Easiest way to cook Karela

The Kitchen bug has bitten me again and I'm all set to share a very very simple recipe.

Karela, the most loved vegetable (pun intended)...After trying this recipe im sure you all will thank me for sharing the most easiest, tastiest and fastest dish to cook Crispy Karela..You can serve this with plain dal rice as a vegetable or just something crispy to go with it.

Try this dish and do let me know how it was...

Crispy Karela
Serves : 4 people

Ingredients
4 to 5 medium size bottle gourd (Karela)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons red chilli powder ( 1 spoon if less spicy)
2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil ( as per the quantity of karelas)

Method
Slice the karelas in thin roundles and wash the same with water. Drain the water completely, add salt and keep it away for 15 to 20 mins. After 20 mins add red chilli powder and olive oil. mix the ingredients well. Bake the Karela for 5 -7 mins in microwave oven. If its not cooked, still further bake it for another 2 to 3 mins. Ensure you don't burn the karelas. Once they turn crispy, remove it from the oven and serve while eating.

Health benefits: It is the best remedies for diabetes, an excellent source of vitamin-C, very low in calories with 17 calories per 100g, helps with digestion of food by producing digestive enzymes.

Living testimony

The clock ticked 8 am, Nandi and her parents rushed towards their car, it was time for Sunday worship. Nandi was excited to go to church, sing praises, learn new songs and listen to the word of God. She was dressed in her best Sunday outfit, prim and prom. Cold waves hit the city, it was one of the worst winter mornings. A thick blanket of snow covered the car, the wiper freezed and the car croaked with every ignition. Going to church seemed impossible. Nandi's parents decided to take the public transport and walk the remaining mile.They did not want to miss any Sunday worship as learning new lessons from the bible filled them with joy and satisfaction.

The choir was singing praises in one accord, the congregation joined along with the choir. New voices, new tunes and a peaceful atmosphere!

The pastor addressed the congregation and thanked everyone for being present inspite of the bad weather. As he began to preach; Nandi noticed an old man seated diagonally on the other side. After the worship, she walked towards him and exchanged pleasantries.Few Sundays passed by, Nandi became quite acquainted with the new friend. Nandi was studying medicine and wanted to serve the people. Her desire of becoming a doctor was selfless and purely societal. Serving mankind is serving God was her basic philosophy.

The old man was Pastor Oliver. He retired from his pastoral ministry but never stopped serving the Lord. He lived all alone in the city. He had found a friend and sought solace in Nandi. Pastor Oliver always encouraged Nandi for her willingness to serve people. He felt this was Nandi's own way to serve and spread the goodness and word of God.

Pastor Oliver would visit old age homes, hospitals and orphanages. He would pray for the needy and read out parables from the bible. He encouraged people to ponder over the verses and act smartly. He served the City hospital for 20 years as a Chaplain and would visit each patient, ward and doctors personally, praying for them and their service.

Nandi had developed a liking for Pastor Oliver and was touched by his ministry. He was never tired of serving and his life exemplified Living Testimony.

Few months passed by and Pastor Oliver was no where to be seen. Months changed to years and he totally disappeared, he had stopped coming to church and would not visit the hospital anymore. Nandi missed her pal and thought she would never see him again.

Nandi completed her education and was posted in the City hospital . She was doing very well as a doctor and everyone loved Nandi and her service. She enjoyed going for medical camps in remote areas, nursing the tribes and village ministry.

One fine day Nandi was selected to head a medical camp and was sent along with a team of doctors and nurses in a village. The village was situated miles away from the main city. People there were deprived of any medical help. Their health was deteriorating and lack of medicines worsen most cases. Nandi visited each house and personally attended the patient. On the last day of the camp, Nandi decided to visit the remaining houses located in the interiors. To her surprise, she saw Pastor Oliver lying on the bed in a very critical condition. He was ill for a very long time. Nandi immediately got Pastor Oliver back to the City hospital. Pastor Oliver failed to recognise people, did not speak a word and was waiting for his last hour. Nandi would frequently visit him, sing choruses, speak to him about his ministry in City hospital. The ward boys and doctors would visit him and tried refreshing his memory. The man who would pray for others was now in need of prayers, lying on his death bed. No one knew how he landed in that village but definitely knew it was time for him to bid goodbye and be with The Lord.

                                Courtesy: Issachar initiative

Nandi felt sad, discouraged and demotivated as she couldn't save him, she wanted to talk to him a lot, know more, learn about life, she regretted about not trying to find him while he was missing all these years. Nandi missed the love of her grandparents as they left her at a very young age. She felt a strong connect towards him and sought him as her grandpa. She was touched by Pastor Oliver's ministry, he would always pray for everyone, strangers, sharing the word and doing every bit to comfort the needy. He never cribbed of his ministry or the situation. No one knew about his family but he was happy and content. The zeal to serve society and never say die spirit encouraged her to be like him. His life was a living testimony..a testimony that could be shared and told to the world. He served the same hospital and landed there during in his last days. The hospital was his family, he touched many lives there.We as humans are very self centered, we do things for our benefits and for our selfish needs, we create a small world of our own and never want to get out of it.We neither bother about people around nor lend a helping hand. We tend to forget the creator, the things he has done for us and forget to thank him for the small wonders he does in our lives.

While Nandi was in deep thoughts, Pastor Oliver breathed his last and bid goodbye to all. Over 5000 people attended his funeral and each one spoke about his ministry and the lives he touched. Truly he was a living testimony..

Are we a living testimony?
Cant we do small things, to spread happiness
Share the word, Be the shining light
Lend a helping hand and spread some smiles 
Pray for all, Bless your foes
Love, honesty, peace and humility
Let it unfold your woes.

Happy a blessed and happy Life!

Priyanka Sarang Ohol

Recipes from Amateurs Kitchen

Hello Everyone...... This post deals with some easy to cook recipes especially written for those who either dislike cooking or are not very fond of it.....it is for newly married girls who don't know how to cook, for those who feel lazy to cook or haven't even entered the kitchen till date.

All men and women, young girls and guys, those who live alone, single or married or even experts can try out some of the dishes which I tried and it turned out well.

The first dish which I tried all by myself was bhindi (lady finger) fry. Since childhood I thought Bhindi was the most boring vegetable and I'm still not a big fan of it. But as we all know, all vegetables are good for health  so here's sharing the recipe of making a boring bhindi into a delicious delicacy

For all the bhindi lovers Or non lovers do give it a try.

Something easy and quick for your taste buds

Bhindi Fry (serves 2)

Ingredients

1/4 kg bhindi (lady finger)
1/2 Desiccated coconut
2-3 teaspoons Red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon hing
1/4 teaspoon haldi
1/4 teaspoon amchur powder
4 to 5 teaspoons of olive oil
Salt to taste

Preparation time 15 to 20 mins

Method

Wash, clean and cut the bhindi into two halves. Slit the bhindi across at the centre and keep it aside.
Mix the desiccated coconut, red chilli powder, hing, haldi, amchur powder and salt well in a plate.
Fill each bhindi with the mixture at the centre and keep it aside.
Take a frying pan or sauce pan, add 4 to 5 teaspoons of olive oil ( normal sunflower oil will also do).
Allow it to heat for a while, once the oil is heated, put the bhindi in the pan and let it fry well.
Cover the pan wit a lid. You may sprinkle little water to let it cook well.

Tips: you can use more of chilli powder as per your taste to make it more spicy.
You can also add any home made masala powder to the mixture to enhance it further.
If the mixture remains, u can add that to the bhindi while cooking, the coconut gives it a good texture.

Serve it with roti or plain dal rice.

Health tip: Low in calories, rich in dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins. Often recommended by doctors to control cholesterol and while dieting.

If you develop interest in any work you do, you will excel and your job will provide you utmost satisfaction. Hence take interest in cooking and keep experimenting.

Priyanka Sarang Ohol

A Paradigm Shift...

Often when we ask children, what do you want to pursue when you grow up, we usually hear responses like doctors, engineers, pilot, astronaut, model, actor, etc. The seeds of becoming a big personality, independent and famous are sown right then and is nurtured till the end of their professional education. After pursuing professional courses like Engineering or MBA, students take up lucrative jobs in the corporate world that pay hefty packages to survive in this rat race. But the standard of living, utilities bills, loans, EMI's eats up a big junk of our salary and we are left with a minuscule amount at disposal. Living has now become hand to mouth with huge salaries and extra huge expenses and very little cash as disposal. How do we manage all the expenses then? We all love to maintain a good standard of living and usually love shopping, eating out partying, mini vacations so on and so forth.

A job has now only become a source of income and cannot be perceived as something that can provide satisfaction or hone our skills.Youngsters are giving away their corporate jobs and are entering into the realm of pursuing their own dreams. Recently I read an article about wonderful business ideas and young entrepreneurs who start their own business at risks. Some venture into shoe laundry business, nail art business, plan a date, gift a friend, food on wheels, home made dabbas, freelancing, work from home, plan a travel, hobby classes, cake making business, housekeeping business, healthy diet food business, so on and so forth..

Are we seeing a paradigm shift here? Around 2 decades back, a government job was considered the most secure job with parents marrying away their daughters to only government employees and there were not much private companies then.

A young India is definitely blooming here. Gone are the days of the 9 to 5 jobs. Even IIM gads are looking at their own start ups, giving up promising careers and setting up their own enterprise. Every person today is dreaming big, to have his or her own means of income and above all utmost satisfaction of doing want you want to do.

So be it a small business idea or a big venture, all you need isto take risks, confidence and giving yourself an opportunity to dream big and think big.

Corporates watch out, the next biggie might be someone working for you.

Get up Get Going!!

Priyanka S Ohol