IT Chandigarh

Fennel is the dried aromatic ripe fruit of herbaceous plant. Throughout Asia and Europe fennel fruits or seeds are used and in India, fennel is used in food, medicine, liquor and perfume. India exports substantial quantities of fennel to USA, Singapore, UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Japan in a variety of forms including seed, powder and volatile oils. I remember when I was a child, my mother use to give me roasted saunf in winters as it’s said to provide warmth to the body.

Saunf has an excellent effect on our digestive system as it helps to control nausea, vomiting, indigestion, abdomen pain, piles and dysentery. The recipe of Saufiyan bharwan tangri is a favourite, and I’m sure you’ll relish the taste too Saufiyan Bharwan Tangri.

(Stuffed leg of Chicken with flavour of Fennel)

Ingredients
Chicken tangri (Drumstick); 500 gms
1st marination
Salt to taste, lime juice; 4 ml, fennel (saunf); 10 gms, yellow chilli powder; 3 gms, red chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli powder); 3 gms, ginger garlic paste; 3 gms, cumin powder; 5 gms
2nd marination
Hung curd; 80 gms, yellow chilli powder; 4 gms, turmeric powder; 3 gms, jeera powder; 2 gms, garam masala powder; 3 gms, red chilli powder; gms
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His robust personality cannot be contained in a room; I can hear Jiggs Kalra even before I enter Jamavar, the restaurant at The Leela, for which he has designed the current Awadh Food Festival. Based in Delhi, the celebrated gastronome, author and food consultant, with his team of chefs, keeps busy developing dishes and creating restaurant concepts for some of the best hotels in the country, like the Hyatt and the Oberoi.

Wearing a cap that says ‘Jiggs’, J Indersingh Kalra even gives me a nickname as I introduce myself. He then apologises for not standing up to greet a lady; he’s been on a wheelchair since a stroke eight years ago.

“I’m the most outrageous flirt, after my guru Khushwant Singh,” he guffaws and I can only imagine how the spirit, that is so alive in a wheel chair, would have been outside of it. “I may be living in Delhi now, but having spent 25 years in this city. I’m a Mumbaiyya at heart,” says the man who counts Indigo, Kandahar at The Oberoi and Delhi Darbar as his favourite Mumbai restaurants.

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The Indian art of over-stuffing guests isn’t dying anytime soon

I Consider myself healthy. I recently checked my BMI and the gym instructor approved. I haven’t flipped through old issues of Health in a doctor’s waiting room in a while. Apart from a few headaches and sore throats, things have been good. But if my grandmother had her way, I would be on a stretcher with a drip. Her argument — I do not allow ghee on my rotis, I pull away my plate every time she tries to pile it and most important, my shoulder blades are visible. A healthy person from a self-respecting Punjabi family should have flesh visible, not bones.

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So having lived with this definition of ‘healthy’, life’s been one gastronomic journey of over-
indulgence for me, guests at my home included. It’s an Indian tradition to treat guests as gods, right? If you’ve ever attended a puja at any Indian home and seen the lavish spread offered as bhog to a statue, it’s not hard to imagine what a living, breathing, chewing and swallowing person will be offered.
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French photographer redefines the sanctified trees on Indian landscape

Trees have always been revered in Indian tradition. Peepal, Banyan and Neem are the three sacred trees, which are worshiped in temples alongwith the Hindu deities. And when sometimes these grow just anywhere — be it busy streets, or in empty spaces, they are given equal importance. Some are linked to mystical myths and some are valued for they had sheltered meditating saints under it.

What modern artist would create an installation as exciting and captivating as these trees-turned-shrine in our vicinity. A look at the gigantic photographs by a French woman Deidi Von Schaewen will reaffirm this statement. An exhibition of life-size photographs by this artist portray a close-up view of the sacred life that thrives under Indian trees. Decked up their ritualistic paraphernalia, these tree are just a normal sight for us but for a foreigner eye it stood out like a magnificent piece of art. Truly they are magnificent and these pictures just give us a visual reason to celebrate our cultural uniqueness.

Most of the pictures are shot in South India but since it exists everywhere in India they don’t have any particular topographical identity. The photographs hung around the wall of Rock Garden show us interesting glimpses of some trunks that are accompanied by curious elements, sometimes bicycles casually placed around, langoors picnicking, people sleeping et all.
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Designers Aparna and Norden Wangdi gave a sneak peek into their line for the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week at the trendy restobar Chakraas at Hotel Samrat . While the inspiration of most designers has been esoteric — from Russian abstractionists to Turkish pottery — the Wangdis are spurred by rag dolls. “Our collection ‘Back to Nevernever land’ is a magical journey through childhood,” said Norden. The two, who have been around for a while are known for their eclectic silhouettes and peppy stylisation and in this collection too, there’s a reflection of that. There is a profusion of colours — from dazzling oranges to muted whites. With prints of rag dolls with vacant smiles on skirts, multi-layered dresses, trousers and overskirts, the collection has a relaxed, childlike feel that evokes a hint of nostalgia.

Source: Express News Service

‘Opri Hawa’ is a story of an editor of a newspaper, whose life saw a mixture of crests and troughs on attaining immediate power and authority. A collection of twelve short stories in Punjabi, the book is written by Ripudaman Singh Roop and was released by RS Cheema, former Advocate General of Punjab.

Ripudaman, a retired lecturer from Education Department, Punjab and a practicing lawyer has taken the subjects of his stories from the living of a common man ranging from social evils, condition of working class, treacherous politicians, bribery et al.

Having started his literary career in 1979 with ‘Dil Di Agg’, he never looked back and has to his credit Bahane Bahane, Badmash, Rani Rutt et al.

A staunch follower of communism, Ripudaman says, “Communist parties in India are a scattered lot. They should join hands and work for the betterment of despondent political condition of India.”

“We should go by Karl Marx’s philosophy that working class all over the world should get together. Mingling of views from various spheres will certainly lead to an enhanced and efficient social order,” he signs off.

Source: Express News Service

When Mercedes Benz hit the market of Punjab region way back in 1994, little did anyone know that the state will have one of the highest concentrations of this luxurious car in the country. With about 1,400 Mercedes already sold in India this year so far, Daimler Chrysler has introduced its new CL-class series in the Indian market. Imported from Germany the car has established an Indian connection over the years and so has Dr Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO of Daimler Chrysler India. Hailing from Germany, Aulbur met his wife, who was born and brought up in Chennai, in US. “I tried to learn Tamil from my wife but couldn’t go far,” quips Aulbur.

A physicist, Aulbur studied in France, Germany and the US and has been working with Daimler Chrysler since 1999. He shares, “I first came to India in 1994 and then I handled the research and engineering wing of the company in Bangalore in 2001-02. I went back to Germany as the Chief of staff. But it was in 2005 that I was promoted as the MD and CEO of Daimler Chrysler India.”
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A R Rahman reveals what tempts and challenges him to churn out mines of tunes

Two things one must know about A R Rahman: Don’t push him to talk and don’t utter ‘Kollywood’ within his earshot unless you want to irritate him.

When I made this mistake, I was promptly corrected. “It’s not Kollywood. It’s the south Indian film industry. Remember that,” says Rahman, with eyebrows raised.

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At the release of friend Hariharan’s album, Waqt Par Bolna, on Wednesday, the young maestro was unusually forthcoming in articulating his love for music. “I am a musician. All these years, I have learnt to talk about my music with as much fervour as I create it with. You will never hear me preach it, there is simply no need,” says Rahman. But there is a need to constantly challenge his musical sensibilities, to create a unique melody for every new storyboard, admits the shy wizard of sound. That must be a continuous process considering that there are quite a few new and exciting projects in his kitty right now.
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Curd’s great for all seasons and reasons

Live and kicking, yoghurt is in the news, for on the shelves is a brand-new probiotic dahi, which promises more spoonfuls of good health than ever before. For the uninitiated, probiotics are dietary supplements which have beneficial bacteria. “To this curd, additional friendly bacteria, cultured ones to be precise, are added for more health,’’ explains Manju Mathur, Chief Dietician, GMCH, Sector 32. Probiotics, according to nutritionists, are referred for they strike a balance between good and bad bacteria and can be introduced into the digestive system through foods like yoghurt and are important for we are susceptible to many digestive disorders, because of our eating habits, stress, drinking et al. Plain curd, which is partially digested, adds Manju, is a great option for those who are allergic to milk, and is easily digestible too. “It’s a real good food to have, for it does wonders to your intestines,’’ the doc assures. Nods, Dr Arun Kochhar, Interventional Cardiologist, Fortis, who doesn’t understand the hype surrounding the ‘new’ curd, for he feels Indians have been enjoying the benefits of curd for ages now and he feels one dahi is not different from the other. Extremely beneficial for the intestines, curd helps restore the good bacteria, which are lost in gastro-intestinal diseases and diarrhoea, “these live bacteria or microorganisms are taken orally for health benefits and also help improve the immune system, preventing the bad bacteria and toxins from coming inside, serving a good barrier function,’’ the doc recommends skim milk dahi to his heart patients as well.
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Diana Tholoor demands equality for special children

“Integration of special students into the society is very important. A visually impaired child can be better at studies than a physically equipped child,” says Diana Tholoor, a theater person and founder of the Chrysallis. Chrysallis is an NGO, which aims at integrating children with and without challenges.

Diana has been running this campaign for the last eight years and has about 5,000 children participating in performing activities related to sports, music, theater, dance et all. In town for an exhibition of posters made by the special children at Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Foundation, Sector 30, Tholoor informs that there are three categories of special children — mentally challenged, visually impaired or deaf and physically challenged. “Out of these three categories, barring the first one, it is easy to integrate others in the society. I find no reason to ignore them,” she states, emphasising that both normal and blind students attempt the same question paper during the board examination.

“The only difference is in the way they are taught. If the orientation in class rooms is improved, the physically challenged students too can study at par with the normal children,” she states, adding that we need to understand that these children are a part of our society and should be treated accordingly. “If groomed properly they can create wonders. We need to empathies with them rather than sympathies,” she signs off.

Source: Express News Service