Sindhi Food

A royal breakfast preferred by Sindhis ought to be The Dal Pakwan, the crisp fried Maida flatbreads, served with simple Chana dal, garnished with chutney and chopped onion. Apart from this,Bori (Kutti or crushed koki tempered with hot oil, and sweetened with sugar), Sindhi Koki, a wholewheat flour flatbread, kneaded with onion, chillies, dried pomegranate seeds, cumin and a generous amount of oil, double cooked on griddle ,or Lolo (sweet flatbread) Dodo (Flatbread with millet flour, jowar, bajra etc), stuffed parathas with Curd are most popular.
Juar (jowar) or Bhaat (crackedr wheat) porridge, are favorites of elders of the family. And bread dunked in chickpea curry called Chola dhabhala or the two lentils cooked together called Dal moong are still the most sought after breakfasts in many Sindhi families.
Sindhis love simple Dal chaawal, subzi -roti combo.They have some popular style of cooking like Daagh (curry with browned onions), Seyal (cooking food with onions or ginger garlic as base, with little or no water), Tamatey mein (In tomato gravy), saye masaley mein(with Green base, that of coriander leaves and fresh garlic) and Dhaas vegetables (Stuffed vegetables like Okra, Apple gourds, Capsicum etc).Though seasonal vegetables, and plenty of lentils /pulses, are included in daily cooking, but when fresh vegetables are unavailable, Sindhis tend to make use of Besan, and hence Chilra (Gramflour savory pancakes), Chilra kadhi, Aani ji bhaji (Besan dumplings in Onion tomato base) are immensely popular. And not to forget a Sindhi specialty called Sindhi Kadhi , which is a tangy tamarind and gram flour based curry, flavored with some spices and Vaghar like cluster beans, okra, drumsticks etc.This is again generally made for guests and is served with hot plain boiled white rice and sweet boondi. Amritsari wadis cooked along with potatoes, is one spicy curry you cannot afford to miss, and so is Sindhi Saibahji, the yummiest concoction of spinach with fenugreek leaves, sorrel leaves, beans, potatoes,carrot,eggplant,okra, chana dal etc.
Sindhi Sanna Pakoda (Double fried Gram flour fritters) are famous as most crispy snacks, while Alu tikki, Batan papdi(A Sindhi Chaat), Mirchi Pakora, Bhein Tikki, Spinach Pakoda , are other guilty pleasures. Sindhi Papad has a unique taste, not too spicy nor bland...just perfect. And so are the pickles...the regular oil based as well as Mustard seeds and water based pickles called as Paarianh waari Khatairn have many loyal followers. Yet another typical Sindhi style pickle is Kadhookas (grated ), pickle made from raw shredded mangoes, seasoned with,salt, turmeric, red chillies, nigella seeds,cloves of garlic, mixed and lumps of these mixture are tied in small white muslin cloth gathadis (like dumplings), pickled and enjoyed later. It’s called Gathadi aka Bheendi.

HEALTHY INFO . . . DO U KNOW...

HEALTHY INFO . . . DO U KNOW...
Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A, C and E, B-complex vitamins, potassium and zinc.
An avocado has more than twice as much potassium as a banana.
For a delicious, creamy salad dressing, mix together avocado and fresh carrot juice.
Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange.
Sulfur compounds in onions help to detoxify the body.
Parsley aids digestion.
Sweet Potato contains calcium, are high in vitamins A and C.
Zucchini also contains potassium and calcium.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/01/10-fascinating-food-facts/

OH WOW!! SO MUCH INFORMATION . .

OH WOW!!
The Baked Alaska dessert was actually invented in New York City, most likely in 1868.
Also the French dip sandwich was invented at Phillipe’s in Los Angeles, in 1918. 
Maraschino cherries may have an Italian-sounding name, but they actually come from Croatia.
“Sauerkraut” means “sour cabbage” in German, so you’d think it was a German invention. 
It came about around 2,000 years ago and was enjoyed by laborers building the Great Wall of China.
did u know ...
Beluga Caviar is the most expensive food item in the world, costing up to $5,000 per kilogram. Caviar is fish roe (eggs).
Second to caviar, foie gras is one of the finest western foods available. It is the liver of ducks (foie gras de canard) or geese (fois gras d’Oie). It is produced by a method called gravage
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, reaching prices beyond $2,000 per pound (depending on season).
Saffron is the three stigmas and style of the crocus flower.
Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound.

Sodium is an important mineral

Sodium is an important mineral and electrolyte necessary for many functions in the body. Sodium is only needed in small quantities, and the kidneys are responsible for excreting extra sodium from the body. 
A small amount of sodium is naturally present in most foods, but most dietary sodium is found in processed foods in the form of salt.
Salt is added to most canned foods, some frozen vegetables, fast foods, smoked and cured meats, and pickled foods. It is used in most cheeses, sauces, soups, salad dressings and many breakfast cereals. It is also found in many other ingredients used in food processing. Many commercially prepared condiments and seasonings are also high in sodium.
Most varieties of soy sauce are salty, earthy, brownish liquids intended to season food while cooking or at the table.
Soy sauce contains very high amounts of salt.
Even most cheeses are packed with sodium.
Also peanuts sold as snacks come packed with salt, and not to forget the processed snack foods, Pickled foods.
The food industry is working to decrease sodium content in these food items.
So a quick Fact is...
A diet high in sodium may be one factor in the development of high blood pressure. Most Americans consume too much sodium.
"A diet low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors."
WHAT TO DO?
Use more fresh fruit, vegetables and meat compared to the processed foods.
For cooking use canola oil or olive oil, which contain less sodium.
Check food labels for the words salt or sodium. Salt often is used as a preservative or flavoring agent.
Do not use the salt shaker on the table.
Learn to season foods with herbs and spices rather than salt.
Always taste food to check how salted it is.

Flowering tea or blooming tea

Flowering tea or blooming tea consist each of a bundle of dried tea leaves wrapped around one or more dried flowers. These are made by binding tea leaves and flowers together into a bulb and are then set to dry. When steeped, the bundle expands and unfurls in a process that emulates a blooming flower, while the flowers inside emerge as the centerpiece. Typically they are sourced from the Yunnan province of China. Flowers commonly used in flowering teas include globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, jasmine, lily, hibiscus, and osmanthus.
It remains uncertain whether flowering tea was a modern creation or was a much older invention of China.
Flowering tea is generally served in containers made of glass, or other transparent material, so that the flowering effect can be seen. The bundles can usually be reused two or three times without the tea becoming bitter.
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/02/inside_every_te.html
http://bloomingtea.gostorego.com/
http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/blooming-teas

Thecha is ..

Thecha is vegetarian Maharashtrian food preparation. It is prepared crushing together green or red chilies, salt and garlic, oil/ghee and cloves may be added. It is served with dishes like pithla bhakri or is eaten with bhakri.
CATCH THIS RECIPE..
http://foodwithapinchoflove.wordpress.com/lasuni-thecha/
http://cookingspace.blogspot.in/2009/12/zhanzhanit-kolhapuri-thecha.html

A taco is a . .

A taco is a “tortilla with something wrapped inside” . . .
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, minced meat, onions and lettuce.
Beginning from the early part of the twentieth century, various styles of tacos have become popular in the United States and Canada.
The Hard-shell tacos are the style that has become most common is the hard-shell, U-shaped ones.
Traditionally, soft-shelled tacos referred to corn tortillas that were cooked to a softer state than a hard taco that is usually by grilled or steamed.
But the soft tacos are tacos made with wheat flour tortillas and filled with the same ingredients as a hard taco.
The origins of the taco are really unknown. One theory suggests that the word ‘taco’ has its origins in the dynamite (paper covered gunpowder) used in Mexican silver mines.
Tacos are a relatively modern invention that can be traced back to the 1700's.
Tacos were first mentioned in the United States in 1905, at a time when Mexicans began to migrate to the United States.