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A hot drink that will boost your health and hopefully will make your cough disappear!

So my family has been down with flu, cold, viral, sinus and other infections for the last 4 weeks, and I found a tiny steadily growing cough in my throat as well.

You have to know that I am a bit hypochondriac, and now I am scared to fall as ill as everybody else around me.

I am usually hesitant in taking antibiotics, and am trying out every home remedy before, unless antibiotics become the only way to get well again.

We have a friend staying over to support us in our misery until Christmas (or until we get well again before that), and she made us a drink today, which is one of her Nepali aunties favourite home remedies against a cold or cough: Basar Pani.

For 3 cups (200ml each) it will take about 15 min, and here is the way how to make it, and what’s inside:

• 700ml Water
• 1/2 tsp Tumeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• a pinch of Ajowan seeds
• 0.5cm ginger, crushed
• Juice from 1/2 Lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Add all ingredients with water into a pot, except Lemon and Salt.

Bring to boil and keep boiling with almost closed lid for about 10-15 min. If the Tumeric is of good quality, you will get a reddish colour. Wait until liquid has reduced by about 10-15%.

Filter liquid into three cups, and add Lemon juice and Salt as you like. I used about 1/3 lemon and a good pinch of Salt for my cup. Drink hot! Cheers!

When adding the lemon juice, the colour of the Besar Pani Drink turns back into yellow (or white if minor quality).

Drink at least once a day. (If you can)

And be aware of tumeric stains on your clothes. They will stay there forever.

Hello again! It has been one year, my life has gotten a new direction and I am keen to continue my blog. Today, I will introduce you to a dish I learned in Nepal. If you have a cold, if you are feeling weak, if the world is just a bit too much and your muscles ache, this dish will get you gently back on track. And it isn’t too complicated.

First of all, here is what you need to feed two human beings:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Basmati Rice

1/2 cup Split Mung Dal

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Ghee (if you like)

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

1-2 garlic toes, diced small

1 cm ginger julienned

handful Green Peas (if you like)

For the Masala, mix the following spices:

2/3 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

This is how it is done:

You can use a pressure pot, or a normal thick bottomed pot. The difference is the total cooking time. Pressure Pot needs two whistles and about 20min while it will take about 30min in the normal pot.

Wash Rice and Mung Dal and let it soak for a bit. In the meantime, cut onions, garlic, etc. and prepare the Masala Mix.

Heat the oil (and ghee) and add Cumin Seeds and Mustard Seeds. Wait until they crackle and add onions. Stir for about 3 min.

Add ginger and garlic, roast for 2 min then add Masala Mix. Stir for 1 minute.

Add drained rice and Mung dal, stir and fill up with 4 cups of water.

Add green peas and cover the pressure pot, and wait for two whistles, switching off the heat, letting it simmer for another 10 min before open.

With the normal pot, cook until rice and dal are soft. If needed add a bit more water.

Ready to be served. Enjoy!

Here we go, back to cook fish…. It has been a tough week, and I haven’t had the chance to prepare for an elaborate meal.

I believe though, that a delicious dish does not have to be elaborate all the time. So this is the reason why I will show you how to cook a quick and easy pasta with a mix of sardines and tuna. You need one can each, and of course, my favorite, olives and some more items to create a tasty everyday life dish:

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 400 g penne
• 1 can sardines in olive oil
• 1 can of tuna in olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 cup of olive, cut in 3
• 1/2 tbsp dried Rosemary or one fresh sprig
• 5 medium tomatoes diced
• 1 tbsp tomatoe paste
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 50 ml of red wine

(1) Open the cans, keeping the fish aside, pour the oil into a pan and start frying garlic, olives, chili flakes and rosemary for 5min on high heat.

(2) Pour in the red wine, mix well and let boil until wine has almost disappeared.

(3) Add Tomatoe paste and cook for a minute, setting heat to medium. Then add cut tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until tomatoes have mixed well and started to thicken.

(4) Add sardines and tuna and mix well. Lower the heat to 1/3, cover and let simmer for about 10min.

(5) Serve with penne. Done. Bon appetit!

Pictures will follow soon!