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Arts & Culture Lite Blogs

Traditional, tribal and vintage art

Upcoming artists from across the country: Deval Ambani (Bombay), Tanushree Sarkar and Rukhen Rawla (Calcutta)..reports Asian Lite News

The Affordable Art show is back with its third edition with a whole lot more to offer. Starting April 21, the showcase will include contemporary, traditional, tribal and vintage art.

What makes this show true to its name and even more special this year is the special bargain on art by master artists like Souza and Jamini Roy. The show lends itself as a platform for not only upcoming and promising city artists but also supports artists from the tribal communities of India.

Date: April 21 – 30

Time: Everyday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., except Mondays

Venue: Method Kalagodha

Shop at: https://baromarket.in/

The artist line up includes:

CONTEMPORARY: Gautam Bhatia, Sasha Sykes, Alberto Palini, Banoo Batliboi

Upcoming artists from across the country: Deval Ambani (Bombay), Tanushree Sarkar and Rukhen Rawla (Calcutta)

TRADITIONAL: Venkat Shyam (Gond) and Mahalakshmi (Mithila) doing a contemporary take on traditional styles

TRIBAL: Suresh Hegade (Warli), Lado Bai (Bhil), Jiyo (sourai)

VINTAGE: special curation of vintage pieces by The Blue Trunk and Beg Borrow Steal.

ALSO READ-‘Kochi Biennale is venue for global art exhibition’

Categories
Food

Delectable traditional German delights

It’s never too early to start preparing hearty meals for large family gatherings as the festiveseason draws near and to promote a love of cooking, good food, and thoughtful, ethical culinary practises. While the art of dining is a universal language that anybody can grasp, food unites people and transcends cultural boundaries.

Arthur Maurer, Founder of Meisterwurst India rustles up a host of delectable traditional German delights using the most popular varieties of our best Sausages, Bacon, Meatloaf, Cold cuts, Roasts, Tenderloins and more. Does any of this tempt you? Haben sie hunger?

Don’t wait to try creamy or piquant sauces, accompanied by buttery bread rolls, relishes, mashed/roast potatoes and ‘liquid gold’…pints of Bock Beer.

STREAKY BACON & CHILLI-PANEER STUFFED PARATHA

INGREDIENTS

34 Meisterwurst Streaky Bacon Rashers-Fried Crisp & Crumbled

100 g Paneer-Indian Cottage Cheese

12 (depending on Scoville scale heat & taste) – Green Chillies-Finely Minced

Red Chilly Powder

1/2 tsp Carrom Seads – Ajwain

1 tsp Garam Masala

1/3 Inch Piece Ginger

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Fenugreek Leaves-Dried

1 cup Fresh Coriander/Cilantro-Finely Chopped

For the Dough

500 g Whole Meal Flour or Atta

1 tsp Indian Ghee/Clarified Butter or regular Butter

Some Water for the Mixture

RECIPE

The Stuffing

Fry the Streaky Bacon Rashers to a crisp & crumble or dice up Mince or grate the Paneer

In a bowl add the Streaky Bacon, Paneer, Green Chillies & all Spices-Mix to combine-set aside

Paratha Making

Mix the paratha dough together & make 8-10 dough balls-on a platter sprinkle some dry flour/ atta for dusting

Take 2 balls at a time & roll out each into about 10 cm diameter thick discs-dusting as needed to prevent sticking

Take a spoonful/small ball of the stuffing mix & place onto one dough disc, spreading it a bit

Now take the second dough disc & place on top of the first with the mixture-press down along the edges tightly to seal the stuffing in

Dust the paratha with flour & gently roll out to about 18-20 cm in diameter-turning as required

Paratha Cooking

Heat on medium a ‘tava’ or any non-stick fry pan- drizzle a bit of ghee/butter-cook the paratha for a few seconds till it gets a nice golden-brown colour & small brownish spots start to appear

Turn over slowly so as not to break it-cook for an- other few seconds-smear the top with more ghee/butter

Remove & drain off any excess ghee/butter on a kitchen tissue. Repeat the process for the balance dough balls to make more parathas

The end is a deliciously crispy on-the-outside yet soft & tasteful on-the-inside paratha

Serve hot with a dollop of butter & a side serve of fresh Raita (Indian Yoghurt) or Green Chutney

Voila! Enjoy your Bacon & Chilli Paneer Stuffed Paratha with hot ‘chai’ or coffee.

Festive meals up in the air(IANSLIFE)

INDIAN-STYLE STREET FOOD INSPIRED ‘NAAN-PIZZA’ WITH PORK PEPPERONI SALAMI IN BUTTER MASALA

Ingredients

250-350 g Meisterwurst Pork pepperoni Salami- Slice Rounds cut into half

100 g Mixed Red & Green Bell Peppers-slivers

1 large red Onion-finely sliced

56 small / mini Garlic-Coriander Naans (Indian Flatbreads)-readily available

8 tbsp Bottled / Packaged Readymade Butter Masala Sauce-Chicken or Paneer-available online & in supermarkets

150 g Mozzarella Cheese-grated

1/2 cup Coriander (Cilantro) – finely chopped

1 cup Indian Raita (Chilled Yoghurt)

Olive Oil

Salt to taste

For the Yoghurt Raita

1 cup Fresh Yoghurt /Curd or Dahi

1/2 Onion-finely chopped

1/2cup Cucumber-peeled & finely chopped

12 Green Chillies-deseeded & chopped tiny

2 tbsp Fresh Coriander/Cilantro-finely chopped

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder-optional

Salt to Taste

Recipe

Preheat the Oven to Grill on medium-line a baking tray with aluminum foil-place the Pork Pepperoni Salami Slice Rounds that are halved, on- ions & bell peppers-drizzle with Olive oil

Grill for about 12-13 mins or until all items are cooked

Take out the readymade naans (Indian Flat- breads) from their packaging-spoon & spread the bottled / packaged readymade Butter Masala Sauce onto each naan generously-place on a separate baking tray

Portion the cooked mix of Pepperoni Salami, on- ions & peppers onto the naans-spread the Mozzarella shreds over each naan

Put the topped up naans back into the oven & grill for another 6-8 mins or until the cheese is melted & the naans are golden & crisp around the edges

Remove from the grill & cool so that it becomes easy to handle

Drizzle with the chilled & refreshing Raita- garnish with the chopped coriander & serve immediately

For the yoghurt raita

Chill the Yoghurt/Curd-add salt & cumin pow- der-whisk to a smooth consistency.

Add the chopped onions, green chillies, cucumber & coriander-Stir together gently.

ALSO READ-Navratri fasting special recipes to cook at home

Categories
Environment Lite Blogs

Traditional irrigation technique helps Kangra farmers

In fact, people from other development blocks, where there are no such water channels, are moving away from cultivation to embrace other forms of livelihood because of lack of irrigation facilities…writes Rohit Prashar

“Kuhls are the lifeline for us farmers. Our livelihood is entirely dependent on them. We’ve cherished them for generations and passed them on to our children as a legacy,” said Kulwant Singh, a farmer from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

Kuhls are a traditional system of irrigation usually maintained by the local community. They resemble small canals that carry water from a larger water body to the fields. Made usually of cement now, these channels transport water from the main kuhl to the villages and fields through smaller drains. Pucca or kachcha gates are constructed at intervals along their length to regulate the water flow. These gates are usually opened and closed on a predetermined schedule.

A vital part of the regional economy, the Tikhrul Kuhl here has been maintained by farmers from more than 150 villages for over a century. These are agriculturists from 12 panchayats in the Panchrukhi block of Kangra, the largest district of Himachal Pradesh. Running up to a length of 25km till Simbalkhola village, the canal has been irrigating about 10,000ha of land for over a 100 years.

Situated in the lap of the snow-capped Dhauladhars, Kangra district practised rain-fed farming till about 300 years ago, when the Katoch kings of the Trigarta kingdom introduced the kuhl system for irrigation and appointed a Kohli, a person responsible for the upkeep of kuhls. Thanks to the ready availability of water, the farming community of the region has been thriving economically. They can grow vegetables along with the traditional seasonal paddy and wheat cultivation.

Benefits galore

Kulwant Raj, a member of the Tikhrul Kuhl Management Committee, pointed out that with water from the kuhl, he grows seasonal vegetables that enables him to sustain his family. He said the villagers worked together to repair the kuhl every year to ensure that water was available for farming all through the year.

Vijay Lakshmi, a farmer from Simbalkhola panchayat, said this kuhl had earned her national recognition. Lakshmi had produced a record 41 quintal of high-quality wheat from 1ha of land, for which she was awarded the Krishi Karman Puraskar by the Union Minister for Agriculture.

However, the areas that do not benefit from kuhl irrigation present a very different picture. In fact, people from other development blocks, where there are no such water channels, are moving away from cultivation to embrace other forms of livelihood because of lack of irrigation facilities.

“Farming in our area is completely rain-fed. So we are able to cultivate mainly wheat and maize here,” said Rajendra Kumar, a farmer from Lambagaon, another block in Kangra. “We do not have a channel for water, so most young people prefer to move to other professions.”

On being asked whether they ever thought of implementing a similar irrigation plan, he said, “The channels have only been constructed in places where there’s a regular source of water. There’s no river or nullah anywhere near these areas, due to which no kuhls have been constructed here.

Similarly, Renu Kumari, a woman farmer from Pragpur block, also pointed out that they had ample cultivable land but no irrigation system in place, due to which they are unable to grow vegetables alongside traditional crops.

Upkeep and maintenance

Tikhrul Kuhl is 25km long and irrigates more than 10,000ha of land belonging to 8,000 farmers of Panchrukhi block. Water is transported from Aba Khad (ravine) near Banuri to a distance of 25km, covering more than 150 villages. As much as 80 per cent of this canal is concrete, while 5km is still kachcha.

The 12 panchayats of Kangra formed a 20-member committee to oversee the upkeep of Tikhrul kuhl. The committee meets every year to decide on the specifics of water distribution to its villages. The kohli, who’s responsible for the maintenance of the channel, and a representative of each village, then disseminates this information, after which every villager is bound to uphold the decision.

Moreover, one person from the village is present when the water is being released to their village, and to ensure that no damage is inflicted on the irrigation channel, the committee has laid down several rules. Anyone caught flouting them is fined Rs 500.

Devendra Kumar, the pradhan of Simbalkhola, said the panchayat and Jal Shakti Department draw up a budget to repair the kuhls. Delar Chand, who’s been looking after Tikhrul Kuhl for the past 22 years, said, “This kuhl is more than 100 years old, and we repair it every year. Before me, my father was responsible for it for 32 years.”

Sonika Gupta, block technology manager of the agriculture department in Panchrukhi, said the farmers here had preserved this old irrigation facility, which puts them at an advantage while cultivating crops like seasonal vegetables.

Furthermore, project director of Kangra in the department, Dr Shashi Pal Attri said that in many areas of the district, farmers had come together to protect the channels, which in turn made them prosperous. The government also makes a budget provision from time to time for the maintenance of these channels, which has assured the smooth functioning of the kuhls.

ALSO READ-Gunga village’s collective move to quench thirst

Categories
Health Lite Blogs

Restoring traditional remedies

The Ayurveda enthusiast says: Many healing remedies and herbs are present in our kitchen, but we are not aware of the real usage for the same…writes Siddhi Jain.

The pandemic has left a lasting impact on lifestyles across the country, including a reconnection with the Ayurvedic way of life. According to Swati Sutaria Vakharia, an entrepreneur who aims to bring back age-old ayurvedic remedies using Grandma’s ‘nuskha’ (tips and tricks) in people’s lifestyles, Indian grandparents had plenty of such recipes which worked well for our well-being and healthy upbringing.

With this pandemic, people recollected our roots and the power of Ayurveda. It is a 5,000-year-old asset and gift to India that our ancestors have given us, by using herbs and plants in recipes to live healthy with purity. With time we shifted to other chemical-based products due to comfortable packaging, accessibility and time. I think the ease of usage and convenience had a major role in shifting us to low-quality products, Swati told us while explaining the power of natural recipes.

“When we talked to our grandmothers, we heard about this and followed many such “Nuskhe” in our lives to get rid of the issues. Child, spread this ‘hing ka lep’ around your navel if you have a stomach ache, it will get cured in minutes. Apply turmeric with cream on your skin and it will glow. But in the current age, we are unable to get the right quality ingredients,” she adds.

In India, there are multiple cultures and religions, and every group has its own home remedies, she notes.

The Ayurveda enthusiast says: Many healing remedies and herbs are present in our kitchen, but we are not aware of the real usage for the same.

“Nuskha is willing to bring those age-old recipes into our lives again by manufacturing them in a lab with effective formulation and ingredients to heal with the power of Ayurveda! We are willing to modernise our ancient way of healing to take them back into our new-age lifestyle,” she says.

Nuskha has a range of products, including raw forest honey, ayurvedic and natural oral care kits. They also have a three-drop therapy for belly button oils.

ALSO READ-Ayurveda to shore up Universal Health Care

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