Bitter gourd 3
Onion 1
Tomato 1/2
Chilli powder
Turmeric powder
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard leaves.
When it splutters add onion and fry for a while with few curry leaves until onion turns brown in colour.
Then add tomato and stir for a while.
Add then add the chopped bitter gourd and mix well.
Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Close with lid and allow it cook for 15 minutes. Then continue stirring every few minutes until the bitter gourd is cooked well.
Serve with rice as side dish.

Note:
To reduce the bitter in bittergourd, soak it in hot salt water for few minutes before cooking. This will reduce the bitterness. [This tip was given by my friend priya.]

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Cilantro is commonly known as coriander leaves which looks like parsley leaves. Cilantro has got strong flavour and aroma. It has also got many medicinal properties and also used in cooking. Prior to cooking it should be rinsed well. Can be easily grown at home in pot.
 

• It is a good source of dietary fiber.
• It is considered to have cholestrol reducing properties.
• It helps for easy digestion.
• It contains antibacterial properties.
• Coriander seeds has got medicinal properties. Its one of the main ingredient for preparing khasyam[herbal medicine].

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• Bitter gourd is the best medicine for diabetes. It is said drinking bitter gourd juice in the morning in empty stomach keeps diabetes in control.
• It is helpful for easy digestion and constipation.
• The juice from the leaves is also good to prevent and reducing cough and fever.
• It also purifies the blood.
• One of the well known medicinal value of bittergourd is that it kills germs in stomach.
• Bitter gourd juice helps to build our immune system in body.

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Ingredients:

• 4Potatoes cubed
• 1Onions                 
• 1Tomato               
• 3Green chilli       
• Urad dal
• Mustard seeds
• Ginger and garlic
• Cashews few
• Curry leaves  few
• Garam masala
• Turmeric
• Hing
• Salt

Method:

1. Boil the cubed potatoes in water with a pinch of turmeric.
2. Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seed. When it splutters add urad dal and hing.
3. Add onion and fry for a while with few curry leaves until the raw smells goes off.
4. Add finely chopped garlic and ginger.
5. Then add tomatoes and green chilli’s,turmeric powder and allow it cook for a while.
6.  Grind few cashews and 2 green chilli and add to it.
7. Now add potato, garam masala, 2 cups of water, salt and cook for about ten minutes.
8. Masala is done when it becomes thick and then garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve with chappathi or poori.

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• Keep a slice of cucumber on eyes for about half an hour and relax for a while. Even cucumber juice can be applied on the affected area.
• Potato juice can also be applied twice a day. It removes the darkness.
• Rose water acts as a good moisturizer. It can be applied all over the face before going to bed daily.Rose water is considered to be a natural coolant for the body and has been an old home remedy for generations.
• Drink 7 to 8 glasses of water and keep your body hydrated. Sometimes, there may be an excessive loss of water from the body, which could make your skin dry and dull.
• Use sun glasses when going out in sun to protect from harmful rays.
• Massage with almond oil twice a day around your eyes..
• Grind almond to a thick  paste mix it with milk and apply it  for 10 min. This slowly remove the darkness around the eyes.
• Eat well balanced diet. Dark circles can also be formed due to lack of healthy diet.
• Regular apply of tomato juice also reduces the dark circles.
• Make a paste of fresh mint leaves and mix with few drops of lime juice in it. Apply the mixture around the eyes for 10 to 15 minutes thrice a week. This will reduce the dark circles.

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•  Dry scalp occurs when there is a lack of moisture or natural oils on the scalp. Olive oil is best for dry scalps.
• It may also be due to infrequent shampooing of hair and not rinsing the hair properly. So wash and rinse hair several times in cold water. General preventive care for dandruff is to keep your scalp moistured well.
• Apply oil regularly and massage in circular motion. Heat oil and once it is warm apply it on hair and leave it on for 45 minutes and then wash off with warm water.
• Rinse hair thoroughly with mixture of vinegar and water so that there is no shampoo residue left in the scalp, because the shampoo residue itself will make the scalp dry and leads to itchness.
• One of the homemade shampoo is with fenufreek seeds. Soak it overnight and grind it to thick paste and use it as shampoo after oiling the hair. It gives moisture and good texture to hair.
• Neem leaf extract stimulates circulation to the scalp, promotes hair growth and thereby reducing the irritation of scalp. Rinsing with neem water treats drandruff and hair loss.
• Rinse hair thoroughly with mixture of vinegar and water so that there is no shampoo residue left in the scalp. As the shampoo residue will lead to itchness in scalp.
• Warm coconut oil and massage gently all over the scalp. Wrap a hot steamed towel over the head so that the oil gets absorbed. Leave it on for an hour. Then apply lemon juice on your scalp. Shampoo after 15 minutes.

Note: The warm oil softens the dandruff while lemon juice cleanses your scalp. Repeat it every 2 weeks unitl dandruff is completely gone.

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Ingredients:

• Carrot
• Potato
• Beans
• Cabbage
• Beetroot
• Tomato
• Garlic
• Wholeblackpepper
• Small onion

Method:

1. To a boiling water add the above vegetables.
2. Grind garlic, whole black pepper, small onion, cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaf to a coarse paste.
3. Mix the grounded paste to the boiling veagetables.
4. Once the vegetables have become soft, mash it. Add salt to your taste. Add 2 tspn lemon juice and bread cubes for extra flavour. Ready to serve.

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a soup recipe using spinach.

Ingredients:

• Opo squash / sorakai[in tamil] – 1
• Spinach 1 bunch
• Moong dal – 3tbspn
• Whole black pepper
• Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
• Tomato 2
• Green chilli 2
• Red chilli powder
• Garlic  – 3 pod
• Curry leaf

Method:

1. Clean the spinach in running water and chop them finely.
2.  To boiling water add tomato, garlic and moong dal.
3.  Meanwhile grind chopped spinach, opo squash, green chilli, black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaf to a coarse paste .  Add these to the boiled water and allow it cook in low flame for about 20 min.
4. Once done mash it nicely and finely add 1 tspn ghee.
5.  Add salt to your taste. Garnish with some pepper and ready to serve.

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 for garnishing foods. Its one of the handy herb to have in kitchen. In India, pudina leaves are used in vegetarian dish as well as in non-vegetarian dish. It adds flavour and aroma to the dish.

 Here are some useful tips using pudina leaves:

For Indigestion:

Mint leaves juice mixed with a tspn of lime juice and honey treats indigestion. They are largely used in medicine for stomach disorders.

Morning sickness:

Mix mint leaves juice with ginger juice and honey and have it twice a day.  This gets relief from morning sickness.

Mouth freshener:

It also acts as an excellent mouth freshner. Boil the mint leaves in water and allow it to cool for a while. Gargle  this water to get rid from bad breath.

Abdominal pain:

In a glass of milk add few mint leaves and bring it boil and drinking it after it gets warm. This gets relief from abdominal pain.

Mint leaves juice is applied to insect bite areas, so that it gets healed quickly.

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cold, flu, dry skin, dehydartion, dandruff, chapped lips and many more. To get rid of these here are some useful tips.

• Keep yourself well protected while you are out of your house.
• Its better to carry water bottle of your own for drinking. Using your own water bottle may avoid flu and cold. If you see any symptoms

            of cold with runny nose its better to do  steam inhaltion immiediately.

• To avoid dry scalps and itchy flakes apply oil regularly once a week and leave it for whole night. Wash it next day. Do not wash often which may lead to dry scalp and itchy flakes.
• Drinking lots of water will keep your skin healthy and hydrated. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits will keep you hydrated.
• Before going to bed apply some moisturize lotion all over your body for healthy soft and supple skin.
• If your lips are chapped and dry apply some ghee. This will soften your lips and avoids from chapping.

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