Dhanteras, which is the first day of Diwali , was celebrated yesterday ,on the thirteenth lunar day of the darrk fortnight, according to the Hindu calendar.Dhanvantari is worshipped on the occasion of Dhanvantari Trayodashi. Dhanvantari is considered to be the teacher of all physicians and the originator of Ayurveda. Although people buy gold and utensils on this day , but it traditionally associated with the provider of good health rather than wealth. God of Ayurveda Today is

Diwali or the festival of lights , always brings cheer, goodwill and happiness is everyone's lives.It is the homecoming of Lord Rama with Sita and Lakshman from exile after slaying the Demon king, Ravana . Goddess of wealth and prosperity , Lakshmi , is venerated during this festival. It is the festival of positivity, love and togetherness, victory of good over evil ,knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. Diyas or traditional earthern lamps are lit in every househo

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day..shall travel anywhere for breakfast ....so when I was asked to review the breakfast platter at Ayaam Elezz, I was looking forward to it . I had'nt really ever had a traditional Lebanese breakfast before and was definitely in for a surprise. At the Entrance .... The View Located at The Mall, at Jumeirah Beach road, at Umm Sequiem, Dubai which overlooks the Burj Al Arab and Jumeira Beach hotel, it offers traditional and authentic Leban

It is considered one of the most auspicious fasting cycles this year and has come after 16 years. The reason , the first day of navratri overlapped two days and so it gives us a chance to offer our prayers to the goddesses for one more day! As we prepare for Vijay Dashimi(or the victory of good over evil) , that is Dusshera , I conclude this fasting cycle with one of my favorite ingredients -Foxnuts , this time in a sweet dish , Kheer It delicious and very creamy owing its te

Siddhidatri the ninth form of Goddess Durga and is worshiped on the ninth day of Navaratri. Siddhidatri has supernatural healing powers,has four arms and is always in a blissful happy enchanting pose. 'Siddhi' means 'achievements' or 'perfection' and 'datri' means 'the one who gives'. So, when Maa Siddhidatri is revered by her devotees with full faith, then she blesses them with powers and positive energy. To celebrate the positive energy all around , I prepared Date and Fig

Today is the day when the beautiful Goddess Mahagauri is worshiped . According to a legend Maa Mahagauri liberated the world from evil forces, much needed in a world of today. Maa Mahagauri purifies the souls of Her devotees and removes all their sins. She has a calming effect on the lives of Her devotees and she also helps them improve their knowledge. To celebrate this day, I prepared a simple crumbled potatoes in a light tomato gravy with water chest nut flour fried bread

Holiday mornings are easy going and it's great to prepare something that is light and doesn't take too much time so today ,on the 7th day , I tried a sago or Sabudana khichdi to start off the day . To prepare : 1. Take 1 cup of sabudana or sago and soak in a bowl for 2 hrs . 2. Heat oil in a pan , add 1 tsp cumin seeds. When it starts to crackle add 3/4 cup of boiled and chopped potatoes, 1/2 cup roasted coarsely powdered peanuts , the sago /Sabudana,1 finely chopped green ch

Sashti is the sixth day of fasting according to the Hindu Calendar and is dedicated to the goddess who is the benefactor and protector of children . I remember my nanny who would keeps fasts during this period and sashti was very special to her . She was my protector and nurturer during my childhood and I dedicate this day and recipe to her . Thank you , Bua, as we lovingly call her .. This recipe is special because it is made with Amaranth , an ancient grain which has been c

I was a bit surprised when I read about how delicious cucumber fritters are .. have always associated cucumbers in a salad .. never in fritters.. but I decided to try it out .. The flour used is the water chestnut flour-Singhare ka atta , found in a desi store like Al Adil . To prepare : Take 1/2 cup of singhare ka atta or water chestnut flour. Add 1/2 a chopped green chili,1/2 tsp red chili powder,1/2 rock salt and 1/4 tsp corriander powder. Peel and slice cucumbers and keep

All those who are fasting can also snack sometimes with the highly nutritious very simple recipe of Aloo Makhana or Potatoes with foxnuts. Fox nuts are lotus flower’s seed. It is grown in water and is largely found in India and know as ‘Makhana’ here. Also found in Korea, Japan and Russia and known as ‘Gorgon Nut’ there. It is also known as Euryale Ferox. This is an Asian water plant and is mainly cultivated for its edible seeds which look like popcorn. It is highly nutriti