A trip to Pune

I was looking for a hotel in Pune, somewhere that I would be able to get vegan food at least if not anything else (though tea was something I wished I could get, but I let that be for a while). So anyway with great trepidation I booked us into a hotel near the airport…called New Leaf. But I must say that they were a pleasant surprise. It’s a compact, decent, new property and their high point is their staff. A highly motivated, dedicated, caring, courteous and simple lot. Extremely helpful too. Their warmth is to be experienced, so I wouldn’t like to tell too much…Interiors are neat, functional and pleasant except for their bathrooms, which I personally found a bit too small. Food-wise, the chef was quite helpful and they did tweak the dishes to veganize them so it was a very nice stay I had there, except for one little mishap as my mother tripped right at the entrance and was in pain for most of the stay. But the caring attitude of the staff saw to it that she was well taken care of. It would be really great if someone from Pune went and spoke to them about veganism as they are quite open to introducing a vegan menu too!

http://www.newleafhotels.com/#/splash-page/

Getting the best out of your taste buds

Hi all,
I know its been a long time since I posted, but I was waiting for something worthy of being posted...! Got for you just the kind of knowledge that many of us would like to be armed with. The secret to get the best out of our taste buds..!

Did you ever experience that at one time you find a certain taste that is strong or sharp on the taste buds and the same taste is fine at other times...? Well, here is the secret revealed...:) ! Just check your oil intake. Your taste buds can experience very subtle tastes when you are consuming less of oil in your diet. The lesser your consumption of oil, the more the tastes are enhanced, therefore, even the most subtle of tastes is enhanced when you are specially on an oil-free diet, and when you return to oils...there, you guessed it.... and then the more your oil intake increases the more sharper tasting foods you want to have...The ability of the taste buds to do their job is inversely proportional with your oil consumption. Try it. It would be nice if you could share your experiences on this..TC.

More vegan home remedies for cold

Herbal cough syrup

This helps to slowly get rid of cough and strengthen the respiratory system. I have tested it time and again but do not expect instant results. So if u want to you may use lozenges for immediate relief alongside though not just before or after taking this.

Requires - 2 cups of water, 9 black peppercorns - crushed, a small bit of licorice- coarsely pounded, 1/2 tbsp of palm sugar, a small bit of dried ginger - coarsely pounded, 9 dried black currants, 1 dried fig, 1/4 tsp of aniseed

Put all the ingredients in water and boil until 1/2 cup remains.

Drink this just before going to bed and as hot as possible. Preferably do not take anything else after this. Take this for 9 or 11 days. If it is persistent then it can be taken for longer too as it has no side effects. But after about 11 days leave out the dry ginger and take the rest. In winter though, the dry ginger can be continued if the physical constitution does not have heat related issues. Dry ginger is beneficial in drying out phlegm, so if the cough has dried out then it is not required anymore. Taking it when it is not required can accumulate heat in the system and create problems arising out of excess heat, even in thick winters.

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Growing Alfa alfa at home

Hi, Vegans usually get their nutrition from so many different plant sources and alfa seeds are one such power packed source. I have been vegan now for more than 2 yrs and during this time there have been many instances when I have tried to get these seeds from the market. But they have either been out of stock or simply not available. So I decided to become independent and grow them myself. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I finally got success, so I decided to share it with all you friends out there. First of all here's what it looked like: The pods with the alfa seeds...

The flowers in full bloom....

Do-it-yourself - Soak a spoonful of the seeds overnight. Allow to sprout. Prepare a pot or a bed and sprinkle the sprouted seeds. More than 50% of the sprouts did not grow, so be prepared for that. It grows really long before you see some flowers on it. The stems need support. It is very easy to grow once you know how to start. But the one drawback is that you need to grow many plants to get just a few spoons of seeds!! Best to dedicate a corner of the garden to them so you will have just enough for your own need! I've decided to stock them up when I can get them as I sadly do not have the space to grow enough even for my own needs! Ciao to the alfa plants...!! Hope some of you out there can grow them yourself!

Winters - the vegan way

Delhi’s winters are quite famous for being freezing to the bone. Apart from clothing people adopt various methods to stay warm in these biting winters. Though non vegan methods are the more popular ones, there are many vegan methods to keep warm too. Read on to know more....
Let’s first take a look at Indian food...
Ajwain (carom seeds) – can be used in herbal tea, rotis, parathas, veggies, pulses, and any other conceivable manner.
Til (sesame seeds) – used in the form of gajjak, til patti, til laddu, apart from such sweet preparations, they are used in foods either as a paste to thicken gravies, or as whole seeds. Can be sprinkled over salads or tahini can be used as a salad dressing too. Find just any way to add them to the diet. They are supposed to provide heat to the body.
Gud (Jaggery) – I do not know how far it’s true that it gives heat to the system but in winters jaggery is consumed in large amounts. Many sweets are available from Diwali onwards which use gud as a sweetener. Those with a sweet tooth even finish off their meals with a piece of it!
Adrak or Sonth (Ginger or dry ginger) – Dry ginger is used particularly in side dishes or to add flavour to some desserts. Fresh ginger is added to almost everything ranging from herbal tea to adrak murabba (candied ginger).
Laung (Cloves) – a few of them thrown in a side dish gives it its sharp flavour. They can spice up even sweet dishes.
Dalchini (Cinnamon) – Widely used in winters from tea to desserts.
Jaiphal (Nutmeg) – This is supposed to be winter’s favourite spice! Provides heat to the system.
Javitri (Mace) – Derived from the same plant as nutmeg, the effects are similar though the flavours are different.
Moti Elaichi/Badi elaichi (Brown Cardamom) – Produces heat.
Pepper - gives that fiery bite to any dish
Saffron - a heat giving spice though with a mild aroma
Kachi Haldi (Fresh Turmeric) – Available fresh at this time of the year it keeps colds away.
Badam (Almonds)- widely used as a heat producing nut. I use it as almond milk.
Gondh (Edible gum) – Used in sweet preparations fried and mashed...good for the bones too.
Hari Mirch (Green Chillies) – The fiery green chilli is part of salad too apart from spicing up veggie dishes and parathas. Must be tried to know how it heats up the system!
Lal Mirch (Red chillies) – gets you sweating even in winters...!
Peanuts – High protein and energy-giving nuts.
Garlic – bite a raw clove and feel how it warms your insides...
Bajra millet, corn millet - high fibre and energy-rich grain...
All the seasonal fruits and vegetables are must eats. Especially the citrus fruits, as they help maintain the vitamin C levels and prevent attacks of colds, coughs etc. Green smoothies too are important.
Exercise –
Walks especially morning walks! Surprising? True, getting out in the morning is the best way to beat the cold.
Yoga is another way to do it........ The mudra called ling mudra is a heat generating yogic hand stance.
Method – Interlink your fingers to form a single fist from both your hands as in volleyball. Your right thumb should be the first of your fingers towards you and should encircle the left thumb. Hold the left thumb up erect and hold for a few minutes. Preferably sit erect while performing this mudra.
It is used to generate heat in the body. It also helps in cold, cough, sinusitis, asthma and to dry up phlegm. Increase fluid intake when using this mudra. (Ref. Yog Sadhna by Swami Ramdev)

Other tips – Spreading a shawl or a blanket on your cot before sleeping on it keeps you cosy throughout the night (Of course you would need to use your quilts or blankets to cover up too!)Enjoy the chill..!! Happy Winters!

Vegan Event on Oct 2nd

We are having a vegan event in Delhi on the 2nd of October. Follow the link below for details or copy paste the URL:

www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=268725546491734