Monday, April 2, 2018

Moringa, Drumstick (Vegetable) - सहजन, मुनगा, सोजिना

Drumstick (Vegetable) - सहजन, मुनगा, सोजिना
                Drumstick is a popular vegetable in India. Locally it is known by different names - Sahjan (सहजन), Munaga (मुनगा), Sojina (सोजिना), Sutti (सुट्टी), etc. In South Chhotanagpur, it is known by the name Joki (जोकी). The scientific name is Moringa oleifera.  Moringa is derived from the Tamil name Murugai, meaning twisted pod. It is native to the Himalayan Foothills and has its Sanskrit name as Surajana (सुरजन). It is a drought-resistant tree and requires minimal care. It grows rapidly and gives fruit within a year or two. It's plantation is easy. Since the fruits are not plucked directly from the tree but the fruit-bearing branches are chopped off. Next year, fruits come in new branches that grow near the chopping place. The chopped-off branches are used for the plantation of new trees. Just dig a hole about one foot deep in the ground and put the lower portion of the branch in the hole, pack the earth around it, and keep it moist for a few days. If it is not disturbed, then buds begin to grow over it, and the new plant is ready.
            The ease of plantation, low care of the tree, short waiting time for fruits, and good rate in the market make it ideal for plantation by lower-income group people even if they have a minimum land available. 
             The doctors advise taking green vegetables, but in modern-day cities, the available green vegetables have a risk of residual pesticides on them. And those vegetables have higher pesticide risks, which grow in the offseason, or those that are generally prone to pests. So it is better to search for such vegetables that have the minimum or no pesticides used. Drumsticks are one of such vegetables. That is why I am writing this article. 
              Not only pesticide-free it is also regarded as a medicinal vegetable and generally termed as Neerog Sabji -(Good for health,  नीरोग सब्जी) in Hindi. It is a seasonal tree. From mid-January, Sahjan-flowers (सहजन फूल) begin to come in the vegetable market. These flowers are boiled and then cooked with potatoes to make a curry, or the boiled flowers are mixed with Besan (Bengal gram-flour), red chilly powder, green chilly pieces, and salt, then sprinkled with breadcrumbs and deep-fried to make Pakodas. 
              A week later, thin Sahjan vegetables (सहजन की सब्जी) will be available in the market, first prices may be between Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 a kilogram. But it is worth its price - soft and without hard fibers (which develop as it grows). No pre-cook preparation hassles, just clean with water and cut with a knife. But be careful, as it is the stage when I once found the trace of pesticide in it. In fact, due to the high price, the commercial vegetable growers may use such pesticides that increase the percentage of fruit-bearing. It was a lesson for me, and then on I never bought small Munagas from permanent vegetable vendors, but I always purchase them from local farmers who come to the market only in the morning with one head basket full of vegetables, and after three to four hours return to their home.
                     In the next 15 days the size of the drumsticks increases, and so does their thickness and stiffness. With the hardening of fibers, it cannot be fully eaten; instead, you will have to take out residual fibers (सिट्ठी). 
           As time passes, thickness and stiffness, along with the size of seeds, increase. Triangular seeds are edible. Till the time of March-end, fibers become so hard that you will avoid taking their pieces whole in the mouth. The best way to eat it is by holding the one end and sucking the soft parts and seeds with the help of front teeth and pulling the fibers out of the mouth. Another notable thing is the reduction in its price. At this time, the rate of drumsticks falls drastically to Rs. 10 a kilogram. 
             The tasty drumstick curry needs mustard and tomato as spices. Another recipe is putting the pieces in the pulse (दाल). This recipe is best when the drumsticks are hard as described above. Generally, 10-15 pieces are tied with a thin cotton thread and put in the boiling pot to prevent them from breaking when fully cooked. It is also used in the South Indian recipe of Sambhar. 
                 The green Munaga tree leaves are also edible and beneficial for health. Munga leaf tea, boiled for at least 10 minutes, is taken to reduce the increased blood pressure. The green leaves are also cooked as Saag (साग) just like Spinach. Even oil is extracted from its mature seeds, which is called "Ben Oil". 
                    Though there are innumerable benefits of Drumsticks, it is advised not to be taken by pregnant women. Some people are allergic to drumsticks. Also, the roots and bark of the tree are not edible and can even prove to be poisonous.
    

Problem with Drumstick plant

Though the plant of the Drumstick requires nearly no care, it should be kept in mind that this tree is a host of an insect that looks like a caterpillar and has stinging hairs on its body like a brush (hairy caterpillar). If you come in contact with it, some hairs will pierce into the skin and detach from the insect. The place on the skin will itch and swell, and the problem may continue for twenty-four hours before the effect reduces. These insects, which are called Bhua Pillu (भुआ पिल्लू) in the local language, breed on the bark of this tree and eat the leaves of this tree, which may affect the production. But it has a simple remedy - At the time of breeding, the stem of the tree is whitewashed with lime. 
             
              This tree provides a source of income for poor people, just like poultry and goats. For other people, it is a healthy vegetable.  
                  
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Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Apple Cider Vinegar

                       Vinegar, in general, is thought to be good for health. That is why it is used in salad. It has a sour (खट्टा) taste. You may have seen small peeled onions in a bowl of vinegar placed on the table in restaurants.
 
Apple Cider Vinegar
with Mother
                        Vinegar is chemically known as 'Acetic acid'. It is made mostly of fruits, grains, or sugarcane. Example: grapes, apples, rice, barley-corn, palm, etc. The sugar in fruit juice is fermented to form ethyl alcohol, which is further fermented to form vinegar. Out of all the kinds of vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar is thought to have the most beneficial health effects. Just as in our Indian culture, we believe that "Tulsi" leaves have medicinal properties and are used as natural remedies for cold, cough, and many other ailments, similarly in western culture, apple and its products are considered natural remedies for many ailments. "Tulsi" is related to the Hindu religion, and apple is related to Christianity. According to the Bible, God had prohibited Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of the knowledge in the Eden. It is widely believed that this fruit of knowledge was the apple. So this natural remedy of apple cider vinegar is a Western thing. Some decades ago, hardly anyone in India had known of this thing, but as the internet spread, we knew many things about each other. Now, people in India know about apple cider vinegar.
                       Though it is claimed that it has numerous healing properties ranging from simple anti-aging to cancer treatment but modern science hardly approves of these claims. If you try to know the comments of people using it regularly, it is surprising that most people claim positive things about its health benefits. In the Western world, some people have been consuming apple cider vinegar for generations, and they claim it has a role in their longevity. The most common health effects of apple cider vinegar are for weight loss, sugar and blood pressure control, freedom from acne, good shiny skin, dandruff treatment, and benefits in breast cancer. 
                       The variety of apple cider vinegar to be used as a natural remedy is labeled as "with the mother". This "mother" thing in the golden brown vinegar is formed during the fermentation and left in the liquid, for it is believed to have beneficial bacteria.
                      Apple Cider vinegar was not available in the local markets a few years ago, but it was available on online marketing sites. Last month I saw a few of them in some big "Kirana" stores. At the same time, a friend of mine said that he has started using apple cider vinegar and feels good. So, I too decided to use it primarily for weight loss and blood pressure control. I am taking a spoonful of it with warm water on an empty stomach twice daily. Surprisingly, it is having its good effect on me. Within a month, I have lost 2.5 kg. What I feel about its working is that it reduces your diet without giving weakness. In general, if you reduce the daily intake of your regular quantity of food, you feel weak and hungry. But not if you take apple cider vinegar (ACV) regularly. I will take it regularly for two more months and see if the good effect of it continues. Then only I will decide what to do about it next. 
                         Whatever its effects, one must not take it in excess quantity, but take it judiciously. For example, it is also claimed that ACV makes the teeth white. But I will not advise rubbing it on the teeth because, after all, it is an acid and our teeth are made up of Calcium. Acids react with Calcium. So it is possible that rubbing of ACV may erode the enamel of teeth, which do not regenerate. 
                   In Western countries, "Bragg" is an old and famous brand of ACV. Since they sell it on a large scale, it is obvious that they will say a lot about its benefits. They sell a book on it - Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Book. This vinegar is also available at Amazon as Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar.
                   Another thing about it is its taste. It is not only sour but strong too. Some people may not drink it even after dilution in water.
                 While one may find one or two varieties of ACV in local "Kirana" stores, the online marketing sites have a lot of varieties other than "with mother". If you want to check it, you may visit the following links.

BRANDS

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Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Acceleration of one block is half of other




You can see in this arrangement that if block A moves a distance x, then block B moves a distance x/2.
Velocity of A, v=dx/dt
Velocity of B = d(x/2)/dt =½dx/dt =v/2
Similarly, acceleration of A, a=dv/dt
and acceleration of B =d(v/2)/dt =½dv/dt=a/2

 So the acceleration of block B is half that of A. Of course, its direction is opposite. But one can always change directions in such systems, adding extra pulleys.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Mohanji's "Samose"- मोहनजी के समोसे !


         
Samose, Singhara,समोसे, सिंघाड़ा- call it by any name !
 Who does not like "Samose" - the famous Indian snack? But the taste of a 'Samosa' varies from shop to shop, just like mangoes, which have different tastes from region to region with many varieties. Its main ingredient is boiled potato cooked with spices and vegetable pieces, which is filled into a wrap made of "Maida" (all-purpose flour) chapati. The filling is also known as "Masala". It is this filling with a different combination of spices that gives different tastes. Its tetrahedral shape is followed everywhere with slight differences from shop to shop due to the different hands that make it.
           It is also known by the name "Singhada-सिंघाड़ा" in the eastern part of India due to its resemblance to a fruit with the same name, and it grows hanging from its plant under water. Though "Singhada-सिंघाड़ा" is loved in the Indian Sub-continent but many health-conscious people resist consuming it because it is deep-fried in oil. But most people occasionally eat it as an evening snack. It is better to avoid its regular use, and when buying, take it from shops where good quality oil is used. Most of the roadside shops use cheap oils and fry them in reheated oil---in fact, they do not change the oil, only add to it when needed. It is this oil and leftover fillings more than 24 hours old that make an attack on the digestive system. So go for it at reputed shops or at those roadside vendors who you know use good ingredients. 
          I have tasted "Samosas" of famous sweet shops, eg, Madhulika at Dhanbad; Rajsthan Kalevalaya, Punjab Sweets & Saraswati Mistanna Bhandar at Ranchi, Sweet Home &Sweet Hut at Patna, and many popular roadside vendors at different places. All different and tasty. But till now, the taste of "Samosas" of the sweet shop "Mohanji" at Patna tops them all. It is awesome! A few weeks ago, I was in Patna after a long time, and only for the "Samosas" we turned off the route to "Mohanji" in West Boring Canal road near "Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir". Without using onion or garlic, they create such an awesome taste that I ate three "Samosas" and digested them normally. Each "Samosa" is filled with a piece of "Paneer". 
             Eat "Samosas" at your favorite shop, but be careful about the Quality, Quantity, and frequency of "Samosas".
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