Quick Capsicum Stir Fry

Ingredients 

2-3 Capsicum (Yellow, Red, Green) chopped lengthwise
1 Baby corn chopped
2 Carrots chopped lengthwise
1/4 Cup French beans
2 Teaspoon Sprouted beans (optional)
1 Tomato chopped lengthwise
1 Onion chopped lengthwise
1 Small Cucumber chopped lengthwise
2 Tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 Teaspoon each Garlic and ginger chopped
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
Salt as per taste
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon each Soy sauce, Tomato sauce, Chilli sauce
1 Teaspoon cornflour paste (slurry),  Cornflour mixed in little water

Method

Heat oil in a wok, let the oil heat up, now add sesame seeds, chopped  ginger, garlic, chopped onion, fry these a bit.
At this point add chopped carrots, babycorn, french beans sprouted beans and  stir, do not overcook, now add capsicum, cucumber give it a stir.

Add one teaspoon each soy sauce, green chilli sauce,  tomato sauce, salt and slurry of cornflour mix. Well finally add vinegar, transfer in bowl serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.
Enjoy!!

Dakkhani Flavour

Tomato Chutney

This is the chutney I made yesterday. It turned out really well. Does not take much time to prepare, can be used with idli, dosa, rice, chapati, or even as a bread spread! So here goes the recipe with the required ingredient list ...

Ingredients

• 2 tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of peeled garlic and small piece of cleaned ginger (optional)
• a few sprigs of mint leaves and 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp gram seeds (chana dal)
• salt to taste
• 3 green chillies chopped
• 1 tsp dessicated coconut
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• a pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons kadhipatta (curry leaves)
• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds
• cumin seeds (Jeera) and turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (Hing)
• few fenugreek seeds (Methi dana)

Method

Heat a fry pan and add oil. To this pan of heated oil, add mustard, cumin, fenugreek, sesame seeds, gram seeds one  after the other in that order. Once they crackle, add asafoetida. Now add washed green chillies and washed and pat dried curry leaves. Wait till it turns crispy. Now add garlic and ginger, fry a bit, add turmeric, followed by onion and tomatoes. Fry for a few minutes until the mixture wilts a little. Do not cook tomatoes fully. Add mint leaves at this stage. Saute it a little. Add desiccated coconut, sugar, salt and mix well.Take the pan off the heat, Let the mixture cool.

Grind this in mixie for 2-3 rounds add lemon juice, transfer in serving bowl and serve.

Consume within 2 days.

The education of a child!

"The children today are the citizens of tomorrow." The growth of a nation depends almost entirely on how the young minds are moulded. That explains and justifies the enormous plan expenditure that goes out to fund the primary education and also the recently introduced the "right to education" as one of the basic rights of a child. A child will grow gradually through  the means of education, can reach great heights with right kind of tools. A better child becomes a good responsible citizen whereby one can be assured of the future of our nation in these children who have allround development: physical, mental and spiritual. Thus goes the saying, "A healthy mind resides in a healthy body." Primary education gives a foothold for later years. In today's context, the different media expose a child to all kinds of educational tools which can prove beneficial and also detrimental to one's growth if care is not taken. For example, today children are computer literate and their exposure to all electronic gadgets is immense. The key is in the awareness about maintaining the balance between the degree of usage and the advantages that can be derived. Thus a pallette of avenues with myriad colours make children a better citizen of tomorrow. Side by side it is the prime duty of parents as well teachers to inculcate the right values and morals in the children.

Education begins at home. A child perceives and imbibes subconsciously the values and conduct  through upbringing. So parents and core family's responsibility increases many fold. As a child enters formal education system he or she takes to the system like a fish takes to water. So here starts the enormity of learning process through trials and tribulations, success and failures, experiences.

The process of enriching the life of a child at very young age is essential. Personality development aspects such as intellectual, emotional, social, make his total development and his well being. Bringing forth and recognizing thus, the trapped potential of each child at the right age is the need. This gives a total new direction to his education and he or she will not be called a wasted potential in later life.

A child's interests can be varied ranging from arts music crafts sports apart from his regular studies which when boosted  reward us with wondrous results! 

Children with special needs of physical and mental kind need tender care, understanding and patience. When we look around, we find the effortless ease by which  an athlete or a musician or a sport person or an artist making a mark by sheer grit, determination, hard work, discipline and one point focus.

A steady guiding hand and force for a young child is the key to his success. The journey of life starts with education, learning through failures. Creating the right environment for children to express themselves in school, freedom of expression helps to unwind. Positivity and accepting the failures, keeping at bay the negative emotions at any cost proves beneficial. Life itself is a great teacher, and a child should get his due share through right education and environment.