Nostalgia Alert! 5 Popular Tiffin Meals That Every 90s' Kid Will Relate To
If you’re someone who grew up in the ’90s, you’d agree there was something extremely special about that time. For many people, there is a sense of nostalgia associated with that decade and we often find ourselves reminiscing about those days even today. From fancy dress competitions, birthday parties to picnics, there were so many exciting things that we did back then. Another such activity that…
The Two Minute Road To Happyness : My Discovery & Rediscovery of the Humble Maggi.
It happened just yesterday - I stood at a counter in a grocery shop well distant from the rest [ for all future purposes, this is being written at the time of the Corona Lockdown in India, and currently at Bhubaneswar. ], with a cart full of random food stuff, amongst which were all the TopRamen Curry (the best flat-noodles, everrr!!!) the shop had in stock. I looked across the partition, and there was this lady on the other side with her son, who didn't seem older than 10 years, constantly staring at her with puppy-eyes as if earnestly requesting for some treat while pulling down on her dupatta - forcefully enough to warrant attention, yet careful enough of the barrage that could ensue. And inevitably so, she finally gave into those tugging and calmly reaffirmed her predicament, "There is no Yippee left; You'll have to eat maggi". With all that's going around these days - the cooking and studying - that moment had just skipped the register of memories, until today's lunch when I Swiggied. "Veg n Cheese Corn Maggi with extra Cheese" is what I ordered and was delivered to me in under an hour. The moment I opened the packet though, I was hit with a smell of nostalgia. It has been ages since ordered food had "that maggi smell" in it. Of course, the menu did say maggi - but, with an emphasis on the but, it never was that maggi which I knew. It was either some other brand, mix, or ingredients which didn't make it the maggi that it should have been. If Shakespeare would have asked me then, What's in a name? - I would have surely replied, "Something different".
My tryst with Maggi was like any other kid of the early 90s. Easy to cook food, loved by the child and ate without a fuss. However, being an overweight child, in a very conscious family and yet giving into those wishes and cravings of mine - as my Mom at times was - I used to have maggi, once every fortnight. It could have been every week too, but I didn't want to bid adieu to french toast and thus reached an amicable truce. To be honest, maggi was the first thing I learned to cook (everyone's is), but rather learnt to experiment (which till date is how I cook anything). To adding spices and eggs to bournvita and ghee - I have had conjured all sorts of maggi - and never was a bowl wasted. I learnt how Soy sauce works, when once I had accidentally put half a bottle in a 2 cake maggi, and covered it up with sugar, for Taste!
However what fascinated me the most, and still does, is the taste maker. I can wager you anything for the statement that follows : Go to any hostel, get hold of the guy who wastes the most, and I am more than sure, even he/she would have patted the Tastemaker packet enough till every ounce fell into the mix and made sure any stary bits were properly licked. Thus, was the magic of that pandemonium of a multitude of spices and aroma that created such a distinct timid yet tempered flavour, one that suits, fits and satiates every palate.
In those times, when Chowmein was luxury, Ramen wasn't available, fastfood was looked upon and a Sunday breakfast meant the entire family at the table - Maggi was the perfect garnish. And not just family, friendships have been forged under the evaporation of the maggi mix. In school the maggi cake (cold maggi in shape of a cuboid tiffin) was the first to be eaten, notwithstanding who got it. The first time the entire boys' hostel of AIIMS Bhubaneswar congregated in a room was when someone took out his induction and cooked maggi. The first time me and the two roomies of mine got into a fight of who would do those dishes, was after a maggi meal. So much was maggi attached to me, and us, that in our batch magazine, the caption under my pic reads, "No one is alone while eating maggi" (thanks, Akshat!). And yes, all those were the stories of maggi - no Yippee, or WaiWai, or Pasta, or TopRamen or anything; plain and humble maggi. Yes, it never took two minutes to make, yet it was a wonder wrapped around a piece of yellow plastic.
It is said, Imitation is the truest form of flattery - and it's true when you see the variants available as options once you go to a store to get stuff. From brands to flavours, from taste to time taken to prepare - there is a plethora of option to choose from. Children these days know more about how which Instant Noodle (towards the end of the article, I mention the actual technical name for the first time!) goes with what sauce and what dip and so on; whereas, for me it was a bit soupy maggi, with tomato sauce, and a bit of chilli sauce - four gulps - and an empty bowl. Those were easier times it seems, and yet every child under 15 now will differ.
In hindsight, years have passed since those days when Maggi was a delicacy. Gradually as food style changed it just transformed for something looked upto to something looked down upon as being unhealthy and harmful. Everyone remembers the year maggi was banned, and maybe it was that watershed moment that made us look elsewhere. New flavors and taste became the norm while the OG of Instant Noodle was pushed into retirement. Also, I have nobody else to blame rather than me - in the meantime I became a connoisseur spaghetti, a lover of lasagna and a preacher of the perfect bechamel sauce pasta; and buried within all this was that guy who didn't even use a spatula but a fork and a spoon, checking the salt and pepper and "masala" in the water (just as Sanjeev Kapoor would have) while I was making something basic. But, the truth was, it was fun, it was love for the food. I wasn't trying to make something worthy of an Insta post or just a quick belly fill - but was putting in hardened effort to make something which I would sit in front of the TV and gobble it upto Mahabharata or Shri Krishna. Surely those days are gone, but not the characters involved (and also Mahabharata is re-running now).
So, when I opened my lunch I realised, how far have we come since those days. It was necessary and inevitable, but yes there always will be a longing, to go back to those "easy" days. As I always had a high BMI, I was always kept in check of the amount and quality of food that my mom cooked, and I always thought, once I go out of this cocoon I will eat whatever I wish for - sans restrictions. And so I did that, and a decade latter ask me, I will always wish to go back to that Santula and Badhi Chura (Odia dishes - Google It).
Here I am at a crossroad of time when I can make the finest Amuse-bouche or any hors d'oeuver right upto the dessert (and everything in between) - but will eagerly and happily and unflinchingly go back to the time when I could have some ghee on rice and posto-bara to call it a feast. The depth of this wish is, as a very good friend of mine would say, Unfathomable.
And as I finished my lunch, and was back on track to this semi mundane life of mine, I stopped for a while, and asked myself - Won't it be nice, to have a Sunday breakfast, with both Maggi and French Toast. Mama wouldn't say yes, maybe now she would.. But think, the dilemma aside, wouldn't it be aweosme?
Why Home-Made Food is the best as compared to Junk Food?
It is 2.30 pm. Shreya has just returned from school with a frown on her face. Her sister enquires if something went wrong in school to which she replies that her demand for schezwan noodles was not fulfilled in the tiffin box today and instead mother had packed chapati and sabzi and hence she just consumed a chocopie from her friend's tiffin. Now imagine! What nutrients does a piece of preserved fried bread and chocolate provide to a growing 15-year-old?
Statistics show that 60% of children between the ages of 14-17 consume junk food at least once a day. With new varieties of tiffin treats and junk food coming in everyday children growing up have forgotten the satisfaction of home-cooked meals.
Not just kids but more than 90% of adults consume junk food or beverages at least one time a day. These figures are just not shocking but also very scary. The holy Bhagwat Geeta which is one of the oldest scriptures in the world has mentioned various benefits of eating wholesome, nutrient-rich home-cooked food. The food that is cooked in front of one's eye and with monitored balanced ingredients can never be harmful to one's growth or health. Junk food is not just restricted to food available in restaurants or fast food joints. Salted packed snacks, gum candies, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried fast food, sauces, fizzy drinks, stored fruit juices, and noodles all come under the category of junk food. Any food that has been stored by adding preservatives to it comes under junk food. These food products are not only made a long time before their consumption but also have certain direct effects on our mind and body.
Some of the worst side effects of consuming junk food are:
1) Lack of Fresh Ingredients:
India is a land of freshly grown fruits, vegetables, and spices. All the food that we consume at home is cooked freshly from scratch whereas most food available in different food joints today is frozen and refried. The amount of unhealthy fat, sugar, and calories that junk food contains can make one feel bloated, drowsy, and easily tired. This affects one's ability to do certain physical and mental tasks which are usually very easy. When such food is consumed especially during growth stage of one’s mind and body it leads the mind to believe that we are not capable of doing certain tasks which others can easily perform making one feel lazy and under-confident.
2) Affects Sleep and Mental Health:
As mentioned in various books of Ayurveda and ancient scriptures "To acquire health and happiness one needs to lead a balanced life" With a dozen of chemicals and preservatives these junk food items cause issues like acidity, gas, and headache thus affecting one's sound sleep. A lot of people have a habit of consuming a bag of chips when they are working or awake in the night and that leads to them not having a sound sleep. A survey amongst 41 countries shows that people who consume junk daily are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety.
3) Effect on one's life span:
"Our body is what we eat", "Health is Wealth", these are some proverbs we have been taught as kids. If we see our grandparents and notice how fit they are we surely know that is only because of their simple meals. Their good health is because of the simple home-cooked food that they have consumed all their life and are still consuming. If one consumes greasy junk food daily it is obvious that the organs are going to get affected sooner or later resulting in a decrease in your life span
I decided to make use of Hannah’s old car, which has been living at mine for four months, in expectation of Dad and Linda coming to the UK and using it as their mode of transport. However, recent events have made that less certain, and the appeal of having wheels right now was very appealing to me - I have been getting very bored/lonely at times sitting in my flat, and this will allow me infinitely more freedom.
So I got it taxed and insured, but knew that it needed a jump after a period of inactivity. I researched a few items that I could use rather than make Hannah come all the way up with her jump leads, but none seemed comparatively cost-effective. So with her ever-present good grace, she got to mine at 10 o’clock and we set about jumping her old car with her new one. Neither of us had ever been in the position to perform this operation before, so we watched a Halfords video and followed the instructions as best we could.
Unfortunately, nothing happened, but Hannah had a moment of inspiration and remembered she still had an RAC membership for this car, so we called them out to help us. 90 minutes later a bright orange van rocked up, and a chap named Jamie diagnosed the battery as F.U.B.A.R. Upon fitting a new one, Jamie got the engine started and left with our thanks. I got in, released the handbrake, and made to reverse out of my space, but the car did not move.
Cursing ourselves for not making Jamie stick around until we actually checked the car could go anywhere (call-out rule #1), we got him back a little while later and he fixed the handbrake, which had effectively seized up after four months without use, staying ‘on’ even when the handbrake was released. He took it once around the block to check it, and the car finally had the all clear.
So, 6 hours later than advertised, we each set off in our own car for Louise and Aaron’s for Sunday lunch! Thankfully, we didn’t screw up proceedings too much, and had a lovely meal out in the garden, followed by the tiffin that I brought, chat and laughter, and a bit of football with Holly the Terrier (see below).
Bangalore is synonymous with coffee. The city's coffee lovers can't get enough of their strong dose of filter coffee every morning (mid-morning, afternoon and evening). Some like it in a hip cafe while others enjoy it on the sidewalk while catching up with their old friends and then there are some who like to wash their breakfast down with a strong one. Whichever one you are, you know Bangalore has your kind of coffee. Be it MTR's old Bangalore charm or Maiyas hustle and bustle, Matteo's with friends or Kaapi Katte for a quick refresher; there's character in Bangalore's coffee and you haven't experienced the city without experiencing its coffee.
Airlines Hotel
Where - Lavelle Road
When - 7 AM to 10 PM
Average cost for two - ₹400
What to order with coffee - Masala dosa, vada
Why - George Colambaris from Masterchef Australia ate here and loved it. That's not why you should eat here though. You should for the coffee. Milky, sweet and piping hot, this one can give any fancy cappuccino a run for its money. The sugar settles quietly at the bottom as the server brings it to you, so don't forget to give it a stir!
S N Refreshments
Where - J P Nagar
When - 8 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 7:30 PM
Average cost for two - ₹100
What to order with coffee - Idly chutney
Why - If you're a fan of the cool Bangalore breeze and good coffee, this is where you need to go. Away from the noisy main road, it is tucked in one of the lanes amidst lush greens. There's no indoor seating which makes it perfect to enjoy the weather while you sip on some coffee and dig into your soft idly with their amazing green chutney.
Third Wave Coffee Roasters
Where - Koramangala
When - 10 AM to 11 PM (Mon, Wed, Fri), 9 AM to 11 PM (Sat-Sun) (Closed on Tuesdays)
Average cost for two - ₹800
What to order with your coffee - Skillet cookie or waffles
Why - There's a new wave of coffee these days. Third Wave Coffee Roasters kind. They are making coffee cool and aspirational. Your favourite filter coffee may have some competition. A wide variety of some of the finest coffee you'll have along with tasty treats to go with it, this is a coffee lovers heaven.
The Flying Squirrel
Where - Koramangala
When - 11 AM to 11 PM (Mon-Fri), 9 AM to 11 PM (Sat-Sun)
Average cost for two - ₹900
What to order with coffee - Pulled pork sandwich
Why - Ever tried one of those nitro brew coffees? Well, you could at The Flying Squirrel. They've got organic coffee, Vietnamese style coffee, and various other kinds. With a cafe style menu, you can sit down for a coffee and finish with dessert. What's not to love about that?
Indian Coffee House
Where - Church Street
When - 8 AM to 8:30 PM
Average cost for two - ₹200
What to order with coffee - Scrambled eggs on toast
Why - This is a place that mostly old Bangaloreans would relate to. Indian Coffee House is an iconic cafe. One look at the servers and you'll know what we mean. They're warm and serve with a smile. It's ideal to spend an afternoon sipping on coffee in one of those old fashioned white cups and saucers. It'll take you right back to 90s' Bangalore.
By 2 Coffee
Where - Basavanagudi
When - 7 AM to 12 noon, 4 PM to 9:30 PM (Closed on Mondays)Average cost for two - ₹100
What to order with coffee - Idly chutney
Why - When you're low on cash and high on hunger, By 2 Coffee is the answer. An absolutely delicious plate of idly with their signature green chutney and a steaming tumbler of filter coffee that is worth going there for comes to you for about ₹28. You couldn't have a more satisfying start to your day!
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Where - MG Road
When - 9 AM to 11 PM
Average cost for two - ₹700
What to order with coffee - Almond cake
Why - Coffee date? May we suggest The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf? Even otherwise, you'd love this cozy set up of a coffee place in 1 MG Mall. Sometimes you just want that frothy cup of cappuccino with some cake on the side. And these people do a great coffee as well as cake.
Brahmin Tiffins & Coffee
Where - Jayanagar
When - 6:45 AM to 9 PM
Average cost for two - ₹100
What to order with coffee - Vada and chutney
Why - Another gem in Jayanagar with just about 6 dishes on the menu and of course, coffee. A strong cup of filter coffee with a vada so crisp you wouldn't hear anything else when you bite into it. Now that's a meal worth waiting in line for. Yes, you'll need to wait because it's almost always crowded!
Lavonne
Where - Domlur
When - 9 AM to 11 PM
Average cost for two - ₹300
What to order with coffee - Coconut and lime pie or macarons
Why - You thought Lavonne is just about sweet treats? Go back there and try some of their coffee. They have some amazing blends for you to choose from and quite a variety of options on how you can get your cup made. The sweet treats are a must have with your coffee.
Brahmin's Coffee Bar
Where - Basavanagudi
When - 6 AM to 12 noon, 3 PM to 7 PM (Closed on Sundays)
Average cost for two - ₹100
What to order with coffee - Idly chutey
Why - There's no list that can be made about coffee in Bangalore and not feature Brahmin's Coffee Bar. This is a legendary outlet which serves not only the best coffee but also the best idly with runny green chutney. And together they'll make your knees weak in happiness.
In today’s fast moving life losing weight is not an easy task to achieve and with the kind of bad weight loss information on the internet, it’s even self-doubting. Most of what is recommended make you question at its best and the other logical way are never explained accurately in a scientific manner. However losing weight naturally is the healthiest and safe method of weight loss. I have jotted down some of the simplest natural ways to lose weight but before that, you need to know something.
Weight loss and Fat loss are two different things, so when you are opting for a diet, say a natural one you should keep in mind that you need to consume good food to lose the fat from your body to convert it into muscles. So let’s begin with the healthiest natural weight loss method.
The key to weight loss is protein, as it is the king of nutrients. More the intake of protein in your diet the more your body will burn calories in the process of metabolism. It can even help you feel fuller and reduced your appetite. Vegetables, pulses and legumes, eggs, etc are some of these proteins.
Binge on Healthy snacks
Binging is an activity we even don’t release when we are actually doing it. If calculated 30% of the body fat increases through binging. So instead of chips and unhealthy fried snacks make a habit of eating raw food like carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, blueberries, hard-boiled egg, yogurt etc. Carry small Tiffin with you all the time so you don’t get tempted to eat fried food.
Liquid beverages
Coffee- Not many people know about this but unsweetened coffee is considered as a healthy beverage as it is loaded with antioxidants. Caffeinated coffee can help you boost your metabolic strength up to 4-10% and if you have a habit of dark coffee then even better.
Green tea- Alike to coffee green tea is also loaded with ample of antioxidants, which helps you burn fat a lot faster than any other weight loss medication. There are many types of green tea you can choose from.
Water- and then there’s water. It is been proven that drinking 0.5litires of water can help you burn about 23-30% calories in an hour after drinking. You can even drink water before meals so that it can help you cut the size of your meal and water helps your skin to stay healthy and glowing.
Oil
Now you might think how oil can help you lose weight, but we all use small amount of oil in our food. So coconut oil is the best you have as it helps boost metabolism due to its fat containing property. Coconut oil is not an addition to your diet but a replacement of the heavy oils you might be using.
Spices
Chilies like pepper and jalapeno contains capsaicin a compound which also boosts metabolism and burns fat at a very fast rate.
Fiber
and last but not the least fibers which may help you for fat loss. Especially water-soluble fiber like oats, vegetables, fruits, flax, etc are all fiber food. Water soluble food groups make your stomach expand and make you feel fuller.
Changing your lifestyle
There are many people who have ample of knowledge about what is healthy and what is not but they tend to live an unhealthy life just because they tend to return to old habits. Healthy is just not to lose weight but also to nourish your body.
Some Fast tips to remember during a Natural healthy diet
Avoid Processed Foods
Limit the Intake of Added Sugar
Avoid Liquid Calories or carbonated juices or drinks.
Avoid Refined Carbs
Smaller Plates leads to smaller portion
Eat More Slowly
Get Enough Sleep
Brush Your Teeth after Meals
Do Some Sort of Cardio and Exercises
Eat to become a healthier and happier person — not just to lose weigh!
Lockdown recipes, 200 plus recipes for lockdown to help decide what to cook during lockdown period with minimum dry ingredients.
I heard many of my known circle follower friends who work full time now during lockdown have turned to kitchen to prepare their own food, sancks etc. As they have more time to spend, interest in cooking have increased as well as the need to feed family with homemade food.
During this difficult times, we may be having limited source of fresh veggies or we use it scarcely. I thought I will share some recipes ideas that I already have in my blog but under this post.
Since we don’t eat outside food, make sure to satisfy kid’s cravings and also yours. Make their favorite food. Couples can also take turns to share their cooking works whenever possible. Just make sure to portion control what you eat and keep your meals balanced as working out also becomes challenge. This will help you to maintain a healthy waistline.
Please download and go through it and also share it with your friends too:
100-breakfast-dinner-ideas-by-RakskitchenDownload
50-lunch-recipes-by-RakskitchenDownload
60-snack-recipes-by-rakskitchenDownload
100 breakfast/ dinner recipes
Lunch lockdown recipes with grains, pulses and other long shelf life ingredients like root vegetables.
Skip onion, vegetables, coconut or other ingredients that are not available where ever needed in the below recipes. Green chilli can be replaced with Dry red chillies. Frozen vegetables/ fruits can be replaced for fresh.
Lockdown recipes for lunch with grains, pulses and other long shelf life ingredients like root vegetables
Skip onion, vegetables, coconut (use desiccated cocnut otherwise) or other ingredients that are not available where ever needed in the below recipes. Green chilli can be replaced with Dry red chillies. Frozen vegetables like peas, mix veg, frozzen methi, frozen spinach can be replaced for fresh.
The post Lockdown recipes, 200 plus recipes for lockdown appeared first on Raks Kitchen.
from Rak's Kitchen https://ift.tt/3bClDjj
https://ift.tt/33PYKWR
Lockdown recipes, 200 plus recipes for lockdown to help decide what to cook during lockdown period with minimum dry ingredients.
I heard many of my known circle follower friends who work full time now during lockdown have turned to kitchen to prepare their own food, sancks etc. As they have more time to spend, interest in cooking have increased as well as the need to feed family with homemade food.
During this difficult times, we may be having limited source of fresh veggies or we use it scarcely. I thought I will share some recipes ideas that I already have in my blog but under this post.
Since we don’t eat outside food, make sure to satisfy kid’s cravings and also yours. Make their favorite food. Couples can also take turns to share their cooking works whenever possible. Just make sure to portion control what you eat and keep your meals balanced as working out also becomes challenge. This will help you to maintain a healthy waistline.
Please download and go through it and also share it with your friends too:
100-breakfast-dinner-ideas-by-RakskitchenDownload
50-lunch-recipes-by-RakskitchenDownload
60-snack-recipes-by-rakskitchenDownload
100 breakfast/ dinner recipes
Lunch lockdown recipes with grains, pulses and other long shelf life ingredients like root vegetables.
Skip onion, vegetables, coconut or other ingredients that are not available where ever needed in the below recipes. Green chilli can be replaced with Dry red chillies. Frozen vegetables/ fruits can be replaced for fresh.
Lockdown recipes for lunch with grains, pulses and other long shelf life ingredients like root vegetables
Skip onion, vegetables, coconut (use desiccated cocnut otherwise) or other ingredients that are not available where ever needed in the below recipes. Green chilli can be replaced with Dry red chillies. Frozen vegetables like peas, mix veg, frozzen methi, frozen spinach can be replaced for fresh.
' oneness of the biggest impacts of my look happened four years ago. Ive always been an sensual lover, solely my life Ive cherished to adopt thread animals. When constantly we passed by kiss shop, I had to go in. One daylight I determined to look up some things roughly animals to extend my knowledge. I came across a website called PETA2, I watched their red and brutal videos or so fur, fast viands companies, how they torture and knock down animals. In that mo something snapped, and my ways of viewing things changed forever. I became really interested in animal cruelty, I saw movies and videos give care Meet Your M extinguish, Earthlings, and nutriment Inc. I went to a couple of events that PETA2 had sponsored, I started to read a couple a books active beingness a vegan and I saw how flatulent it could be to eat meat all the time.\nSince then spunk started to gross me out, I couldnt eat my captures meals without mentation about the despicable innocent animals . My mother realized what was exhalation on,she became unhinged. She decided talked to me about it, we came a end that I would exit a vegetarian for a month and if I succeed I would become a vegan. After we went to the nutrient store, my favorite, Trader Joes. They pass water a broad variety of vegan options and they involve a plaster cast that says VEGAN when its vegan. We bought a hooking of vegan / vegetarian entrees.\nAfter the month was over, I became a vegan. Which was one of the near hardest things Ive ever had to do. Not alone for me, but for my solid family. If I became a vegan, my whole family became a vegan. When i changed my diet, it pull out it hard for my florists chrysanthemum to cook things I could eat, and everyone would equal. Vegan food didnt tasting the same as regular food. soy milk was uncanny for me, I didnt like it at all. I would skip tiffin at shoal because there was no food I could eat. The first some months, I woolly-headed a cover of weight, I was underweight. I only weighed 90 pounds, the doctor was worried so she recommended I see a nutritionist to make sure it wa... '