Watching television, paying bills, reading a book and listening to music in the bedroom are not recommended. By doing so, you create the expectation that the bedroom is for activities other than resting. Your bedroom should be a place where you relax.
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A word of caution
"Avoid sleeping pills; they disturb the chemical balances of the body and carry the risk of dependence," says Vaish.
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Are you an eight-hour sleep type?
Every person is unique and so is his sleep pattern. Some people are known to be up and active with only four to five hours of sleep. Others need six to eight hours.
In case you are a four to five hour type, it is likely that the number of your NREM-REM cycles is less; that's all.
"For instance, if in eight hours of sleep there are four to five cycles, then in four to five hours of sleep there would probably be only three cycles" says Vaish.
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The bottom line
Listen to your constitution. If you are ready to kick start your day after five hours of sound sleep, so be it. But don't ever compromise those five hours. Ensure you sleep well. Then, you are sure to have a nice day.
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Published in Rediff.com, on December 12, 2006
Link: http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2006/dec/21sleep.htm