The Santoor is essentially a stringed instrument, having its origin in the Vedic times, during which it was referred to as a veena of the forests. Extensively associated with Kashmir and its heavenly valleys, the origins of santoor also lie in Kashmir.. ..The lilting sound, the tingling tone of the strings, lithely strummed brings out the musical wonder in every listener… This instrument was made of strings of the munja grass, and was called the vana veena, or the veena of the forests in ancient times and was played using strikers. The santoor as one understands today is largely the result of the innovations and changes of brought about in the Soofiana instrument by Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. I love to hear the divine sound of santoor. Its so spiritual… Some music instruments are very popular ..while some are rarely heard… but they all have their own place in Rhythm n Raga….

Hi…

This article is about hair problem. Nowadays every 2nd person has a hair problem… may it be of hair fall, fuzzy hair, split ends, etc… of these one of the major problem is HAIR FALL…. In market you will find so many products claiming reduction in hair fall etc… and we get lure to this advertisement also.. we keep trying and tasting products ….but i feel or rather my way of treating to this problem is Ayurveda. With the help of some domestic things you can actually find not more but little solution… and you don’t have to search out anywhere cause u’ll get those things from home…

Friends, here are some of the trials you can do …(for a change….)

* Add 6-8 drops of lemon juice to an egg. Beat well and apply on your hair followed by washing with a herbal shampoo.

* Use a very mild shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week. Make sure to rinse out the conditioner thoroughly. You can use discount coupons to buy shampoo online.

* Amla, shikaki powder mixed with curd is a good conditioner and should be made use of.

* Massaging with aroma oils once a week reduces hairfall and makes them soft and silky. Rosemary oil and titri oil can also be used.

*Mix curd, lemon and mustard oil, apply gently on hair and wash your head after about half an hour.

*Take amla (100gm), shikaki (100gm), brahmi booti (10gm), shilajit (1/2 gm), anaarchhilka (20gm), bhringraj (10 gm). Soak them overnight in  an iron utensil. Blend and

make a paste. Apply well into the scalp. Keep it for 1-2 hours and wash it off with warm water.

* The oil from the amla, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil, is a hair tonic for enriching hair growth and prevent hair loss.

* Use lavender or lemon shampoo if your hair are oily and if dry, use titri oil or rosemary shampoo too.

* Rinse hair with lemon juice or vinegar.

* Soak a towel in hot water and squeeze lightly. Cover your hair with this for 10 minutes and do try this for almost a week.

* Squeezed lemons can be soaked overnight and the water can then be used to clean the hair.

* Dry peels of lemon and oranges should be used. This will maintain soft and silky hair and also removes dandruff from the scalp.

* Two tablespoons of fenugreek (methi) seeds soaked overnight in water. The softened seeds should be grounded into a fine paste in the morning and applied over the scalp &    left for half an hour and then washed thoroughly. This is highly affective to remove dandruff.

* Mustard oil boiled with heena (mehndi) leaves is useful for the healthy growth of hair.

These are some of the home remedies one can try…. with patience …but along with this, most important is, Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily and have a high protein diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Take care !!!!

Hi….

Here is yummy aloo kofta … not ordinary …its Shahi Aloo Kofta…

The ingredients are for 4-5 persons

For Koftas :

• 1/2 Cup. Boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup Besan (Gram flour)
• 1 tbsp. chopped cashews (Kaju)
• 1 tbsp. Kishmish (golden raisins)
• 1/4 cup  yogurt (dahi), hung
• 1/4 cup mava
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• Red chili powder to taste

For Gravy :

• 2 medium size onions
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup scraped coconut
• 3/4 cup yogurt (dahi), beaten
• 3-4 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• salt to taste
• Red chilli powder to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tsp. coriander powder
• Gram masala powder to garnish
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander

Preparation:

• Roast khoya in a heavy pan till golden in colour. Now add besan and roast.
• In a bowl add this roasted mixture and add mashed potatoes, hung yogurt, chopped cashews, raisins, salt and red chili powder and mix well.
• Heat Oil in a deep pan for frying the koftas. In the meantime, Form the mixture into balls. On a medium flame, deep-fry these balls till golden. Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside.  (if u want u can taste one kofta….but only one otherwise u’ll keep eating them as they are so rich in taste …mouth melting…)
• Now, in a blender add onions, ginger, garlic and coconut and make a smooth paste.
• For gravy, heat 3-4 tbsp. oil in a pan and add the paste and saute till golden brown. Now add turmeric powder, corriander powder and red chilli powder. sprinkle little water. saute for a few seconds  and yogurt and salt and sugar. Keep stirring. Once the masala starts leaving oil add one cup of water and stir well till it starts to boil.
• Simmer and let it cook till gravy is little thick or of desired consistency.
• Just before eating, place the fried koftas in a serving dish and pour the hot gravy over and serve immediately garnished with garam masala powder and chopped coriander.    You can have this shahi kofta with paratha, roti…. but best suited with naan….  enjoy !!!!