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Chicken Salami

Winters are here, cravings (late night or mid day) have begun and I bring you all a very easy homemade Chicken Salami. This Salami is free from preservatives of any kind and made from fresh herbs with a few spices resting on your kitchen shelves.

Chicken Salami can be used in salads, rolls, sandwiches, pizzas or eaten as it is. Jugnu has recently become a big fan and has been eating salami to complete his protein intake with a smile. Lets quickly check the ingredients:

Ingredients for Chicken Salami

  1. Chicken Breast – 300 gms (I prefer breast because of its high protein value, thighs work well too, but yes it must be boneless.
  2. Onion – 1/2 (or one small)
  3. Garlic Powder – 1 tbsp
  4. Black Pepper – 1 tbsp
  5. Salt – 1 tbsp (or as per your taste)
  6. Red chilli powder – 1/2 tbsp
  7. Green Chilli – 1 or 2
  8. Mint leaves – 1/2 cup
  9. Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
  10. Butter – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method of preparation Chicken Salami

  1. Wash the chicken and tap it with a kitchen towel to remove excess water, let it dry a bit and cut into cubes.
  2. Put all the above ingredients and chicken cubes into a food processor (or mixer) to mince the meat. It will turn into a dough like consistency. Make sure the machine CAN mince meats. 🙂
  3. Divide the dough into two or more parts (depending on the pan to be used).
  4. Take a thick aluminum sheet (or double layer the normal one) and roll one part of the dough into the sheet and roll into a toffee. (This step is very important, because the toffee must be sealed carefully as it has to be dipped in the boiling water).
  5. Make two or three toffee rolls of the same.
  6. Take a deep vessel or pan and let it come to a boil.
  7. Add the toffee rolls into the vessel, put the gas to medium low flame and cover the lid. Let it boil/cook for 30 minutes.
  8. Take the toffee rolls out and let it cool down at room temperature (for atleast 45 minutes – 2 hours)
  9. Carefully remove the aluminium toffee layer and check the log of chicken salami.
  10. Cut into thin slices and enjoy.

The salami can be also grilled (once cut into slices) or saute in pan to get an extra crunch.
JUGNI’s TIP – Extra grilling might dry out the juices.

Lastly, it tastes like heaven when dipped in coriander mint chutney. 😁

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Vodka Chicken Nuggets (Home-made)

Do you want to complete your protein nutrition but don’t know how? Here’s a very simple recipe with minimum spices, full of flavours, a fancy snack which Jugnu and I love: HOME MADE CHICKEN NUGGETS.
These home made chicken nuggets are crispy (on the outside) and tender and juicy (inside).

INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARATION (Marination) Chicken Nuggets

1. Chicken Breast – 300gms
2. Salt – as per taste
3. Red Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
4. Chilli Sauce – 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Vodka – 1tbsp (add for extra crunch, can skip)

INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARATION (BAKING) Chicken Nuggets

1. Flour – 1 tbsp
2. Breadcrumbs – 1 tbsp (or crushed potato chips)
3. Beaten egg – 1 (add a few pinches of salt and pepper to it)
4. Barbecue Sauce and Chilli (sweet chilli) Sauce – 1 tbsp each
5. Spring onion – green portion of it (handful)

METHOD OF PREPARATION for Chicken Nuggets

  1. In a large bowl, add chicken pieces (cut into cubes).
  2. On top of chicken, add garlic powder, salt, red chilli powder and chilli sauce and mix everything together.
    JUGNI’s MAGIC – Add vodka for some extra crunch and twist.
  3. Marinate it for minimum 1 hour (overnight will be ideal).
  4. Place 3 small wide mouth bowls flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs respectively
  5. Take a fork, dip (one by one) chicken cubes into flour, then cover it with beaten egg and then layer it up with bread crumbs.
  6. Finally bake it in air fryer for 13 minutes at 175 degrees, or shallow fry them on low flame.
    JUGNI’s TIP – add 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, place the cubes evenly in the pan and cover the lid. Cook it on low flame for 6-7 minutes and then flip sides and cook again for 6-7 minutes.
  7. JUGNI’s MAGIC – In the last minute, add 1 tbsp each barbecue sauce and chilli sauce in the pan and toss the nuggets, and sprinkle green portion of the spring onion.
  8. Enjoy.

I would like to thank Marion’s Kitchen (Marion Grasby) for this amazing recipe, she is a master when it comes to Asian cooking. I am one of your biggest fans, Marion and Mama Noi ❤️.

Flying Away,
Jugni!

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3 days in Adelboden, Switzerland

Jugnu and I spent 12 days in this heaven known as Switzerland, out of which these 3 days were in Adelboden, very little known small town but has a lot to offer. Our hotel(The Cambrian) had the most amazing views and it was surreal.

Adelboden is a traditional Swiss village, which is a hidden beauty and rarely visited by tourists. We were mesmerised by everything, below is a glimpse of what we added to our Swiss land memories.

Travel time to Adelboden

We arrived at The Cambrian Hotel (a minute walk from the bus station), after a 3 hours journey from Wengen. We changed 3 trains and one bus but it wasn’t hassle at all, every train/bus was well timed and there was least trouble in changing platforms (most of them were the same).

Travel PlacesTransportationTravel Time
Lauterbrunnen-Interlaken Ost116-Y train15 mins
Interlaken Ost-SpeizTrain SBB30 mins
Speiz-FrutigenTrain SBB15 mins
Frutigen-AdelbodenBus35 mins

“All the trains, buses, and most of the cable car transportation were covered in the Swiss pass”

Day 1 at Adelboden – —– Valley/Mountain

Our hotel(The Cambrian) gave us free cable car pass and free bus transportation around the town (although we already had the Swiss pass, but cable car was a gift from the hotel). 5 mins walk from the hotel, we arrived at this cable car station, (it was so empty, no tourists at all), we hopped on one of the cable cars, (three cable cars runs together every 20 mins, I would recommend to sit in the third car to enjoy valley views) we arrived on the top of the mountain in 10 mins.

We enjoyed the Giant Swing, Jugnu got scared from height but it wasn’t that scary😄, it is right on the top of the mountain and the views were thrilling and exciting. It is an amazing ski destination, since we visited in August (Summers), we enjoyed the green valley (the entire valley is covered with snow in winters). We also saw a hiking trail, but it was our first day in Adelboden, so we kept it low, and took the last cable car down at 5:30pm.

We then enjoyed a cup of coffee and I fulfilled my sugar cravings at this great cafe, The Tea Room.

Day 2 at Adelboden – Engstligen waterfall

It is accessible by cable cars and public transportation plus some hike, but Jugnu and I rented an e-bike to go there. It took 1.5 hours (we were super slow and did loads of photography on our way), the last stretch was a bit rocky, but it was thrilling, we walked along the bike a few times, because biking down in steep mountains is scarier than ever.

We then came back and enjoyed some pool time at our hotel, and enjoyed the sunset.

Day 3 at Adelboden – Oeschinen Lake

We took the bus from the bus station, right next to our hotel and arrived at Kandesteg in exactly 1 hour. 10 mins walk later, we took the cable car (got 50% off on our Swiss pass) and arrived on the top of the mountain. After that was the 30 mins hike, there was also an e-shuttle (8 euros per person, runs every hour), if you didn’t wanna walk, but it was quite easy.
Oeschinen Lake is a hidden lake and very less touristy as compared to Blausee (which we saw on our way to Oeschinen (from the bus), Blausee is very much accessible which makes it more touristy.

Just to give you a better idea about this serene place, here’s a video link :

Oeschinen Lake

Lastly some food pics ❤️

I will soon share my 12 days trip in another blog. Switzerland has so much to offer that one blog is just not enough.

Keep Rocking.

Flying Away,
Jugni!

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Chicken curry in 40 mins

Chicken curry is as popular as Butter Chicken but the former is a healthier version to enjoy Indian flavours. My friend from India is a die hard fan of my dish and she definitely is the inspiration behind this blogpost. 🙂
Chicken curry as the name says is chicken cooked with various spices in a tomato-onion paste. I understand this might look tough and a lot to take in, but, keeping all the spices in front of you while preparing would make it super easy.

No marination needed. No butter. No cream. Just a pinch of Maggie Masala.

Jugni’s Magic

Lets quickly list out the Ingredients for Chicken Curry:

  • Chicken boneless – 450 gms
  • Olive oil – 2 tbsp
  • Bay leaf – 2 (small or 1 big)
  • Cloves – 3
  • Pepper corns 7-8
  • Green cardamom – 2
  • Ginger – Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
  • Salt – 2 tsp (as per taste)
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
  • Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
  • Turmeric – 1 tbsp
  • Cumin Powder – 1 tbsp
  • Magic Maggie Masala – 1/2 tsp
  • Water – as needed (1 cup)
  • Tomatoes – 2 big (3 small)
  • Onion – 2 big (3 small)
  • Make separate pastes for onion and tomato by grinding and blending them in a mixer grinder.

Preparation of Chicken Curry

  1. Heat a deep pan and put oil into it (medium high heat).
  2. Add bay leaves, cloves, pepper corns and cardamom, and give a stir for a minute.
  3. Then add onion paste and ginger garlic paste, and keep stirring until the paste reduces to half. It might take 5 minutes.
  4. Then add all the dry masalas except salt and Maggie masala, i.e. red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric. If you see that the mixture is very dry, splash some water (1-2 tbsp).
    Jugni’s tip – while adding dry masalas, put the gas to minimum to avoid burning the spices.
  5. Then add tomato paste and stir it continuously for about 12 minutes (or until it leaves the oil on sides).
    I generally put a reminder for 12-13 minutes on my google home 😉 and stir in between. It saves my energy. ❤️
  6. Then add 1/2-1 cup of water and let it blend with the onion tomato curry. You can cover the pan with the lid for a minute.
    Jugni’s tip – Make sure the water doesn’t float above the curry, it should blend well and become a paste.
  7. Then add 1.5-2 inch size chicken blocks, I used chicken breast here. Mix it well and add water if you want more curry. I generally add 1/2 cup more to enjoy it with rice. Also add salt at this time.
  8. After mixing the chicken well in the curry, cover the lid, set the gas on low flame and let it cook for 18-20 mins. Stir 3-4 times in between.
    PATIENCE IS THE KEY here ❤️.
  9. Finally add the Maggie magic masala and garnish it with coriander leaves.

This dish can be enjoyed with roti, naan, white rice or biryani. The flavours from all the spices blend so well when it is cooked patiently 🙂 If you like spicy, add some green chillies or you can also try Jugni’s fav Green Chutney.

This Chicken Curry is currently on the stove in my kitchen and Jugnu is hovering around waiting for lunch. 😄

Let me know if you like the recipe, by hitting the like button, and share it with your loved ones.

Flying Away
Jugni!

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Paneer Butter Masala

An easy and restaurant style main course dish, very close to my heart – Paneer Butter Masala. When I say easy, yes! it means minimum ingredients and full of flavours; this dish exemplifies that. Paneer or Cottage cheese is relished by all, and for vegetarian people in India, it’s a king of all dishes, my Jugnu sometimes calls out: it’s a vegetarian butter chicken, haha! and it somehow tastes like that too, so his humour does have some sense. 🙂


Thanks again to Kunal Kapoor for sharing this amazing recipe which is so simple, I have shared a link to his youtube video. I did a few Jugni(healthier options) changes by replacing cream with milk and butter with oil (Although I added a lil amount of butter, just couldn’t resist).

Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala

1. 150 gms paneer
2. One chopped onion
3. 2 chopped tomatoes
4. 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp butter
5. 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger and garlic each
6. 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
7. Salt as per taste (1 tbsp)
8. 1 tsp kasuri methi
9. Coriander leaves for garnish
10. 1 cup milk ( or you can use 1/2 cup cream to get richer flavor)
11. Magic ingredients – one bay leaf and one chopped green chilli

Preparation Paneer Butter Masala

1. Heat oil + butter in a pan.
2. Add onion, bay leaf and let the onion go brown.
3. Then add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and saute it for 45 seconds.
4. Then add Kashmiri chilli powder, saute it for another 15-20 seconds, and add tomatoes in the mixture.
5. Add salt and put the gas on low medium flame, and let the mixture cook for 15-17 mins ( it will turn brownish and might look bad, but don’t worry, we’ll fix it).
6. Add paneer cubes and stir it for 30 seconds.
7. Add milk and let it blend with the mixture. Wait for a minute and then add kasuri methi. (Jugni’s tip – you can also add cream to make it richer, but milk is a healthier version and it tastes exactly the same).
8. Switch the gas off and garnish it with coriander leaves.

You can enjoy this Paneer Butter Masala with roti, naan, white rice or just have it like that, Jugnu says its finger licking good!
After having an amazing Paneer rich meal, Jugnu and I sip ginger tea (which is our favourite) to digest. Give it a try if you like :).
There are a lot of Paneer dishes but the day I learnt this recipe, it became my favourite for two reasons: easy to make and amazingly delicious.
Let me know if you like this recipe, by hitting the thumbs up button, also share it with your loved ones. 🙂

Flying Away
Jugni!

The famous Paneer Butter Masala

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Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani (kali dal) or Urad lentil is one of the widely cherished, full of flavors lentils. While I was learning and trying various Indian dishes at home, Dal Makhani was amongst the few of my favourites. Coming from a punjabi north Indian family, I have always had dal makhani as the go-to dish, and I had to learn the best way to cook it.
A big thank you to Kunal Kapur for his easy and amazing recipe, to make a restaurant-style Dal Makhani. (I have included a link to his youtube video below).

Ingredients for Dal Makhani

  • Urad daal – 100 gms
  • Salt as per taste – 1.5 tbsp
  • Kashmiri Red chili powder – 2 tbsp
  • Butter – 1 tbsp (optional) (JUGNI’s Tip – I added butter at the end to enhance the flavour, but to make it a super rich, you can add butter and cream)
  • Olive oil – 2 tbsp
  • Garlic pods – chopped – 3 tbsp
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp
  • Kasuri methi – crushed – 1/2 tsp
  • Water (as per the requirement)

Preparation for Dal Makhani

  • Soak the dal overnight or for at-least 8 hours.
  • Get rid of the soaked water and rub your hands in the wet dal, rub the dal against each other to see the green colour.
  • Add dal and 1 tbsp salt to the pressure cooker, add water around 1.5 cups (water should be 1.5 inches above dal level).
  • Let it cook on low medium flame for 25 mins (around 6-7 whistles).
  • In a deep pan, add some oil.
  • On medium flame, add ginger garlic paste and make sure not to burn it while cooking.
  • After that add red chilli powder and mix it well for a minute.
  • Add freshly pureed tomatoes to the pan and cook it for around 10 minutes (until oil leaves on the side).
  • Add pressure cooked dal (remove excess water from the dal) into the pan and mix well. (don’t worry about the dal being dried up, you will add more water in the cooking process).
  • Keep the gas on low medium flame and cook for around 20 minutes. You might need to add water in between to maintain consistency, but don’t overdo it :). Also add salt as per your taste.
  • Finally, add some butter and let it melt down in the dal. Such a heaven to see that ❤️.

SECOND TADKA for the Dal Makhani

  1. Take another smaller pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil.
  2. Add chopped garlic (3-4 garlic pods) into it. Keep the gas on low flame and let the chopped garlic go brown.
  3. Add more chilli powder if you prefer spicy.
  4. Pour the mixture on top of the dal makhani.
  5. Add a pinch of kasuri methi (crushed in palms).
  6. Mix well and enjoy.
  7. You can add cream on the final product to enhance richness, I avoided it 🙂 to cut down lil bit of extra calories.
Dal Makhani

This Dal Makhani has become my star dish of every dinner / lunch party and I get lotsa praises every-time I cook it.
Dal Makhani can be enjoyed with any type of rice, naan, roti or bread, but the best combination is Dal Makhani and butter naan. You will surely see 2 hearts in the eyes of those eating (like I see in Jugnu’s). Haha, I can’t stop laughing mentioning this in the blog. 😂

You can also add kidney beans in the dal to make it more interesting, Jugnu doesn’t prefer that way, so I skip it, but its a great add on. 🙂
Jugnu keeps its separate, dal makhani and Rajma masala are two different heavens for him. I love my dramatic Jugnu. hah!😂

Let me know if you like my recipe by hitting the like button. Also, share it with your friends and family on social media.

Flying away
Jugni.

Star dish right there-Dal Makhani
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Matar Mushroom

Matar mushrooms or Mushrooms and peas in a tomato and onion gravy has become our go-to dish, which Jugnu and I enjoy almost every other week. It is easy to prepare, full of flavours, healthy and nutritious.
I remember ordering it in restaurants, and always wondered how do they nullify the strong taste of mushroom and make it so yummy. I know the mantra now, and that indeed is patience :). Let’s quickly check out the ingredients to prepare easy and delicious matar mushrooms.

Ingredients for Matar Mushroom

  • 250 gms white mushrooms (cut into pieces)
  • 1 cup matar (peas) – I took the frozen ones
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1.5 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tbsp chilli powder (Jugni’s Tip – To keep it healthy, I add green chillies instead)
  • Salt as per taste (I added 1tbsp)
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp tomato paste (I was out of fresh tomatoes, you can add 2 medium tomatoes puree)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • handful of coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp – garam masala (optional)
  • NO BUTTER NO CREAM
Matar Mushroom

Preparation for Matar Mushrooms

  1. Heat 2 pans. Add water and frozen peas (matar) in one of the pans, let it boil for about 10 minutes.
  2. In the mean time, add oil to the second pan (deep one).
  3. Add chopped onion and let it cook until brown (around 4 minutes), then add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste.
  4. Let it cook for a minute, and then add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and chilli powder. (keep stirring).
    JUGNI’s TIP – while adding masalas (step 4), put the flame to the lowest so that the masalas don’t get burned out, also splash some water if needed.
  5. After a minute, add tomato paste and give a quick stir, since its a paste, the mixture would look a lil dry, so add 1/2 cup of milk immediately and put the gas on medium flame, wait for it come to a boil.
  6. When boiling, add boiled peas(from step 1), put the gas on the lowest flame, cover it with the lid (add 1/2 glass water if milk thickens out) and let it cook for good 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
  7. The water/milk will reduced to half or less than that, in the gravy, then add the mushrooms. Put the flame on medium and stir it for a minute. The mushrooms would leave some water.
  8. After a minute of stirring mushrooms in the curry, check consistency and add rest of the milk (1/2 cup or more as per your liking).
  9. Put the gas on low flame and let the curry cook in the covered pan for another 8-10 minutes. (The mushrooms will reduce in size – the indication that it has been cooked).
  10. Turn the gas off, add garam masala (optional) and garnish with coriander leaves.
    JUGNI’s TIP – Coriander leaves when blend with the curry/gravy of mushroom, gives an amazing flavour and tastes great, so it is highly recommended.
    Jugnu is a big fan of coriander leaves, and makes sure to garnish his bowl with a few of these.

Matar mushrooms can be enjoyed with Indian roti / naan, bread, tortillas , or with steamed or cumin rice. You can make the gravy richer, by adding cashew paste or cream.
I am gonna enjoy this in lunch today with some tortillas, let me know if you would like to give it a try. 🙂

If you like my recipe, give a thumbs up or share it on social media. 🙂

Flying away
Jugni

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Thai Chicken Green Curry

During this lockdown when Jugnu and I were craving for some rich, restaurant style food, especially Thai cuisine, we thought of trying it on our own. And without any exaggeration, this Thai Chicken Green Curry has become one of my most wonderful creations (haha I like to pat myself on the back for all the effort I’ve been putting in cooking).

One of the most popular Asian dish, Thai Chicken Green Curry is amazingly delicious and easy to prepare. Thanks to the readymade curry pastes available in the grocery stores, it has become so easy to relish different types of cuisines these days. I now stock my fridge with Yellow Thai Curry paste, Red curry paste, Panang curry paste and Massaman curry paste, at all times.

Ingredients for Thai Chicken Green Curry

  • Koh Thai green paste – 1.5 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp olive oil and coconut oil
  • a few cloves of garlic (not mandatory)
  • 1 sliced onion
  • 1 sliced bell pepper
  • 100 gms sliced mushrooms
  • 250 gms chicken cubes
  • Salt and pepper as per taste
  • 2 whole green onions (white and green)
  • 150 ml coconut milk
  • peanuts / cashews (not mandatory)

Preparation of Thai Chicken Green Curry

  1. Take a pan and saute chicken cubes (for 5 minutes on medium flame) with some salt and pepper and a few drops of olive oil. Place them aside.
  2. Take another deep pan and add coconut oil. Put the gas on medium flame and let the oil melt (if it’s hard).
  3. Add Koh Thai paste and sautée it for 30 seconds.
  4. Add all the veggies (except green onion) & chicken, and saute it for 5 minutes on low medium flame. Cover the lid and keep stirring in between.
    JUGNI’s tip – you can add chilli paste or garlic pepper at this point if you want the curry to be spicy. 🔥
  5. Then add coconut milk, keep it on low medium flame, and let the veggies and chicken soak in the milk.
  6. Add chopped white part of green onion to the pan, cover with lid, and let it cook with the rest for 8-9 minutes.
  7. After that garnish the curry with the green part of the green onion and switch the gas off.
  8. Cover the pan with lid and let it stay for another 10 minutes.
  9. Enjoy with steamed white or cumin rice.

You can start the curry preparation by roasting garlic. I didn’t use in my recipe because I enjoy the flavours from the paste. But if you are a fan of garlic, add some of it.

Also, you can add peanuts (chopped or raw) when you add green onions, to enhance the flavour, but it can be avoided.

Jugni’s Tips –

1. Add as many veggies as you like, carrots, peas, beans, zuchini, squash, bok choy, broccoli, spinach etc.
2. Add water to adjust the consistency as per your liking.
3. Make sure you cook the curry on low medium heat, as the milk can get curdled.
4. Add a few drops of lime on the final dish to add a tangy flavour.
5. If you like a combination of coconut milk and coriander, this is heaven for you, just add coriander leaves on the final product. I don’t mix both because of my silly taste buds. 🙂
6. You can also add lemon grass if you like.

I came a few querries which I though could be useful for you guys as well:

  1. Can you cook and store Green curry in advance?
    – Well, I would recommend to prepare it fresh everytime, as it is so easy to prepare, or you can refrigerate it for 2 days.
  2. Is the Thai Chicken Green curry sweet in taste?
    – Yes, according to my taste buds, it is kind of sweet due to coconut milk. You can add chilli paste to make it spicy.
  3. Only steamed rice goes with Thai Chicken Green curry?
    – NO, NO, NO. Its totally depends on your taste and likings. It is surely preferred with steamed sticky rice, but you can also enjoy it noodles, cumin rice or even Indian naan (or tortilla). Jugnu loves it with Naan.

I never knew coconut milk could do wonders with the food, I was never a big fan of coconut, but now I love it.
Let me know by hitting the thumbs up button if you like the recipe and do share it with your friends.

Flying (with my chicken wings) Away
Jugni

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Healthy drinks and Healthy Lifestyle

As much as healthy food and diet are necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle; healthy drinks play an equally vital role. Plain or still water is always the best option for hydration, but, is also not that exciting for many of us. 🙂 I talked to 5 friends of mine, 3 out of them drink just one glass of water a day (including the water intake with their medicine tablets or capsules), rest is just tea/coffee/sodas/juices throughout the day, which might not always be the best option. So this blogpost is for them (haha) and for all of us who want to stay hydrated, and want to cross the plain water barrier :).

Sparkling Water – I know what comes to your mind when I say, water with some fizz, but no its not soda or tonic water (which is a very unhealthy option) and has sodium and sugar. A simple option to stay hydrated in a fancy way is to drink sparkling water, or maybe add some lemon to it to make it a side drink with your dinner or lunch.
The consumption of water has increased to almost double for both, myself and Jugnu when we started sparkling water intake. We do drink normal water as well, we generally keep a bottle on our desk or couch for some extra hydration.
AH (Albert Heijn) sells it at 1.68 euros for 12 bottles (300ml each) and it covers a week for us.

Orange Water – Yep…I mentioned Orange ‘water’ not orange juice :), although the juice could also a better option but you also have a sugar intake with that. And if that’s available in cans in your grocery store, big no no to that because its just sugar.
Infused water is in now a days. I spent almost 2 years at Google headquarters in Mountain View and I got used to such amazing and healthy bites and drinks, and infused water was one of them. Just put slices of orange in cold water (Bottle or Jar) and hydrate yourself for the rest of the day with some tasty and healthy drink.
You could also infuse water with Lemon slices or Mint leaves or cucumber or any fruits. I will write a post about the different flavours of Infused Water.

Fruit Smoothies – Spending all the time at home crave us to cook more, eat more and gain more calories, which is a very serious concern. Of course, we feel hungry, specially Jugnu working from home has become a challenge for me, to feed him healthy food. But, I found this trick which works great keeping in mind essential nutrients needed during the day, his hunger thunder, and easy / stress-free cooking for me.
Fruit smoothies is a blend of any fruit, with fat free yogurt / skimmed milk / almond milk/soy milk/oatley (which has become famous recently). Our favourite is strawberry+blueberry+almond milk with no sweeteners, Spinach+Mango+Cucumber is our second favourite. Pick your favourite mix and stay healthy.

Milk – An excellent source of protein, calcium and vitamins, always resting in your fridge. I understand, a lot of us can’t handle or digest milk, go for skimmed milk or soy milk/almond milk/oatley. Jugnu and I go traditional when it comes to milk – add a cardamom, some nuts to low fat milk, and that is our post dinner meal / dessert when we can’t handle our cravings. It can be served both hot and cold.

Hot Chocolate – I know you must be wondering how’s that on the healthy list, but yes if you don’t go for the packaged powder (which are high in sugar content) and make your own at home, it could be your best friend.
Jugnu has a special way of making it, he melts the dark chocolate in the boiling milk (or your favourite low fat or non dairy milk) and after pouring it in the glass, he adds a pinch of cinnamon for some extra flavour. Also, it is my favourite drink during my menstrual days.

There are a lot more smoothies and flavoured drinks which could be substitutes to the high sugar ones, like coconut water, ginger tea, mint tea, cranberry juice etc. You and I just need to put in some extra efforts during these quarantine days to stay healthy and settle those cravings right.
I am writing this blogpost holding a bottle of sparkling water and the fizz is giving me a boost to spend my week ahead with my Jugnu and Snickey. 🙂

Stay Healthy
Flying Away
Jugni

Source : webmd.com, bustle.com,

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Home Remedies for Skincare – Part 2

After getting overwhelming response on my skincare routine and home remedies blog, I felt the need to write home remedies for skincare part 2. In the previous blogpost, I mentioned my top favourite (5) home remedies which might help getting a healthier skin, this post is a continuation of it – with another 5.

This mainly focuses on the pores on the face, and the impact these have on your appearance.

1. Yogurt – I am a big fan of dairy products, after milk, yogurt is my second option with skin as well as hair care. Yogurt not only tightens the pores but also reduces blemishes. It can be used as a base with a lot more products like papaya and cucumber.

How to use – If used alone, just apply it (2 tbsp) on your face and neck, leave it for 20 minutes and rinse with fresh water. Repeat this 2-3 times per week.

2. Tomatoes – Tomatoes when used with honey could help you with your pore issues by maintaining the pH balance and getting rid of all the impurities.

How to use – Take 1 small tomato(pulp) and 1 tsp honey, mix and make a pulp out of it. Apply it on face and neck, and let it dry. It is recommended to repeat at-least 4 times a week to get better results.

3. Aloe Vera + Lemon Juice – Aloe Vera is becoming very famous now a days for glowing skin and as an interior decor plant. It is rich in Vitamin C and E, have anti-bacterial properties and a great moisturiser. The extract of Aloe vera works like wonders on sunburns and wounds, when used with lemon juice, it could be used for lightening dark spots.

How to use – Either use directly by extracting the fresh pulp from the plant, or use as a mask of 3 tbsp of aloe vera pulp + 1 tsp of lemon juice. Apply the mask on your skin for 10 minutes and wash with fresh water.

4. Baking Soda – Do you have acne and pimple issues? This trick is for you. Acne/pimples are due to excess oil on the face and baking soda when used in the form of paste soak excess oil and reduce clogging. This also help in removing dead cells and lighten scars.

How to use – Make a paste by mixing 2 tbsp each, baking soda and warm water. Apply it on your face, massage gently for 30 seconds and leave it for a minute. Wash with cold water.
JUGNI’s TIP – don’t practice this more than once a week.

5. Rose Water – Rose water can be used as a base in a lot of face packs/masks preparation, but it also works great when used as a toner. It balances the pH of the skin, stimulates blood circulation, cleanses and increases moisture levels.

How to use – Dip a cotton ball in the cold (refrigerated) rose water and pat pat on your face :). Do it everyday for younger skin. This is my favourite.

It’s time to go and use all the products lying on the counter of your kitchen. 🙂 Your skin (face) is the most important part. of your body, pamper it, feel it and take care for it.
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Disclaimer – The opinion expressed in my blogpost are personal suggestions, about natural remedies for skin; some sensitive skin might get some rashes and acne, so please do a patch test before applying it all on your face. If any skin reaction occurs, please discontinue using it and contact your physician. If you are under a medicated treatment, please consult your doctor before using any.

Stay Beautiful
Jugni

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