Recipe: Mutton Kofta Curry

Hi! Today I am sharing the recipe of Mutton Kofta Curry an Indian delicacy. I would just like to share a few health benefits of Mutton or Goat meat.

• Improves blood cholesterol levels
• Reduces the risk for atherosclerosis
• Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease
• Contains Vitamin B which helps you burn fat
• Reduces the risk of obesity
• Helps you have a healthy skin
• Helps beats stress and depression
• Rich in calcium and helps in bone building and teeth strengthening
• Enhances producing new body cells thus delay the aging
• Helps in maintaining the functioning of thyroid gland

Let's start with the preparation of this simple recipe, which is going to be super delicious.

Ingredients:

Mutton or Goat Meat minced: 400 g

Ginger garlic paste: 4 teaspoons

Onion: 1 large

Tomato: 1 large

Chili: 1-2 as per taste

Clove- 2-4

Green cardamom: 1

Cinnamon: 1 inch

Turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon

Red Kashmiri Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

Kasoori methi: 1 teaspoon

Mustard oil: 1 tablespoon

Salt: to taste

Preparation:

1. Take the minced meat in a bowl, add 2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste, and mix it well. Keep the marinated meat in the refrigerator for half an hour.

2. Dice the onion into small pieces, and make a paste of  tomato, the ginger garlic paste,, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the chili powder.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the crushed, cloves, cardamom & cinnamon and the diced onion. Fry till it turns golden in color.

4. Add the tomato paste and mix it well add water as per requirement & let it boil. Add salt to taste.

5. Once it reaches boiling point add small balls of the marinated meat giving shape with the help of your hand.

6. Cover the pan & cook on low flame for 10-15 min. Check whether your meat is cooked in this time.

7. Now add chili cut in small pieces and sprinkle the kasoori methi. In a minute turn off the flame, let it stand for 5 minutes. 

Your dish is ready to serve, Serving is suggested with steamed rice or hand made Indian breads or roti.

Healthy Chicken Recipe: Herb Grilled Chicken Breast

Hi Friends!! Today I present to you the very tasty healthy herb grilled chicken breast recipe. Chicken is high in proteins & has high tryptophan (amino acid) which helps in production of serotonin to help fight depression.

Herb Grilled Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast (boneless): 3 pieces
Dried Oregano: 1 teaspoon
Dried Basil: 1 teaspoon
Dried Parsley: 1 teaspoon
Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
Garlic: 1 clove grated
Raw Papaya Juice: 1 tablespoon
Olive oil: 2 teaspoon
Salt: as per taste

Preparation:
1. Take the chicken breast pieces, and place it on the slab to tenderize the pieces. Use a tenderizer or the blunt side of the knife & pound it for a while.
2. Take the pieces in a vessel & mix it with the papaya juice (can grate the raw papaya & press it to get the juice). Cover it with a lid & refrigerate for 1 hour. Your chicken breasts will be very tender.
3. To the same vessel add the other ingredients herbs, salt, lime juice, garlic, olive oil. Mix it well & refrigerate the marinade.
4. Grill the chicken for 20 min approx at 300 F. Check if cooked with a fork.
5. Serve it with mustard sauce.

Let's enjoy a healthy grilled chicken today. Thanks!!

Turmeric: Benefits for health

Hi Friends! Turmeric as we all know is a root used for spice in a curry, gives a bright yellow color & has a warm & bitter taste. It has been known to our sages & saints in ancient times & they have described it for medicinal use. The health benefits are associated to curcumin the main ingredient responsible. The studies conducted with high level of this compound which is present in much lesser quantities in actual diet. Taking it with black pepper has shown increased absorption of curcumin in the bloodstream.

The benefits of turmeric can be listed as follows:

1. Anti-inflammatory agent: Inflammation is a way of fighting foreign invaders & also has a role in repairing damage. But chronic inflammation has been studied to be cause of many diseases like cancers, neurodegenerative disorders and artherosclerosis. Curcumin helps fight these conditions as it helps fight agents associated with these.

2. Antioxidant: It is also a powerful antioxidant it helps fight the free radicals present in the body which are responsible for damaging the DNA, proteins etc. It can be a reason for different diseases like cancers caused due to mutation & other neurological disorders.

3. Liver related diseases: Research has shown positive results on chronic liver damages. The antioxidant & anti-inflammatory action of turmeric is helpful in these actions. It has shown results in reversing cirrhosis.

4. Heart diseases: Blood pressure, blood clotting, heart attack & stroke have been seen to be affected by the endothelial dysfucntion. Endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels. Curcumin has shown to improve the function of this lining. Alongwith this the antioxidant property is important for proper functioning of the heart.

5. Depression: As stated in my previous posts depression is a psychotic condition which is related to the functioning of the brain. Turmeric has shown proven results in improving the cognitive abilities & memory. Turmeric also boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin & dopamine.

6. Anti-ageing: As it is a powerful antioxidant & anti-inflammatory agent can play a major role in anti-ageing. It is a derived function of many factors in which oxidation & inflammation plays a major role.

7. Weight Loss: It is a weight loss agent as one of the major reason for obesity & related diseases is presence of macrophages in fat tissues. These cause inflammation in organs like heart, islets of pancreas and also increases insulin resistance.

Turmeric is an ancient healer and being used in the Indian society for century. I have listed only some of the benefits from this root. There are other benefits also of this root which are known to many, in case you want to know more please tell me I can make another post about the other common uses. Thanks!

Foods for Depression

Hi Friends! First of all thank you all for providing continuous support.
This post is in continuation to my previous post on Deal with Depression. I would list down some foods which have been linked to help fight depression. In research it has been shown that diet has an important role to play in fighting depression.
Before writing about foods which have a good effect I would like to write particularly about sweets or sugary confectionery. Mind you this has a very negative effect on your mood, due to spikes in blood sugar level which is directly related to the functioning of the brain. Please ensure to avoid this food from the list.

Now coming to foods which will help you overcome depression:

1. Dark Chocolates: They are not only great into fight excess kilos you put on but also the antioxidants polyphenols & flavonols which help fight high blood pressure & makes you calmer. This has shown improved results in fighting depression.

2. Poultry: Poultry meat like chicken & turkey are high in tryptophan an amino acid which helps increase the production of Serotonin production. This chemical is a feel good chemical your body produces naturally.

3. Fatty Fish: As we all know they are rich of Omega-3 fatty acids which help fight heart disease & reduces inflammation, it also fights depression by inducing Serotonin levels by the brain. A partial study has proved that it helps the movement of serotonin across cells. Fishes like Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Hilsa are best in the category, other fishes like rohu, catla are good but the level of Omega-3 fatty acids might be lower & vary from each species.

4. Walnuts: They are source of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as proteins like other nuts. Along with this walnuts is the only source of Omega-3 from plant sources & has a similar effect on the serotonin as mentioned above.

5. Whole Grain: They are complex carbohydrates which helps fight depression. They help the moods improve quickly & are good for serotonin secretion by the body. This is also good for controlling the blood sugar levels. So whole wheat, whole pasta, oatmeal etc. are good choice of food for this case.

Diet is an important factor for fighting depression and you are asked to take special care for your diet. Hope the above article will help you make & your close ones make good choices for diet. Thank You!

Deal with Depression

Hi Friends! We live in a fast paced world today & if we do not run equally fast we tend to lose the race. With amazing technology revolution we have made our lives easy. But in this rat race we have lost one important thing in our life happiness & peace. We have so much in our head that we do not have space for happiness. There are times of ups & downs in our lives but if you are constantly feeling low & not feeling to do anything it is a sign of depression. It makes life very difficult to deal with, you don't find any interest in anything around you, even things which matter to you do not make you happy. Things can get better with help, we need to understand what it is, why it happens & how to overcome it.

What is Depression?

We hear in day-to-day conversation about people being depressed, though literally they just might be sad about something. Sadness & depression are not one and the same. A person might not be sad if depressed, there are different feelings experienced by different individuals which can be from sadness, hollowness, emptiness, apathy, anger, aggression, or restlessness. It is a psychiatric syndrome which eats up your happiness & interest towards life. It makes your life look pathetic without any sense of relief. The symptoms can vary like insomnia or oversleeping, hopeless & helpless, things seem impossible or difficult to do, you don't find interest in things you loved, either you lose appetite or eat without stopping, you find small things irritable, and become more short tempered or aggressive. Also there are tendencies of suicide as you don't find any reason to live.

What causes Depression?

The causes of depression may vary from life events to genetics. The some commonly understood causes of depression can be:

Past life events like problems in family, physical or sexual abuse, unequal treatment by parents, neglect which can cause troubles in later life. 

Events like job loss, divorce, death in family, emotional troubles & also sometimes happy events like new relationship, new job. Isolation from society or family.

Certain medications have shown negative effects on depression & taking such medication should be done under supervision of medical practitioners only.

Prolonged illness like diabetes, chronic pain, sleep apnea, cancer etc can trigger depression.

Genetic inheritance can increase the risk of depression, it has been seen as a complex function of genes.

Substance abuse like drugs & alcohol are a large percentage.

How to Overcome Depression or Treatment?

Seek Professional Help: There are effective treatments like therapy and medication which can help you recover, and it is important to understand the options & seek help as this is a medical condition and you might not recover from it naturally.

Talk to Trusted People: These people know you & understand you, they will lend a listening ear. Share your feelings with them, they might not be able to help but you will have a strong support system.

Join Support groups: There might be many like you who are suffering from depression this will help you with advice from each other & experience from each other. It will help reduce your feeling of isolation.

Start Healthy changes: Eat healthy & opt for regular exercise in your routine. Make conscious efforts to reduce stress & challenge negative thinking.

Build Relationships: This will help you cope up adverse situations, it will allow an outlet of emotions. Socializing will help you come out of the shell you had built around you. To balance emotional balance is one key to overcome depression.

Life is very beautiful enjoy it & do not wait for things to change & stand up for yourself and make the changes yourself. Do not neglect yourself while doing other things because you are important.

Thanks alot!!