MyMusingsSangSpeak - Life -Lakhan ki Kahani-Bandhan ka Rishta

Lakhan ki Kahani-Bandhan ka Rishta

We were on a trip to Jodhpur to celebrate the golden jubilee of our unit and it was December 2019, just when the pandemic began. Attending this event gave us a chance to make a quick touristy trip to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Ranthambhore. We took a road trip from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer and as we passed the iconic Pokharan city, I remembered how we had missed this posting by a hair's breadth.

This area of Rajasthan has a charm and beauty of its own with the desert expanses spanning across left and right up to the horizon literally. We reached Jaisalmer by afternoon and settled in our guest room comfortably.

My daughter loves to plan out our trips and she had booked a taxi for us for next 3 days in Jaisalmer. The next morning, we got ready in a hurry scurry as the taxi arrived and our driver was a short, dark, thinny minny, inconspicuous fellow named Lakhan.

My idea of travelling is to be in conversation with the driver as he is the best source to let one know about the local traditions, cuisine, areas and locations of interest and all such titbits. I have to be careful at the same time as my daughter hates this idea of getting familiar with driver etc. and am stopped with those stern looks, but, I go on with my "ChambharChaukashi".

On the first day, we saw the city attractions and had light snack for lunch at a restaurant near Jaisal fort. My daughter's friend had suggested a 5 star place called Gordhan Palace for dinner for exclusive Rajasthani cuisine and we were looking forward to it.

We suggested Lakhan to take us there, but, instead he took us to a lane where all vegetarian restaurants were lined up. So, we requested him to take us to a place that served best Laal Maas and he obliged us. On the way, he told us that he felt we were vegetarians. We had our fill of Laal Maas and other Rajasthani goodies and on our way back, Lakhan told us that he was a vegetarian. Then, he opened up by telling us that he was a vegetarian despite being a Muslim. Now, the talk got interesting and I asked him why is his name Lakhan? He told the story of his father and his father's Bramhin friend who had tied each other a Bandhan, a friendship band and hence, they were in a Bandhan ka Rishta. His father had promised the Brahmin friend that he will turn vegetarian and he was named Lakhan by his father's Brahmin friend. Bandhan ka Rishta indeed!

Lakhan seemed worked up as his daughter in law was about to deliver.

Next day was a day trip to Tanot Mata Mandir and Longewala Border. Lakhan had arrived on time to take us and we all were in upbeat mood. As we got out of the city, we witnessed huge locust swarms and Lakhan told us how these travel across the border and devour all the agricultural produce. He showed us how the farmers deal with the locusts by banging metal plates and spoons and also by creating smoke screens.

On the way, Lakhan was telling us many stories associated with Jaisalmer and desert life in particular. He told us about the opium trade during the olden days and how it was legalised back then. He also gave his opinion of how opium is better bet than liqour.

He kept on about the difficulties of life in desert and how one gets lost among the dunes and vast expanses of sand with no water and said that earlier if a person did not return for about 10 days or more, it was assumed that the person had lost his way and life somewhere in the desert.

He also spoke how fast the desert landscape is changing now with afforestation and how green the desert has become now.

During our journey, as were speaking Marathi, Lakhan was listening intently to our conversation and he started saying that his language had many similar words, so I enquired which language he spoke, was it Rajasthani? He said he speaks Sindhi as he is from Sindh province.

I asked him about tourists carrying the special limestone cup for setting curd from Jaisalmer, he said Madam, usme kya badi baat hai, woh bas fad hai, kya aap ghar me dahi nahi jamate aise hi, usme yahan se pathar kyun le jaana hai? Sorted fellow indeed this Lakhan was.

I was quite curious to know about Lakhan's family. He had two sons who were working and married. I was more interested to know if they were vegetarians too. Yes, he confirmed, all his household is vegetarian. His wife and daughters in law were informed about Bandhan ka Rishta before marriage itself. Such truthfulness, innocence and simplicity.... this is the soul of our great nation.

We generally click one picture with our driver, but, just forgot to click one with Lakhan. Even though I do not have a picture of Lakhan, his memory is vivid all owing to his Bandhan ka Rishta story.

When Lakhan came to know that we were from Pune, he was delighted to know it and exclaimed "Woh Shirdi ke paas wala Poona" and expressed his wish to visit Shirdi someday for SaiBaba darshan. I pray that his wish comes to be true someday soon........

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Tips for Making Soft Chapatis (Indian flatbread)

 

Tips for Making Soft Chapatis/Roti/Indian flatbread

Chapati/Roti is Indian flatbread made of wheat and forms a major part of Indian meal. The chapati/roti is made differently in different parts of India. In some places, it is prepared as Phulka devoid of oil, whereas in some places it is made as a Paratha with oil applied in the folds before rolling out. Different areas of the country produce different varieties of wheat like the native/desi (Khapli), Sharbati, Sehore, Lokwan and many more hybrid ones too. In earlier times, people were very particular about buying good quality wheat to get good chapatis. Some people use Khapli wheat though it is costly as it is more nutritious and has high fiber content. Many people use mixture of different varieties of wheat to make wheat flour for chapatis. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides were not used much in earlier times. For good quality chapatis, people would buy wheat and get it ground fresh in the flour mill. Some joint families buy wheat in large quantities and store for yearly use, so generally the wheat is applied with some insect repellent powder. Before grinding, this wheat will be washed and then dried in sunlight.

In modern times, the women started working and this cumbersome process of buying wheat grain and getting it ground in the flour mill took a back seat. Many wheat flour producing companies started production and the readymade wheat flour made life easy for the working ladies. Some people still follow the traditional methods of making wheat flour. The traditional wheat flour can be used easily by kneading with normal water, little salt and oil and then rolling into flat rolls. The phulkas are first roasted on hot tawa and then directly on the flame and they puff up automatically, hence called phulka. For oiled chapatis, oil is applied on the roll and it is folded twice and then rolled out thinly. It is then cooked on hot tawa and oil is applied on both sides. These rotis will generally turn out to be soft.

Nowadays, as most households are using readymade flour/atta, some find that the rotis do not turn out to be really soft like in the case of traditionally home-made wheat flour. Many of my working friends needed to know tips about making soft chapatis/rotis from readymade flour. I have also been using readymade wheat flour for many years now and did some research for tips to make soft chapatis.

The readymade wheat flour needs to be kneaded with hot water along with little salt and oil. Take flour quantity as per requirement, add salt and pour hot water. Cover and knead into a smooth dough after 15- 20 minutes, add little oil to bring the dough together. Cover and leave for 25-30 minutes and then roll out rotis/chapatis. This tip of kneading with hot water helps a lot to make softer chapatis from ready-made shop bought wheat flour.

For storing chapatis, use a stainless-steel container and soft muslin cloth. Chapatis can be stored even without a cloth. Some people use casserole for storing chapatis. Chapatis will remain soft for longer periods.

 

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - It’s My Crowning Glory- Tips for Hair Growth

 

It’s My Crowning Glory- Tips for Hair Growth

It’s our school group and all girls are worked up, all of us in our mid-fifties, worrying about our receding hair. Causes for hair loss are many like stress, worry, medical issues, hormonal imbalances, artificial hair colour and so on. There are n number of remedies available- natural, home therapy, medicines, cosmetic etc.

I am enlisting some sure shot home remedies for hair care that I have collected from my friends and family members that have worked well for them to have long, lustrous, silky hair.

Firstly, I will enlist all that one can include in one’s diet for good hair-

Good balanced nutrition is a must for good hair.

Proteins, especially milk and eggs or any other vegetarian proteins should be included in daily diet.

Amla (Indian gooseberry) is the best for hair. Keep it in your diet on daily basis as it a very good source of Vit C. You can eat it fresh or candied or in juice form.

Keep yourself well hydrated too.

Oils, especially coconut and sesame work very well for good hair. Consume 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of dry coconut daily as this will ensure consumption of oil in most natural form.

Curry leaves are also beneficial for good hair, so chew on 10-12 leaves and consume them daily for good hair growth.

Cod liver oil, Vit E and Keshranjana(Ayurvedic) tablets are good for hair growth.

Seocndly, I will enlist various oils and mixtures that can be prepared at home.

Mix 100 gm of Hibiscus (Jaswand) gel with oil from 20 Vit E capsules, 1 tablespoon castor oil, 1 tablespoon almond oil, 1 tablespoon cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  This mixture needs to be refrigerated lest it gets spoiled. Massage this mixture into the scalp and leave it overnight preferably. Wash it off next day with a natural, herbal shampoo. This mixture guarantees new hair growth. More Vit E oil tablets can be added to this mixture.

This mixture does smell very strong, yet, it is very effective. This is my Aunt’s recipe for hair growth.

One can prepare various oils like onion and curry leaves oil by boiling paste of 1 onion and about 5-6 sprigs of curry leaves in 150 ml of coconut oil. This process is to be done on simmer till the residue of onion and curry leaves is charred. Strain the oil and use it for massaging scalp.

Similarly, amla oil can be made and used for massaging scalp. One can use readily available amla oil from market too.

Almond oil also is good for hair massage.

Use more of natural ingredients and less of chemicals to maintain good hair.

Henna is a good conditioner for hair. A paste of henna powder, curd, egg and lemon juice can be used as hair mask once in a month.

For natural colour, make mixture of henna powder with boiled tea and coffee water with some amla powder and allow this mixture to develop a darker colour by storing in iron utensil for two days. This can be used as natural hair colour. Apply for 2-3 hours and then wash with a mild herbal shampoo. One can add natural indigo powder too to this mixture to get a dark shade.

Follow a consistent hair regimen for hair care with good diet, less stress, good oil massage and you are sure to be proud of your crowning glory.

 

 

 

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Bajri Bhakri

 

Bajrichi Bhakri

Bajri/Bajra is pearl millet that is grown widely in Asia and Africa and consumed all across the world. It is free of gluten and rich in minerals, vitamins and essential nutrients, hence a very healthy food item. It is consumed in many forms like whole grain, flour and broken. It can be made into bhakri (type of Indian bread), roti, rotla, thepla, dalia, khichdi, kheer(porridge) etc. The broken bajra tastes very good with jaggery and ghee. 

Bajri/Bajra/Pearl Millet is very beneficial for lactating mothers. In Maharashtra, a Puja(Pachavi Puja) is performed on the fifth day of child's birth. For this Pachavi Puja, a special food item known as Bajriche Unde is prepared as offering to God. Bajriche Unde are steamed broken Bajri balls and they are eaten with jaggery and milk. I loved this delicacy during my childhood.

In India, Bajra is mainly grown in states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Bajra is known to provide the essential heat energy to the body and is consumed mainly during winters. Bajrichi bhakri tastes good with almost any vegetable as well as non-vegetarian dishes too. It is quite easy to make Bajri Bhakri, the dough can be flattened with hands or can be rolled out too with the help of rolling pin.

Bajra flour should be ground freshly and consumed soon as it turns bitter if it is stored for long. You may add a bit of salt to the flour while storing to maintain its freshness.

For Bhakri, ingredients are bajra flour and water. Knead into a smooth dough. Take a small portion, about a small fistful sized portion and make it into a ball. Line the plate with flour and start patting the portion with hand. Once it is flattened reasonably well, pick and place on the heated tawa, the flour side facing upwards. Apply little water to this surface and turn once the water dries up slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then roast on the open flame. In earlier days, this process was done on mud/iron tawa on open wood fire on a mud stove and the taste used to be awesome.

You can make Bajrichi Bhakri by rolling out on flat surface with a rolling pin. Bajri Bhakri tastes good when served hot and topped  with ghee.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Nachani Bhakri

 

Nachani Bhakri

Nachani/Nagali/ Ragi is known as finger millet in English and is a widely grown cereal in Asia and Africa. It is highly nutritious and excellent source of calcium and phosphorus. It has many other necessary minerals and phytochemicals too. Nachani is used in different forms like whole grain, flour, puffs etc. It can be made into bhakri(type of Indian bread), roti, mudde, kheer, laddoos, papads, dosas, kadhi etc. Children are given porridge of ragi flour for good growth of bones.

As the entire world is looking for gluten free diet to combat many illnesses, millets are in fashion because they are gluten free and excellent source of iron, calcium, phosphorus and other useful minerals and nutrients. Nachani has become a superfood lately with diabetics including it in their diets as diabetic food to keep sugar levels under control.

Nachani/Ragi/Nagali acts as a body coolant and it is best to consume it during summer season.

Nachani Bhakri is a bread made of flour and can be made in two ways, either it can be patted in a plate or made by patting in hands or it can be rolled out. Rolling gets slightly difficult and one can make it easier by adding little wheat flour to it. I am showing both methods in the pictures below. I have not used any wheat flour.

Ingredients for Nachani bhakri are nachani flour and water. Knead into a smooth dough. Take a small portion, about a small fistful sized portion and make it into a ball. Line the plate with flour and start patting the portion with hand. Once it is flattened reasonably well, pick and place on the heated tawa, the flour side facing upwards. Apply little water to this surface and turn once the water dries up slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then roast on the open flame. In earlier days, this process was done on open wood fire on a mud stove and the taste used to be awesome.

Nachani Bhakri will taste good with almost any vegetable. It tastes good with non-vegetarian dishes as well. Some eat it with plain ghee too. If you are storing the cooked Nachani Bhakri, then while serving you will need to reheat or steam it.