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.