Healthy Mixed Salad

Summer is on so as usual I try to cut down my time in kitchen by including some raw vegetables into the diet. It is good to control the appetite and healthy too.

Vegetables for salad to be washed thoroughly, peeled (wherever necesssary) and used. You can even blanch them for 5 minutes in hot salted water. Because while eating raw salads, we should be very careful about the parasites.

Salads with variety of dressings changes its taste & make it more interesting.

starting with sharing with you a simple mix veg salad

1. Grated beetroot - 2 tbsp
2. Shredded cabbage - 1 tbsp
3. Grated carrot - 1 tbsp
4. French beans - 2 tbsp
5. Lemon juice
6. Pepper
7. Salt to taste

1. Parboil the french beans after cutting it into 1" pieces
2. In a bowl, put all the above ingridients, parboiled french beans and mix well.

• You can crush some basil leaves to it before serving. (optional)
•  As per your preference you can alter the combinations by adding or reducing the mixing quantity.

Harichampa / Manoranjitham / Artabotrys hexapetalus

Manoranjitham (Hari Champa) is a very incredible frgrant flower with a fruity smell.  Known as 'Harichampa' in Hindi, Botanical name Artabotrys hexapetalus.

It was in abundant in my aunt's home once upon a time. As there were snakes in the garden especially cobras, no one went  near to pluck one except bold elderly ladies. I don't know what connection the snake & the flower has exactly but I thought as it looked more like a semi tree-creeper than a plant, it offered cool shade & good cover which might have attracted the snakes.

It is a green colour flower which turns yellow when becomes old, finally falls down. 

During one of my walk in the recent days in the community garden, I was surprised when a cool breeze brought me a faint smell of the flower ,I thought it could be due to a flash of memory but another puff of air confirmed that I am not dreaming........which made me stare at each and every vegetation i came across my walk. Finally identified the birth place of the aromatic flower. There were 7 such plants planted near  the fence on one side. Luckily, I could spot the green flower hanging from one tip though it has camaouflaged itself very well.  

Soon I was lost into my childhood days at my aunt's place where went  for holidays. It was a rare flower for a city dweller like me to see and feel its fragrance. I was so happy to find one so near me and I was so happy as if I have met one of my old friend (yes, it is!) after 25 years .

I spotted a bench near the first one and seated myself........back into my nostalgic world, .............. I like them to be on plants as I know it will have more life in it than in my hands.

Four days after that, I again went to the park for my evening walk and saw the green flower has turned yellow. During my last round of walk a I saw the flower on the bed of grass under the plant.

Like how I feel refreshed with the smell it is making many noses & souls happy and that plant has found some meaning in its life by making others happy and I am still trying to find mine......

I am back :-)

I was away for sometime from the blogging world and felt as if I totally lost in touch with my dear blog pals. Hurt my eyes badly and was only having partial vision. But now I regained my 100% vision back and so happy to join you all again. Missed you all and your lovely blog posts. Will try to catch up the missed posts slowly as I am not suppposed to strain my eyes for some more days.

Hope you all had a nice new year / ugadi / tamizh puthandu naal.May the new year bring you lot of happiness, prosperity, health & bonding to you and your family.

See you all actively from tomorrow.