Recipes

Grilled Fish Wraps In Turmeric Leaves

June 16, 2021June 16, 2021 myworldwitheira44 Comments

Turmeric has alot of benefits as we all know and turmeric leaves have antiseptic properties and hence it is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric leaves contain curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant.

Turmeric leaves have a neutral aroma and are used widely in the Goan community in India for making Patoli.

Patoli is a traditional recipe made by Goankars and Christians on 15th August which marks the feast of “The Assumption”. Turmeric leaves add a unique taste to this sweet recipe and your home will be filled with its beautiful aroma when you cook them.

But how about people who do not like to have sweets and would still like to use turmeric leaves in their diet once in a while. So here I’m sharing another recipe using them.

Grilled fish wraps where we are wrapping the fish into parcels of turmeric leaves. While grilling, the heat intensifies the flavor of the leaf which is transferred onto the fish giving it a wonderful aroma and adds a distinct flavor.

Ingredients
Surmai/Seer Fish 4-5 pieces
Turmeric leaves 7-8
Fresh grated 1/2 coconut
1 cup coriander leaves
1 cup mint leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
1 lemon’s juice
Green chilies as per preferred spiciness

Procedure
Wash the turmeric leaves and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.

Clean and wash the pieces of fish well. You can even use mackerel/bangda fish in this recipe. Make sure to make slits on the mackerel.

Make a coarse paste of coconut, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, cumin seeds and lemon juice. Do not use water to make this paste. The marinade is ready.

Marinate the fish and leave it aside for an hour.

Now wrap the pieces of marinated fish in the turmeric leaves.

Wrap each piece of fish in turmeric leaf

One piece of fish will be wrapped in one leaf. If the leaf is not broad enough, use another leaf to cover it sideways and then secure it with a piece of thread. Wrap all the fish pieces similarly.

Heat up the grill pan and grease it with oil liberally. When heated, add the wrapped fish and simmer the flame to make sure the fish cooks well inside the leaves. Keep drizzling with oil if necessary.

Flip the pieces when grilled on the bottom side.
Once the leaves turn brown and crisp, the fish is done. To make sure, unwrap one piece and try it.

Serve it with a side of grilled veggies and steamed rice.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla

CauseAChatter

Gender Blindness And The Need For Equity More Than Equality

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021 myworldwitheira15 Comments

Many of us talk about gender equality and we support it, raise our kids accordingly and how everyone should amplify this thought. But have you heard about gender blindness and how unknowingly even you can be one of those people with no knowledge about it?

“Gender blindness” is the lack of awareness about how men and women are affected by a situation in a different manner due to the difference in their roles, needs, status and priorities and biologies in their societies. Gender blindness can be very harmful and work as a fuel to further increase the issue of gender inequality by ignoring the differences between different genders. It is also an ideology for some who choose not to see the differences.

Gender blindness has become one of the biggest challenges for women in the modern world. When talking about men against women, the word “equality” is used alot to show support towards women but is that actually helpful?

Consider this, two people are asked to oversee something over a wall. One of them is tall while the other one is shorter than average. Since it is impossible to look over the wall, both of them are provided a small stool to stand upon. The taller person with the help of the stool is easily able to see over the wall but a similar stool provided to the shorter person is still of no use. This is what equality does to the shorter person. Do you think he or she will be happy? This where equality fails and there is a need for equity. Equality gives a group of people the same resources while equity recognizes each person’s circumstances and provides proper resources to achieve the desired goal. The need for equity must be emphasized.

In this modern world, gender blindness is becoming more of a problem than gender equality. It’s become the best way to sweep all issues related to women right under the rug. Women and men have different needs and they need to be met in different ways. This is where equity goes a step beyond to make everyone get an equal level playing field. Giving women the same resources as men will not be helpful in every situation and so it needs to be considered that women need extra support than men.

When it comes to the workplace, it is the responsibility of organizations to make changes in their policies and make sure that they empower women through equity for their success. The HR department of an organization plays a vital role in bringing changes in the policies but such changes might take decades to be considered and then accomplished. Employers should consider hiring anti-racist, pro-women and trans-friendly people for their HR team. At workplaces, awareness and practicing equity within every department by each team member might result in small changes needed to create a bigger wave. Studies show that this will address the gap which is related to salary, self-confidence, and overall performance. This will ensure not just fairness but fairness with success.

We as a society need to work and uproot these prejudices to have a better future. Working towards gender equity will bring a positive change and benefit every gender.

This post is part of Blogchatter‘s campaign CauseAChatter.

CauseAChatter

How Cutting Down On Food Wastage Can Ease Climate Change

May 20, 2021May 26, 2021 myworldwitheira16 Comments

Most of us have wasted food at one point or the other, knowingly or unknowingly. You might have taken a lot on your plate than you could consume and then the leftover ended up in trash. Out of love, you served a few bites more than your child could finish and then they left it. Some greens have been in the fridge for too long and before you could use them, they got spoiled.

You might think that we throw away food occasionally and the quantity is too less, but do you know, there is a significant amount of food waste generated in our homes. According to Food Waste Index Report 2021, around 50 kg of food is thrown away per person every year in Indian homes. Shocking right!! This has been an ongoing problem for decades which is just increasing with time. It was only when Covid-19 pandemic hit us that we understood the importance of it all when during the lockdown procuring vegetables and groceries got difficult.

Getting food to your plate is also a lengthy process. Food is grown, processed, packaged, transported, marketed and finally sold. Food also gets wasted during this process. For example, some pests attack the crop or the crop is damaged during transport or it gets spoiled sitting on the aisle at the supermarket because nobody bought it. All that gets dumped too. During the lockdown phase, farmers lost most of its crop to dump as they were not able to bring it to the market.

What happens to all this food that is being spoiled or wasted? All that goes into landfills and rots. As it rots, it produces a greenhouse gas called methane. Greenhouse gases are present in the Earth’s atmosphere. When sunlight hits the Earth surface, it reflects back into space but some of it turns into heat and is supposed to reflect back as well. Greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, prevent the heat from escaping into space and thus warming the planet thus affecting our climate.

Food wastage also heavily contributes to emission of greenhouse gases and each one of us who has thrown away even a spoonful of leftover food or let a vegetable/fruit spoil away in the refrigerator is responsible for it. Meat and dairy products have much higher emissions than fruits and vegetables. We tend to take our food for granted and that needs to change.

We need to curb the greenhouse gases emission and reducing food wastage is the easy fix that can de done right away in our homes.

1.Buy the food you need just for 2-3 days so they don’t spoil and we throw away less.

2. A little imperfection in appearance of fruits should also be accepted so that it does get spoiled away with the seller itself and get thrown away. Consider making smoothies or jams with them. Use them in your baking or blending dishes.

3. Make sure to store all the food products in a proper way in the refrigerators and air-tight containers so they stay fresh for longer and are not rotten and eventually dumped. Make proper use of the freezer section to store meat products to increase at their shelf life.

4. The peels, shoots and roots of fruits and vegetables can be composted for your home garden. It makes a great DIY project for adults and a wonderful way of learning for kids.

5. Another way of using roots and shoots is to make vegetable broth out of it or use them in the main dish itself. For example, gobhi danthal sabzi from Punjab uses cauliflower stalks and Bengali ucche pata bora are bhajjias/fritters made out of bitter gourd leaves.

6. Instead of planning a delicacy out of the blue, it is always better to plan in advance and make meals with ingredients already available in your refrigerator. Planning meals for a few days or a week also helps a lot.

7. Portion control. Take one serving of food that you are sure to finish. Go for a second serving if needed. Make sure to do that with your kids as well.

8. Leftovers should not be thrown away. Use the leftover vegetable to make cutlets or parathas. Dal paratha also tastes really well. Leftover rotis/chapatis make an excellent rolls with just an addition of egg and some flavoring sauces.

9. The food scraps that cannot be eaten can be fed to animals nearby.

10. If going to restaurants, make sure to take-away the leftovers and either bring them home or give it away to the needy and make sure they don’t sleep another night on an empty stomach. Great of you could add in another dish onto it and not just leftovers.

11. Talk to the community around you and share the knowledge. Awareness is the first big step!

Take small steps like these and you will make a difference. Small changes will yield big results with time.

This post is part of Blogchatter’s campaign CauseAChatter.

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Why is it a Piggy Bank? Why not a Dog, Chicken Or Dinosaur Bank?

May 14, 2021May 15, 2021 myworldwitheira32 Comments

As a parent when we think about teaching our kids to start collecting coins and eventually save money, we get them a piggy bank. With modern times, we can find piggy banks shaped in different cartoons and even characters from animated movies. But they are all still called piggy banks. Ever wondered why they are known only from the animal pig and not any other animal that a child may actually be fond of?

The answer can be found somewhere in the Middle Ages. In those times, the real banks were not into existence. People used to save their money at home. Not under the mattress, or a cupboard which also didn’t exist but in kitchenware. During those times, metal was not something that was used to make utensils and was a very expensive commodity. Pots and pans were made of earthenware. A special yet affordable orange-colored clay called “pygg” was used for it. People who were well off used to get huge custom made jars of pygg only to save money called pygg pots.

Earthenware pots and pans used in yesteryears
Image courtesy Google

Early English was very different than it is today. Pygg pots were earlier pronounced as pug pots. With the pronunciation of many alphabets evolving, for example the pronunciation of letter ‘y’ changed from sound ‘u’ to sound ‘i’. The pygg pots and the farm animal pig which actually lies around in pygg and mud sounded the same. Europeans completely forgot that the word “pygg” actually meant clay used to make earthenware in yesteryears. The word bank had also come into existence by then and when potters received requests to make pygg pots or pygg banks, they started shaping them into animal pigs. This accidental change was accepted widely by customers. It emerged so much in those years that little piggy banks were being fashioned for kids as well which delighted them.

Piggy bank made out of clay
Image courtesy Google

Pigs were also tied with good fortune. To possess a herd of pigs was considered a sign of wealth and prosperity in the Middle Ages. Successful breeding was possible with them with minimal investment and the owners would never go hungry. Many farmers survived the winter through just one pig that they owned. That is how pig also became a symbol of good luck in German tradition. Marzipan pigs are gifted during Christmas and New Year to bring good luck. In some Asian countries too, pig is considered to bring good luck and fortune.

Marzipan pigs gifted for good luck
Image courtesy Google

Such a sublime history of how piggy banks came into existence and from there it spread all over the world. It has continued till date and we and many more of our generations to come are going to teach our young kids to start saving in piggy banks. Now that you know about it, do not forget to share this piece of interesting history with your kids, maybe even as a bedtime story!

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3 Pencil & Paper Games To Play With Your Kids

May 12, 2021May 15, 2021 myworldwitheira19 Comments

Be it a child or an adult, everyone likes to play games. With the current conditions of being at home most often and playing the same toys and board games can sometimes be boring for children. A small change can make a big difference. But like me, if you do not want to invest in anymore games and with the “currently unavailable” tag on shopping sites over everything a child requires as it is not considered into essentials, getting that change might be difficult.

Considering all of that, I thought of sharing the games that I play with my daughter since she was four. All you need is a pencil and paper and you are good to go. Many of you might already know these games and some might have forgotten them over time. So let’s refresh our memory and take a five into our childhood.

1. Dots & Boxes
This is my daughter’s favourite game so listing it at the very top.

Begin with a grid of dots drawn on a piece of paper. A 6×6 or 8×8 grid works best for younger kids. You can increase the grid size once they get the hang of it or when you have more than two players. Players take turns to join two dots and draw a line. The lines can be horizontal and vertical leading to formation of boxes. One player can draw only one line at a time. You can use colored pencils or sketchpens as well. When one forms a box, they can write their initials to mark it. At the end of the game, when the grid is full, the player who made the most boxes wins.

2. Hangman
This is an oldie and one of the most played game on paper. It originated in England during the 17th century.

This game can also be played by two or more players. Start by drawing gallows. One player thinks of a word without telling the other players about it and then draws dashes equal to the number of letters in the word. Mark the dashes that will contain a vowel with a star/asterisk. All the other players will each take a turn to guess the letters. Star/asterisk will help the other players especially kids to guess the vowels first and then guess the word. For every wrong guess of a letter or the word, draw a body part of the hangman on the gallows. Typical order is head, body, right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg. For kids, the words can be as easy as an apple, book, sweet, potato, etc and once advanced you can start with their favourite cartoon names or movie titles. This game can also be a great way to brush up the vocabulary that you have been working.

3. Obstruction
Hungarian mathematician Laszlo Kozma created this game and it’s only for two players.

Make square grid of 6×6. Once learnt the grid can be made larger in size to make the game go longer. One player can be ‘O’ and other can be ‘X’. Players can even use their initials. Each player takes turns writing their mark in one of the squares but you can only do so if all of the neighbouring squares including the diagonal ones are empty. Each player takes a turn and marks only one box. The player who is unable to mark a box loses.

These games are a quick and easy way to pass the time. They are not only fun but a great way to help kids work on their focus and attention.

A child who is playing is always refining and learning skills which help them during childhood and beyond.

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Jaggery – The Ancient Sweetener

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020 myworldwitheira6 Comments

Have you tried Gur ka sherbet in summers or Gur with ghee and roti in winters? Those flavors are something that remind us of our childhood. My Grandma had the habit of using jaggery in many recipes where sugar was required. Even our sewaiyan and kheer have always had the unique sweetness of jaggery in them. This habit to affect has been passed on in our generations. Needless to say, I still enjoy that flavor and have been continuing it with my kids.

It is said that Portuguese introduced jaggery in India during the invasion over spice trade and the name is derived from the Portuguese word “Jagara”. But according to Indian history, it is believed to originate in India itself and somewhere around the Eastern part. Hence, Ayurveda has been using jaggery for more than 3000 years now and advises the use of it on a daily basis. It is best to consume it especially during winters because it is the season for fresh supply in abundance. It has two varieties namely sugarcane jaggery and date palm jaggery. Palm jaggery is considered more sweet and more nutritious as there are very less chemicals involved in making it.

Jaggery has many vital nutrients and has innumerous health benefits.

✓Wholesome diet: Jaggery is also called wholesome diet. It contains iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, glucose, fructose, protein and fat.

✓Boosts immunity: Jaggery helps the increase of haemoglobin in your blood. It is loaded with antioxidants and minerals which help our body to resist infections.

✓Blood purifier: Jaggery is known to be one of the best blood purifiers. When consumed on regular basis but in limited quantity it helps in cleansing of blood making our bodies more healthy.

✓ Detoxifies liver: Jaggery cleanses the liver by flushing out all our toxins. It effectively detoxifies your body.

✓Treats flu-like symptoms: Gur wali Chai is very famous in winters for the same reason. Jaggery warms up your body so either have a piece of it or add it to a glass of warm water or your cup of tea as a substitute of sugar and reap it’s benefits.

✓Prevents anaemia: Jaggery is rich in iron and and folate. This keeps our red blood cells count in check and maintains our haemoglobin. Pregnant women should definitely consider having it on a daily basis.

✓Energy booster: Sugar is easily broken down by the body and provides easy but short supply of calories while jaggery takes its time to be broken down and hence the rise in energy is gradual but long lasting. So there are no risks of diabetes. It also helps in problems of fatigue.

✓Acne and pimples: Helps in treating many skin problems like acne and pimples.

Common ways to use.
Til Gur laddoos and peanut chikkis are the easiest snack that can be made for your family. Instead of using jams and spreads, offer your kids roti with jaggery and ghee. Gur ka paratha is a kids favorite. Sugar and brown sugar can be substituted by jaggery in your cakes and cookies as well as in french toasts and pancakes.
A small lemon sized piece of jaggery is a must to have after every meal or at least post-lunch to get the most of it.

This blog is a part of #LBWP – Let’s Blog with PRI, Season 2. You can also check out blogs written by my fellow bloggers Sanandita and Sindhu.

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