This too shall pass.... Episode 1 - Parijatha

This too shall pass....

chitrannaa.blogspot.com

Episode 1 - Parijatha

I love plants. Period. Anyone who has read my blog and watched my YouTube videos or has been my friend on Facebook or just interacted with me knows that gardening is my passion.

I am having around a hundred pots and plants in my terrace garden and an array of plants and creepers in my front yard filled with beautiful colourful flowers.

Every little shoot, sprout and bud in my garden lifts my spirits and fills my heart with joy. If there is anything or anyone very close to

my heart in my life after my children, it is these little babies who are my extended family members.

However tiny little a flower or leaf may be, I love and care for them when they take birth, feel proud when they grow and flower and feel sad when a leaf withers or a little stem breaks or bends. Nothing escapes my eyes and my mind.

This is the beautiful Parijatha plant in my front yard and she came home around five years ago. I put her first in my terrace pot because she was small and needed all the sunshine to grow.

Once she grew up and started flowering, I decided to bring her down to the mud and soil and earth so that she can grow further and fill my little aangan with tiny white and orange Parijatha flowers and their devine scent would fill my home and my rooms.

I transplanted her from my terrace pot to the little elevated place in front of my home so that she can spread her branches in the sun and grow well.

True to my belief and her spirits, she grew beautifully, spread her little slim branches and was dancing and smiling in the sun.

Until last week.

As I mentioned, I keep a watch on each and every plant and leaf. One day last week suddenly I looked out of my window and was shocked to see her dull leaves. I ran outside and checked. There was no problem with the water, sun, mud or soil. But day by day, each day, the leaves started drying up right in front of my eyes and I kept looking at her helplessly, not knowing what was the cause of her misery. Finally my dear Parijatha was no more. All her leaves were looking dry like they were burnt.

Today as I sat looking at her sadly, my eyes fell on a little bottle kept on the soil by my servant. Suddenly it all fell into place. It was a bottle filled with some sanitiser liquid kept by my maid. God only knows what chemical it contained. When I lifted that bottle there was a tiny little crack in the bottom and the droplets from that bottle must have seeped into the soil at my Parijatha's roots and must have burnt her. 

I should have checked. I should have saved my Parijatha. With this lockdown, with this fear to come out of home, I have lost my dear baby. I sat there numb with shock and sadness for having lost her, my heart feeling heavy with grief.

But still I am thankful for just a little ray of hope, of positivity. Just by her side, I have two big creepers of Jasmine, Jaaji flowers which are budding with fresh leaves and beautiful fragrant flowers. I should thank God that I found the culprit hopefully before it is too late and I should be able to save all my other babies.

And to replace my lost Parijatha, I have a new baby Parijatha plant which has grown about four feet tall in my terrace and hopefully she will soon grow and take the place of pride again in my front yard and fill my home and my rooms with her fragrant flowers.

Amen.

Immunity booster homemade herbal drink | Butterfly pea flower tea | Aparajita flower blue and purple kashaya

Immunity booster homemade herbal drink | Butterfly pea flower tea | Aparajita flower blue and purple kashaya

The health benefits of Shanku Pushpa according to Ayurveda :

* Shankhpushpi is an Ayurvedic medicine and all the parts of the plants like leaves, flowers, roots have health benefits.

* It's tea is very effective to improve memory and intelligence. 

* It is useful in cold, cough and headaches.

* It has anti-ageing properties and it improves life longevity. 

* It will also help in improving the skin quality and the overall strength. 

* It is very effective in getting good sleep and relieves anxiety and depression.

* In this tea, we are adding ginger, pepper and cinnamon powder along with honey.

Benefits of ginger in fighting covid 19 by building our Immunity :

* Ginger is supposed to cure lung infections including cold and cough and helps in boosting the immunity.

* Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that helps in removing toxins from the respiratory tract. 

Cinnamon powder :

* According to reports, one of the important components of Cinnamon i.e. Cinnamaldehyde may help fight various kinds of infection.This aromatic spice is a rich source of antioxidants which helps in giving a boost to your immunity system. 

Pepper powder :

* Piperine, an alkaloid present in pepper, could bind to novel coronavirus proteins and stop it from entering human cells, says IIT (ISM) study.

Lemon :

* Lemons are rich in Vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that improves the immune system.

Honey :

* It has also been found that honey and its main ingredients can be effective against infectious diseases. There is strong evidence that honey with potential anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities can be effective in various ways against viral infectious diseases and also helps to strengthen the immune system.

Ingredients :

• Shanku Pushpa - Aparajita flowers 8-10
• Dry Ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Cinnamon powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Honey 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Pick and wash 8 to 10 fresh Shanku Pushpa flowers.
• Heat water in a vessel.
• When the water starts boiling put in the flowers and boil for five minutes.
• Next add cinnamon powder, pepper powder and dry ginger powder and boil for another five minutes.
• Switch off the heat and add the honey.
• Pour in the glass.
• You may drink it directly or to add some zest and also vitamin C, add half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Now the juice changes colour from blue to purple. 
• If you add jaggery, the juice will change the colour to green.

ಜೋಳ ತಿನ್ಬೇಕು ಆದ್ರೆ ಜೋಳದ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ಮಾಡಕ್ಕೆ ಬರಲ್ವಾ. ಸೂಪರ್ healthy Jowar millet masala dosa recipe ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ

Jowar millet masala dosa - Sorghum masala dosa - ಜೋಳದ ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ

Ingredients :

• Jowar ( bili jola ) 1 cup
• Urad dal 1/2 cup
• Channa dal 1 tablespoon
• Tur dal 1 tablespoon
• Methi seeds 1 tablespoon
• Sun premium oil for cooking
• Salt to taste

Video recipe :

Procedure :

• Wash and soak 1 cup jowar for 12 hours.
• Separately wash and soak 1/2 cup urad dal, 1 tablespoon channa dal, 1 tablespoon tur dal and 1 tablespoon methi seeds for 12 hours.
• Grind everything to a fine batter.
• Set it aside to ferment overnight for 12 hours.
• In the morning mix the batter, add the required quantity of salt and water.
• The batter should be of normal dosa consistency.
• Heat tava.
• Spread the batter thinly on the tava. 
• Lower the gas heat and cook on a low flame.
• Sprinkle cooking oil over it and at the edges.
• The Dosa is slowly getting roasted.
• Spread red coconut chutney at the center.
• Put in a spoon of potato onion sabzi at the center.
• As the dosa turns crispy and golden brown, fold the dosa and serve hot with a dash of butter.

For the calorie conscious :

• The procedure to make it a low cal dosa is almost the same.
• You can avoid putting oil and butter. The dosa still turns out to be crispy and yummy.
• Enjoy!!! 

Potato chips recipe | crispy aloo chips | home made potato wafers | Sun dried alu chips recipe in Kannada

Potato chips recipe | crispy aloo chips | home made potato wafers | Sun dried alu chips recipe in Kannada

ಎರಡು ಕೆಜಿ ಆಲೂಗಡ್ಡೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಸಾಕು, ವರ್ಷವಿಡೀ ತಿನ್ನುವಷ್ಟು ಗರಿ ಗರಿಯಾದ  ಚಿಪ್ಸ್ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು. ಎರಡು ವರ್ಷ ಇಟ್ಟರೂ ಇದು ಕೆಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Ingredients :

• Big and firm potatoes 1 kg
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder or chat powder 1 teaspoon

Video recipe :

Procedure :

• Wash the potatoes.
• Peal the skin and soak the potatoes in water.
• One by one, grate the potatoes into thin wafers or chips.
• As you grate a potato, put the chips in water. Like this grate all the potatoes.
• Heat water in a big vessel.
• Add salt.
• As the water heats up put in the greated chips.
• Let them cook only for a few minutes till the rawness goes and they change the colour.
• Switch off the heat.
• Remove the chips from the water and put in a vessel with holes.
• Let them cool.
• Now put a cloth in shade inside the house and spread the chips on this cloth.
• Next day remove them from the cloth and put them in a plate and let them dry completely for another two days.
• Store them in an airtight container.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai and deep fry these fries as and when required.

. .

Menthe hittina gojju recipe - Sweet and sour side dish with huggi | Menthe gojju recipe in Kannada

Menthe hittina gojju recipe - Sweet and sour side dish with huggi | Menthe gojju recipe in Kannada

Gojju #1 Menthe hittina huli sihi gojju

PS : For Menthe hittina recipe, please click here :

Serves 2

Ingredients :

• Menthe hittu 3 tablespoon
• Tamarind juice (Hunase hannina rasa) 1 tablespoon
• Jaggery powder 1 tablespoon
• Cooking oil 2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida 1 pinch
• Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Majjige menasinakayi 3-4
• Curry leaves a few
• Coriander leaves a few
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Soak jaggery powder in a water and make its juice.
• In a bowl take tamarind juice.
• To this add the jaggery juice.
• Mix the menthe hittu to this and stir to see that no lumps are formed.
• Add salt.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat oil.
• Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add hing and turmeric powder.
• Lower the heat.
• Add majjige menasinakayi - curd chilli - and fry to golden brown.
• Add curry leaves and switch off the heat.
• Add this tadka to menthe hittina gojju. 
• Crush the chillies coarsely and mix into the gojju.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve with piping hot rice and a spoon of desi ghee.

Gojju #2 Menthe hittina kharada mosaru gojju

Serves 2

Ingredients : 

• Menthe hittu 2 tablespoon
• Thick curds 2 tablespoon
• Water to mix
• Cooking oil 2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida 1 pinch
• Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Majjige menasinakayi - curd chilli - 3-4
• Curry leaves a few
• Coriander leaves a few
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• In a bowl take the curds.
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and whisk to smooth buttermilk.
• To this add 2 tablespoons of menthe hittu.
• Add salt.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat oil.
• Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add hing and turmeric powder.
• Lower the heat.
• Add majjige menasinakayi - curd chilli - and fry to golden brown.
• Add curry leaves and switch off the heat.
• Add this tadka to menthe hittina gojju. 
• Crush the chillies coarsely and mix into the gojju.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander.
• Serve with piping hot rice.

Bettu sandige recipe in Kannada | Akki battu sandige | Akki happala | rice sandige- papad|Rice fryum

Bettu sandige recipe in Kannada | Akki battu sandige | Akki happala | rice sandige- papad|Rice fryum

Ingredients : 

• Rice 1 big cup
• Asafoetida 1/2 teaspoon
• Cooking oil 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Wash and soak rice in water for two days.
• To keep it fresh you have to soak it in the morning and for two nights, you have to change and add fresh water. 
• On the third morning, grind the rice to a very nice paste. It's very important to grind it nice so that the sandige or the papad won't break. Add the water in the mixie jar after cleaning to the batter.
• To one measure of batter, we have to use five measures of water. This is very important.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, boil water adding a teaspoon of cooking oil, 1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida and salt to taste.
• When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and start pouring the batter slowly, stirring it constantly so that no lumps are formed.
• Keep stirring continuously as the batter starts thickening.
• Once it reaches the right consistency, switch off the heat.
• To check the right consistency, pour a spoon of cooked batter on a plate. It should neither be very thick nor runny. 
• Allow it to cool down a bit.
• Spread a cotton cloth or thick plastic cover in the sun.
• Sprinkle some water on the cloth. Please watch the video to get a clear idea.

• Now put the sandige on the cloth by pouring a spoonful of batter for each sandige.
• Don't press it.
• It should be thick else the sandige will break.
• Like this put all the sandige.
• Let it dry in a very hot sun.
• Next morning, the dried sandige would be stuck to the cloth. Fold the cloth and sprinkle water on the back side.
• Wait for 3-4 minutes.
• Now you can easily pick the sandige. Pick them and keep them in a wide plate and sun dry for another two days.
• Store these dried sandige in an airtight container.
• You can easily store them and use upto two years.
• While frying, heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai and deep fry the sandige.
• If you are very health conscious and don't want to deep fry them, you can roast them in the oven without oil.
• Enjoy both as a snack or as a side accompaniment to rice or other tiffin.

Broccoli besan stir fry recipe | Broccoli stir fry with chickpea flour | Broccoli besan sabzi | Broccoli stir fry - Easy recipe

Ingredients :

• Broccoli florets 1 bowl
• Finely chopped coriander leaves 1 tablespoon 
• Finely chopped curry leaves 1 tablespoon
• Finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon
• Finely chopped ginger 1 tablespoon
• Finely chopped green chillies 1 tablespoon
• Olive oil 2 tablespoon
• Jeera 1 teaspoon

Dry ingredients :

• Besan 2 tablespoon
• Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
• Dhania powder 1 teaspoon
• Jeera powder 1 teaspoon
• Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add jeera and let them splutter.
• Now add garlic, ginger and chilli pieces, chopped curry leaves and saute for a minute. 
• Next pour in the broccoli florets and fry for a few minutes.
• Cover the lid and let them get roasted for a few minutes. Take care not to over cook them. 
• Once the florets are roasted, add two spoonfuls of besan masala powder and mix well till the florets are coated well.
• Again add another two spoons of powder and mix well.
• Sprinkle a few drops of water so that the florets are well coated and get some moisture.
• Adjust salt.
• Add lemon juice.
• Sprinkle chopped coriander and again cook with a covered led for another three minutes.
• Switch off the heat.
• Garnish with roasted mixed seeds ( optional )
• Serve the roasted heat with tomoto sauce as a snack or starter.
• Or serve it as a side dish with rotis and chapatis.

Instant Churmuri chat recipe | Hachhida Mandakki - Mandalu - Puri recipe |North Karnataka style instant puffed rice chat in Kannada

 Ingredients : 

Serves 2 plates

• Unsalted puffed rice - Bangalore Puri 4 cups
• Menthye hittu 1 tablespoon
• Chutney pudi 1 tablespoon
• Cooking oil 2 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Veggies :

• Finely chopped onion 1 cup
• Finely chopped tomatoes 1 cup
• Finely chopped cucumber 1 cup
• Finely chopped coriander 1/2 cup

For garnishing :

• Congress - Roasted masala peanuts 2 tablespoon
• Mixture or Om Pudi 2 tablespoon

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Take kadlepuri in a bowl.
• Add menthye hittu, chutney pudi and salt.
• Put in the oil.
• Mix everything lightly taking care not to break the puffed rice.
• You can eat this crispy preparation as it is. This also tastes great.
• Next add the finely chopped veggies and mix again very lightly.
• Put the mixed Puri in a serving bowl and top it with Congress kadlekai - roasted masala peanuts and mixture.
• Enjoy!!!

What is OLX QR Code fraud and how I saved myself from it?

Everyday we read this news. In newspapers and on online news portals. About people always being cheated on OLX while trying to sell their goods. I have a first hand experience of their modus operandi and I would like to share it here so that it will give people an idea of the way the things happen and take due care. Please be aware and please share this with your friends and family and save them from those thieves.

This happened about a year ago when I wanted to sell my dining table. Earlier, a few years ago when OLX was new, I had made some transactions and so I thought of going there again.

No sooner did I post my ad, the phone calls started pouring in. Thick and fast. Seriously. It must have been hardly a few minutes since I posted the ad and my phone did not stop ringing.

Initially though I felt happy, I started to feel that there is something fishy. 

Agreed that there will be no shortage of sellers and buyers for anything, anywhere and at anytime. But there will be a reasonable time and number of enquiries you expect. Here within minutes calls poured in. I will explain you the reason of this urgency on their part later. Please read on...

The calls I received were mostly from Hindi speaking persons. And they were willing to pay me the price I had asked. Without even asking any further details. After just seeing one or two photos I had posted.

A few did bargain but not very much. One person said he would come and collect the table immediately and would first like to make the payment. Then and there. Without even checking my table.

Since I was busy with some work at home, I told him that I would call him back and hung up. This became the scene with another two three persons.

And then I got a call from this person. He was in such a hurry that even when I told him that I was busy, he would not listen. He continued to call. Exasperated, I told him I won't reduce my price even by a rupee. He agreed!

He then told me that since he was outside, he would make the payment and his wife would come and collect the table. It was already 4 PM. When I asked him where his wife is, he told the address of a place which is very far off from the place where I stay.

I started wondering. I asked him how would she be able to come so far with a vehicle at such time. His answer was a bit evasive.Then he told me that he would like to pay me online. That he would send me the money immediately.

At first I demanded cash. To which he requested that since he was far off, his wife won't be able to pay the cash.

I said I would think about it but he kept calling.This strengthened my suspicion that there was something amiss.He insisted that he would test transfer some money and asked me to verify if it's received.

I said ok and asked him to send ten rupees through Paytm. He sent one rupee. I confirmed that I had received the money and asked him to transfer the full amount. He sent me a photo of a QR code.

Though I keep myself updated with the technology, I was not aware of that feature of Paytm which had been just then released.To get money transferred to your account by sharing your QR code.

For me the logic was simple. While shopping, I had to pay to the shop keeper so he shares his QR code and I scan it and pay. Here if anyone needs to scan the code it has to be the other person and not me.

When he called immediately and asked me to scan it, I refused. I put across the same logic and refused to scan it. In all innocence I asked him as to why I should scan it since I am the one who is supposed to receive the money. I suggested him to transfer it by using my mobile number.

As this argument was going on, as the time was passing he started to get agitated and I refused to budge. Then he put forth a new excuse. That he is working in army and that he is not supposed to transfer the money to anyone using their phone number! I knew he was losing his plot and I had actually started enjoying it and decided to play it along!!!

He started shouting at me to scan the code immediately. But I kept on asking why should I scan when he is the one who has to send me the money.

Finally quite irritated he started abusing me. He even asked me " Arrey auntie, kya aap itna bhi pade likhe nahi ho kya? Itne batane ke baad bhi wohi bol rahe ho?  ( " Are you such an illiterate that you are not able to understand what I am saying? " )

Now totally convinced that he is upto some mischief I firmly told him that I would accept his money and sell him the table only if he pays to me through my mobile number. Uttering some expletives he hung up!!!

Later when I told my daughter about all this exchange of words, she was so happy and relieved because just on the previous day, a colleague of hers and her husband had lost their money to such fraudsters  exactly in such a similar transaction.

Their modus operandi is similar. They would send the Q R code and the moment you scan it, they will draw the money from your account. When you call them back to tell that you haven't received the money, they would send the code once again, would ask you to scan it once again and would steal your money once again.

The cause of their hurry is because of two reasons. First,  it's kind of first come first serve or rather first catch and first steal policy! Out there, there are hundreds of such fraudsters who would be waiting for someone to post an ad. They will rush to you immediately and whoever is able to catch hold of you and convince you first will be able to loot you first.

Another reason is after about half an hour of your posting the ad, you will start getting alert messages from OLX to be aware of such elements and asking you this exercise your caution while making the transactions. 

May be because of thousands of such regular complaints, OLX has resorted to sharing such alert messages and the fraudsters are also aware of this and hence the hurry. 

I wish the OLX would make amends to give such alert messages the moment you post your ad. However, since I had the number of the fraudster who was calling me, I immediately registered a complaint with OLX and got a confirmatory mail from that they have blocked him.

But alas these thugs will definitely have many more numbers and many more ways to cheat people.

The best way would be to exercise caution and alert people and make them more aware.

I have written this detailed post to caution you and would request you to share this widely with your friends and your family. Help people to save their hard earned money.

ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ವಿಶೇಷ ಆರೋಗ್ಯವರ್ಧಕ ಜೋಳದ ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಅಂಬಲಿ - ಬಿಸಿಲಿಗೆ ತಂಪಾದ ಪಾನೀಯ - Jowar porridge - Jolada ambali - Low calorie healthy drink for summer

 

Ingredients :

• Jowar flour 2 tablespoon
• Ghee 1 tablespoon
• Green chillies 1-2
• Garlic 2 pods
• Chopped coriander 2 tablespoon
• Jeera 1 teaspoon
• Hing 1/4 teaspoon
• Roasted jeera powder 1 teaspoon
• Buttermilk 2 cups
• Salt to taste

Recipe video : 

Procedure :

• Grind green ginger, chillies, coriander and garlic to fine paste and set aside.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat ghee.
• Add jeera and asafoetida.
• Add two tablespoons of jowar atta and fry over low heat till it turns aromatic.
• Now add the water very little by little, continuously stirring it, taking care to see that no lumps are formed.
• Add two glasses of water till the ambali is quite liquid.
• Now add the ground chilli coriander paste and salt.
• Add a little roasted jeera powder.
• Keep stirring as the ambali thickens.
• Once it turns semi solid, switch off the heat and let the ambali cool completely.
• Now take a few scoops of ambali to a bowl. 
• If you want to eat it like a porridge, add thick buttermilk and if you want to drink it then add watery buttermilk.
• Garnish with jeera powder and freshly chopped coriander and enjoy the cool, healthy, nutritious and delicious ambali.