ಖಾರ ದೋಸೆ: Khara Dose - My Fav

- ದೊಸೆ ಅಕ್ಕಿ - 1 ಲೊಟ
- ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ - 1 ಚಮಚ
- ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ - 1 ಚಮಚ
- ಮೆ೦ಥ್ಯ - 1/4 ಚಮಚ
- ಉದ್ದು - 1 ಚಮಚ
ಮೇಲಿರುವ ಪದಾರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು 1-2 ಗ೦ಟೆ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೆನೆಸಿಡಬೇಕು.

- ಧನಿಯ - 1 ಚಮಚ
- ಜೀರಿಗೆ - 1 ಚಮಚ
- ಕೆ೦ಪು ಮೆಣಸು - 5-6
- ಕಾಯಿ ತುರಿ - 5-6 ಚಮಚ
- ಬೆಲ್ಲ - ಲಿ೦ಬೆ ಗಾತ್ರ
- ಹುನಸೆ - ಲಿ೦ಬೆ ಗಾತ್ರ
- ಉಪ್ಪು - ರುಚಿಗೆ ತಕ್ಕ೦ತೆ
ಈ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಾಣುವ ಪದಾರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ಮೊದಲು 1-2 ನಿಮಿಷ ರುಬ್ಬಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ.
 ನ೦ತರ, grinder'ಗೆ ನೆನಸಿಟ್ಟ ಅಕ್ಕಿ + ಬೇಳೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹಾಕಿ. ತೀರ ನುಣ್ಣಗೆ ರುಬ್ಬುವ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ರುಬ್ಬಿದನ್ನು ರಾತ್ರಿ ಇಡೀ ಹುದುಗು ಬರಲು ಬಿಡಿ.
 Option: ಸಮಯದ ಕೊರತೆ ಇದಲ್ಲಿ, ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ರುಬ್ಬಿ, 15-20 ನಿಮಿಷದ ನ೦ತರ ಥಟ್ಟನೆ ದೊಸೆ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು. (fermentation is optional).

ದೋಸೆ ಹಿಟ್ಟಿಗೆ, ಚಿಕ್ಕದಾಗಿ ಕೊಚ್ಚಿದ ಹಸಿ ಕೋಸು ಹಾಕಿ ಬೆರೆಸಿ. ಅದನ್ನು ಕಾವಲಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿ roast ಮಾಡಿ.
Option: ಕೋಸು ಹಾಕುವ ಬದಲು, ಸಿಪ್ಪೆ ತೆಗೆದ ಹಸಿ ಹೀರೆಕಾಯಿ/ಆಲುಗೆಡ್ಡೆಯನ್ನು slice ಮಾಡಿ, ಅದನ್ನು ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿಸಿ, ಕಾವಲಿಯಮೇಲೆ ಒ೦ದೊ೦ದೆ ಜೋಡಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗಿ (ಗೋಳ ಆಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿ). ಎರಡು ಬದಿ roast ಆದ ನ೦ತರ, ಬಿಸಿ-ಬಿಸಿ ದೋಸೆಯನ್ನು ತುಪ್ಪದೊ೦ದಿಗೆ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಿ೦ದ ಬಡಿಸಿ.

( ಹಸಿ ಹೀರೆಕಾಯಿ ಅಥವಾ ಕೊಸು)

ಆಲಸ್ಯವಿದ್ದರೆ, ಅಥವಾ ಅವಸರವಿದಲ್ಲಿ, ತರಕಾರಿ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ, ದೋಸೆಯನ್ನು ಹಾಗೆ ಕಾವಲಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಕಿ ಮಾಡ ಬಹುದು.(Plain Dose) :)

(P.S. ಕಾಯಿ ಚಟ್ನಿ, ಚಟ್ನಿಪುಡಿ, ಉಪ್ಪಿನಕಾಯಿ - ಇದರೊ೦ದಿಗೆ, ದೋಸೆಯ ರುಚಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚುವುದು.)

Nippat Masala

You have some crispy nippat at home, and want to add on some taste to it, then here's what you you need:
Nippat, veggies, yogurt

Toppings:
- Carrot gratings
- Onion chopped into small pieces
- Yogurt
- Coriander leaf (optional)

Take the nippat in your palm and smear a thin layer of yogurt over it. Then simply dust over it some carrot gratings and onion pieces. Decorate it with coriander leaf. If you love the taste of coconut, then you can even scatter some coconut gratings over it, and then you are done!

Nippat is definitely a junk food, but since you are eating it along with fresh veggies, it would probably lessen its negative effects :P At-least at the end of it, you are satisfied and happy to say that you consumed some vitamin A & E. :D

Kids will love this, and so will you!

                                                           

Picture above: Adi could not wait for too long to taste it :-)

Your RUN! Your WAY!

I wondered Aww! I was in such a cosy place then... decades before. Life was so beautiful. Where have I landed today. It feels so strange now. "This way is blocked, you cannot proceed ahead." said the man dressed in khaki, interrupting my thoughts. We all had to take the diversion and move ahead.

The space was very crowded. It was as if a race had begun and everyone were busy looking out for their treasure. I was not well acquainted with the place, and I was not sure if I headed right. I felt its best to follow the crowd and so kept walking along with the rest.

"Simply take a left turn here and you will directly hit the rear entrance to the palace. Its just 5 minutes walk from there." said a passerby.
"I do not advice young girls like you to take that path. You better catch a cab and he will drop you at the right place. It wont cost you much." said another lady. - Oh young girl! I'm flattered. I thought.
"We need to be the first ones to reach the palace. So better hurry up & stop talking to strangers" said another woman to her teenage daughter.

Looking at everyones' pace, I questioned myself Am I into a race or something? It does not really feel like a race when you don't know where you are headed towards. At least there should be some announcements of the race. When did it start and when will it end? Will I be able to reach the finish line ever? I think I better hurry up.

I walked faster, and picked up pace. Soon I realized I had begun to RUN. I zipped past many people and moved faster-and-faster. Sometimes, I would take right and left turns only to realize that I returned back to the original crossroad which I had already passed by few minutes before. This race wasn't like my previous marathons where there were directions and boards indicating the distance covered. In that, you at least know your final destination and how much more is remaining to cover. There is no one to guide you here. Its your race, your way!!!

Not to mention the ups and downs. The scorching heat was melting me. I was sweating like never before. I wondered if I had to spend the rest of my life running like this. Wasn't there a cheat code or something like that which would simply take me to the finish line on click of a button. Hmm... wish there was one.

Did I not mention...? my parents too were with me. Yeah! I was not alone. They kept me moving. I even came across many known faces. My friends, colleagues, teachers, their kids and whole lot of others were all a part of it.

After a long journey, we finally bumped into some refreshments. After hydrating ourselves, we resumed our RUN. There wasn't enough time to relax. Just a few minutes later, I spotted Adarsh amongst the crowd. I never knew he was running too. We continued together from there on. The race was fun. Down the way, we clicked several pictures, met new friends, ate chocolates and cookies... giggling and singing all the way. Probably, by now, I had begun to love running. I don't mind running all my life with such wonderful people around me.

Now, this is what each one of our life looks like. Its a race after all. Before you realize you are into it, you would have begun to RUN. All you do is RUN... Sometimes slower, sometimes faster... Sometimes shortcuts, other times longer ones... Sometimes alone, sometimes with loved ones, and at times... with enemies too...

Well, I began my run somewhere-like-a 2 decades back or could be more than that. Just recently, I realized that it was a hard core race I got into! I am having fun though. Learn to enjoy your journey. Click a few snaps, hold your memories tight. Take breaks, refresh yourself. Talk to your neighbors and make new friends. Nourish yourself and always be prepared for hurdles. You are not the only one. Everyone is into it. Make your journey worthwhile. 

Remember: Life is a journey, not a destination!

Happy Journey Folks!

Go Nutz

Nutz Burfi recipe coming soon!!!!! :)

Go get some cashew, badam & raisins from the store...
more details to coming soon :)

Papaya Kiwi Smoothie

One big papaya, and so many kiwi fruits!!! So many, and just two of us to eat. So I decided to make a milk shake mixing both the fruits and it was not all that bad. I think you need to give it a try too :)

Ingredients:
Papaya - 2 bowls ripe papaya
Kiwi fruit - 2
Honey - 1 small bowl
milk - 1 cup
sugar - as per taste

Method:
Peel the papaya and kiwi fruit. Simply drop all above ingredients into a blender and mix them well until you get a smooth uniform mix... and you are done! As simple as that! :)

My mind wants me to run more, but my foot is tired...

I was good at sports in my school days. I always bagged a prize in athletic sports. But as I grew up, I had to concentrate more on studies, and all running activities/sports were left behind. Now, after almost a decade, I have got a chance to enjoy it allover again. Thanks to Adarsh! Thanks to life! :)

We registered ourselves for the upcoming marathon. Adarsh would be running for 22Km and me 7.7Km. He has had enough practice and is confident. But its not the same for me. I had to start my drill from scratch. I did face some problems during the course of practice. I was aware of the general running rules, yet I did not follow some due to which I faced a few severe pain and strain in my foot and ankles.

I am writing this from my own experiences. Some basic stuffs that you ought to know before and during your run:

1. Get the right running shoes.
2. Always do warm up exercises and a little stretching before you run. It is very important that your muscles and body is warmed up to avoid a muscle catch or nerve twist.
3. Drink enough water (before,during and after the run) and stay well hydrated.
4. Always run on flat surface. Avoid uneven surface. This is very important and you wont realise until you experience it yourself. If you compromise on this, you will end up hurting your knee/ankle soon - just like me. :'(
5. You will definitely sweat a lot. So wear the right kind of clothes that breathes and help you feel comfortable.
6. Always listen to your body. "No pain No gain" simply does not work here. If you feel the pain, immediately stop and rest yourself. Pain is an indication from the body asking you to stop doing what you have been doing. So, simply give it a break.
7. Eat healthy - Follow a well balanced diet and make sure you do not eat junk food at least on the day of your long run. If you are running more than 10Km, you definitely need to follow a strict diet atleast a week before your run.
8. You can give yourself a 5-10minutes massage for your legs (ankle, knee, shin muscle) every weekend, which helps your joints well lubricated. Over a long run, this will surely prove beneficial.

Even after taking these extra care, you may simply end up with a sprain or a strain. In such cases, you need to follow the simple RICE treatment.

RICE is an abbreviation for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

• Rest - The pain indicates that you need rest. So stop any such activities that could increase the strain and rest until the pain reduces.
• Ice - If there is swelling, then apply ice several times a day.
• Compression - You can get an ankle guard or a compressive bandage so as to support you ankle.
• Elevation - Elevate your ankle above the heart level when you go to bed. This reduces your swelling.

Even after all this, if it still bothers you, immediately seek help. Go to a doctor, or get a good foot massage from certified professional massage centres. don't sit back and wait for it to heal all by itself ;) like the way I did :)

And then, after your recovery phase, simply drink a litre of water, get on to your fav sport shoes on, ON YOUR MARK, GET SET and GO! Rock it!

Marvels of Acupressure

I started my marathon preparations from December second week onwards. It was exciting to prepare for a long run. I was keen about noting time, distance and speed. The first time all I could run was 1.5Km which took me 10:56mins to complete. It was an easy run. I ran thrice every week and increased by 1Km by the end of the week. I went on well until 4.5Km. I took around 6mins/Km which I consider good enough for me. But then one sad day, this disaster had to happen :'(

Don't know when and how exactly it happened. I did not twist my leg anywhere, may be running at this rate was not fair enough for my flat feet. My right ankle started aching. I knew something was awry. As always, I neglected it and thought it would be fine in a day or two. So, again after 2 days I set out to run. But this time I could only run half a kilometer. Something was seriously wrong and I knew I had to listen to my feet. I went back home immediately and applied some oil and massaged my foot. Alas, it didn't help much. After few days, we got an ankle guard which supported my foot and helped me to some extent. Adarsh insisted that we go to a doctor, but I was reluctant and lazy as always. Pills never worked on my foot ever. I have had sprains and pain in my foot earlier. But they always heal themselves.

15 days of pain and it was high time I do something than just massage, internet guidance, multivitamin tablets and pain killers. Adarsh's manager, an athlete himself, suggested to go to a Chinese Acupressure Center who was specialized in bone ache, muscle pain and sprains.

I now either had to go to the doctor or try this new stuff. Going to the doctor only makes me gulp more tablets. Yuck!!! I hate pills. So, I did some research on the web about Chinese acupressure and thought it was best to give it a try.

We took an appointment and headed towards China Town after work.
The treatment was 25minutes of massage and it cost $20.

The specialist studied my feet and asked if I had any history of sprains or fractures. He soon learnt the exact point of pain. It was amazing. He applied pressure with his thumb and forefinger. Of course it hurt a lot when he pressed at the point where the pain originated. He kept saying "no pain no gain" every 10 minutes. :) I had to bear the pain. He continued applying pressure in different rhythms for nearly 40minutes with his aromatic massage oil.

To my surprise, he could pin-point the pain which I myself did not know. Earlier, I simply massaged my sore foot with visible green veins which had popped up due to strain. He then advised me to take 7-10 days rest though I could carry out my usual activities the normal way. I was advised not to run long-runs for next few days. He almost promised me that the pain would reduce soon.

We returned back home feeling satisfied. A 25 minute massage, which he actually did for almost 45 effective minutes. This was the best treatment I have ever had. The pain during the massage actually made me feel good. Because, now I knew the precise point where it hurts. I knew the pain would soon vanish. I had a good sleep and as you would expect, it was less painful the following days. Now, a week after the treatment, the pain is gone. I would rate 10 on 10 for the wonderful service provided at Chinese Acupressure Centre.







Thanks Eric!