Manu's Medley

Hello Readers, When we think about semiya (vermicelli), the first thing that strikes our mind is the mouth watering payasam (also known as kheer or porridge) made with it. But we can make a variety of dishes with this ingredient, in combination with other commonly used ingredients in our kitchen, like sabudana payasam, semiya kesari, semiya upma (plain or vegetable version), semiya pulao,  semiya bath, curd semiya and the list goes on.  Today, I am sharing a very simple and easy to prepare dish using semiya and pudina (or mint). This involves very little chopping - just an onion. Rest of the ingredients can be either tossed into a blender or the fry pan. The total cooking takes only 10 minutes. So you don't have to skip breakfast during busy mornings. You can savor this for break fast or dinner or even as an evening snack. Even those who dislike semiya will enjoy this flavorful recipe. I can vouch for that!! Above all these, this recipe has good mix of carbs, fats and protein,...

Congratulations!!! Finally, you have received your COPR or work visa or student visa, packed your bags, said good byes to family and friends and boarded the flight to your dream country - Canada. There are few essential activities to do immediately after reaching Canada, which  puts you in a better position and gives you the much needed peace. I am listing 10 such activities to accomplish, preferably within the first few weeks. 1. Finding an accommodation: Accommodation is the first thing you would need to head straight from the airport. So better to get it sorted before leaving for Canada.  If you have relatives or friends at Canada, then it would be the best option to stay with them for a week or two, find an accommodation and move out. Alternatively you can consider staying at Airbnbs until you hunt a house. Airbnbs are budget-friendly compared to hotels.  Check out websites like kijiji , craigl ist , facebook,  indianeverywhere   etc. You will get lot of o...

Nutritious diet is important for the overall well being of mankind. When it comes to an infant, it is very vital for its healthy growth and development. For the initial 6 months, doctors recommend to completely breast feed babies.  Babies grow three times their birth weight before celebrating their first birthday. Mother's milk is highly nutritional and takes care of all the caloric needs of the infant required for the proper development of their tiny bodies and brain.  Breast feed or formula feed? Breastfeeding is highly recommended by experts worldwide, as it is not only beneficial to the child but is equally good to the mother's well being. Breast milk is pure, safe and contains antibodies and essential nutrients to protect babies from many illness. C omparatively, b reast fed babies have low risks of having respiratory diseases, ear infections, gastrointestinal infections, obesity, type 1 diabetes etc. Breast feeding helps mothers to lower the risk of developing breast can...

One day, I was browsing through the calendar of events on our neighborhood library's website and found this title. It was chosen for January month's read by "Around the World" book club. This book club reads a book every month that relates to different countries; like they may be set there, have characters from there, reflect the local culture or written by authors from that country. I found the synopsis intriguing. Neither the book was available at the library nor I could get a soft copy. After a wait of more than 2 months, I got the hard bound copy from the library.  Homegoing , is a historical fiction novel, written by Yaa Gyasi. It is her debut novel, published in 2016 and has won her several awards like National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Award for best first book, PEN/ Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction etc.  Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana. Her family migrated to America when she was around 10 years and subsequently raised in Alabama. Homegoing...

Hello Readers, I promise, this post is going to make you nostalgic and drool at the same time. Do you remember the bells ringing close to midnight? Most of the 80s and 90s kids used to wait to hear those bells without sleeping. I remember the days were my brother used to try all odds to defy sleep, just not to miss them. The moment the shrieking sound is heard at the corner of our street, he used to rush outside and scream out aloud "kulfi uncleeeee!!!", to make sure the kulfiwala doesn't turn away without entering our street. Especially when our cousins visit us during holidays, the entire gang will be awake to treat ourselves to that mouth-watering dessert.  In our city, kulfiwala used to come on a tricycle, with a big earthen pot filled with kulfis. He removes the kulfis from the cone, cut them into pieces and serves them on a leaf. Those days, kulfis will be of only one flavor - elachi (cardamom). The leaf on which it is served added a peculiar aroma and flavor to tho...