Sunday One Pot Recipe!

Just shared this quick and easy one pot recipe on my Facebook page. Do Check out!
https://www.facebook.com/bratatiblog/

Skincare | All About Exfoliating | DIY Scrubs

Who doesn’t want smooth and radiant skin?! No concealer, no foundation can give you the same perfect finish if the facial skin is not healthy. But somehow the natural glow of skin gets shadowed by the top or outer rough layer. The roughness is the result of day to day dirt deposits, dead skin & improper care which in turn makes the skin flaky. Beneath that dead skin layer lies the beautiful & shiny skin. Exfoliating is the key to clear this dead skin out enabling skin cells to grow. There are obviously high end options of Chemical Peel or microdermabrasion treatment. But investing a couple of minutes daily into skincare can go a long way in giving you back the same radiance and glow.

Exfoliating not only gives back the natural glow but also helps to get rid of nasty white and black heads. Blood circulation seems to also improve with that gentle massage we do while exfoliating. So, let’s see what all we can do about it J

There are so many good scrubs available in markets. Here are my 3 best face scrub picks from the low, medium and high price range which do quite an impressive job.

Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub: Clean & Clear being the most affordable and go-to brand have some great products in their basket. Their gentle scrub is quite good in removing dirt and clogged pores.

http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Clear-Action-Exfoliating-Scrub/dp/B0013UZFLA

Neutrogena Spot and Stress Control Scrub: Among the numerous scrub range Neutrogena has, this one is my favorite. The beads are not that rough but do an amazing job. I have used this every alternate day and this was not at all harsh on the skin.

http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Visibly-Clear-Stress-Control/dp/B00694YRYG/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1458651979&sr=1-1&keywords=neutrogena+spot+and+stress+control+scrub

Dermatologica Daily Microfoliant: This is bit on the higher end but is so good if you want something for daily use. As this contains micro exfoliating particles, it instantly clears the skin and removes any pigmentation.

http://www.amazon.com/Dermalogica-102254-Daily-Microfoliant-2-6-Ounce/dp/B000980PGM/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1458652007&sr=1-1&keywords=dermalogica

Image Source

Other than all these, we have exfoliating gloves & face exfoliators which can take your skin care to another level. For body, we have different loofas and brushes. Not to forget our very natural loofa which is called “Bhol-Choba” in Bengali. Not sure what it is called in English, I will just link the picture here. This is “the best” to be used with any body wash, trust me! We can also find this in many Beauty stores in the form of pads made out of it like Health & Glow, The Body Shop etc. The Body Shop also has an amazing Body Scrub in their Argan Oil range. Small particles in a gel like texture-superb product, love that!

Now that we know all the benefits of exfoliating and the different ways, let me share with you a very easy home-made scrub which can be used on face and body. Affordable & natural!

We need:

• Coconut Oil
• Sugar
• Some essential oil (optional)
• Organic Color (optional)

Take half a cup of Sugar. Add 5-6 heaped table spoon of coconut oil. The coconut oil quantity should be enough to hold the sugar well & not make a runny consistency. Increase or decrease to get the texture you want. Add 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil to it and any organic color. The color is purely optional, it will just give your scrub a more luxurious feel. That’s it, mix this & we are done. You can store it in an airtight container. Can be used to scrub your face or in shower as a body scrub. The fragrance of the essential oil will surely help you relax as you get the benefits of scrub. Lemon grass is my pick J

Take sugar which has bit small particles. This will ensure that the scrub is not harsh to your skin. And who can deny the benefits of coconut oil, probably one of the best things you can apply to your skin to lock the moisture back and condition it. I can probably write a separate blog post just on its benefits & the multiple ways coconut oil can be used. But in case you don’t like coconut oil, replace with Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil.

So this was my version of a homemade scrub. Another homemade scrub which I have learned from my mother is made with just milk & ground orange lentils (Musoor Daal). Coarse grind some Orange lentils or Musoor Daal and store in a jar. Whenever you want to use, just add some milk or curd to make a paste.

Don’t forget to moisturize every time after you scrub. This is mandatory!! If your skin is too sensitive, exfoliate once a week. If not do it 2-3 times a week. Be gentle as you massage. So, this was it- Go ahead & cleanse, tone, moisturize & scrub!

Be beautiful!

Add Green To Your Home | A Simple DIY

I had probably drafted this post one month back but never got a chance to actually edit and put this up on blog. At certain point, days are so hectic and motivation-less that we hardly can think anything beyond just office and home. We tend to ignore ourselves during the whole process and gets piled up with stress and anxiety. The easiest thing is to just give up and nothing can be worse than that. So here I am - all charged up again! The new post being "Green" themed is an apt one to go up on Saint Patrick's Day :)

Bangalore Memoirs!

It’s weird but I tend to stay away from people who do not like plants or flowers. I somehow find it difficult to believe that anyone can even dislike flowers or plants. I mean they are so very natural & beautiful, simple but never fail to cheer me up. For me, the idea of a perfect home lies in well ventilation which ensures enough natural light & lot of greens here & there. They are not only beautiful but add freshness and hint of nature inside your home. There is nothing like relaxing in a well maintained green balcony or a veranda, isn’t it? And when we don’t have that luxury of space & need to manage in small flats, indoor plants are a good option. Keeping plants inside home always changes the décor of the room, instantly style it up in a more natural way. I love small plants as well which can be put on a study or work table or can be used to brighten up any side table. And how can we forget about creepers, they are my favorite!

Something lovely about my Dusseldorf home.

To glam up small balcony

To top it up, plant holders are one of the easiest way to create a definite style at your home. Be it just to color coordinate the room or incorporate a blend of designs or just to pop up any corner. And we are spoiled with varieties of plant holders/pots nowadays & can be DIY’ed or recycled as well.

As I was staying in a one hall kitchen flat in Bangalore, I did not have the option of a balcony nor was I able to keep indoor plants. The space being too small and lack of ventilation always spoil the plants. We have to be more careful when we choose plants for such small space to make sure they are not harmful in anyway.

I then opted for the very versatile bamboo shoots which doesn’t need much care and can survive in almost any condition.  They are beautiful, easily available and can be decorated in n number of ways.

So, to tackle this I had made these holders which seemed to be liked by many. Hence sharing this very easy DIY.

What you need:

Some transparent cups/beakers

Shells/Colorful stones

Tough Rope/Coconut Rope

Bamboo shoots/any creepers

Process:

      Step 1:Take the rope and cut it into two halves. Make a wide knot with one half so as to fit the beaker inside.
Don’t tighten up now. As we will place the beaker inside the knot and then secure it to ensure that the rope can hold the beaker or cup.

Step 2:Now just at the opposite side of the first knot, tie the other half rope to support the beaker. The idea is to hold or hang the beaker with the ropes. You can do it any possible way, I find this way useful to keep the balance proper and ensure that the beakers do not toggle as we hang them up.

Step 3:Repeat the same steps for the other beakers keeping some distance. Make sure the knots are tight and strong enough to manage the weight of the beakers.     

                

     Step 4:Decorate them by arranging some shells or small stones at the bottom & then add water in each beaker.

      

     Step 5:Place bamboo shoots/creepers inside them. Hang them near windows or any corner. And you are done!Refill with water whenever you feel like its drying. 

Tip: These arrangement is so versatile that you can go creative and organize your other stuffs as well. For example, hang them by the side of your dressing table to hold your combs, make up brushes, liner pencils etc. or you can use them to beautifully arrange your artificial flowers.

This was one of the easiest DIY. There are so many other ways to recycle your unused stuffs and make beautiful plant holders. Stay tuned for such more ideas.

Healthy cooking | Snack recipe | Vegetable cutlets

I was one of those kids who never nagged for food. I see many mothers struggle to make their kids eat greens. I am someone who would always choose a veg platter over non-veg. That’s something very contrasting to being a Bong. A Bengali lunch is incomplete without fish or meat. Bong mothers’ prayers be like “Amar shontaan jeno thaake Maache-bhaate” which means “I wish my kids can always get rice and fish”. I do not have any disregard for fish or meat rather there are many favorite non-veg recipes which I swear by but there are certainly more favorites veg recipes which I can have daily. J

We all know the goodness of vegetables or why & how we should include more vegetables in our diet. But the problem with Indian cooking is we tend to overcook the vegetables which considerably decrease the nutrient value. On top of it the amount of oil & ghee we use. Myth is more oil is to more taste. For sure, there is much awareness among people nowadays. Supermarkets are bringing in more organic & super foods. But that’s restricted to big cities and price is always a factor. Although there are many who have already incorporated “Eating clean & healthy” in their lifestyle.

My efforts have been always to use the easily available resources but change the cooking style so as to keep the nutrient value intact. And trust me the taste is not hampered.

Today sharing one of such healthy yet tasty recipe –Vegetable Cutlets!

For this we need:

·         Vegetables of choice: Beetroot, Potato/Raw Banana, Carrots, Peas, Corn.
·         Chopped coriander
·         Chopped Green chilies
·         Ginger-garlic paste
·         Ground peanuts
·         Rolled toasted oats
·         Garam masala powder
·         Coriander powder
·         Amchur/Dry Mango powder
·         Wheat flour if required
·         Salt to taste
·         White Oil
·         Bread crumbs & Semolina

Method:

Cut the vegetables in to dices and steam till they are soft. Check with knife – it should easily slide in. Once done keep them on a tissue paper to dry up any water content and let it cool. Steaming will help the veggies to get soft and we can reduce the oil content thereby. Also this will ensure fast cooking later which means you got some points in your health scale. J

Once the veggies are cooled to room temperature, grate them in a mixing bowl. Add peas, corn, ground peanuts, chopped coriander & green chilies, half a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, dried masalas & salt. Mix everything. Check the binding at this point. We have potato/raw banana & ground peanuts – so it should help in binding. To tighten it up, add rolled toasted oats or little bit of wheat flour.

Mix everything again, check the salt. We should be able to give shape to the mixture and ensure it does not break while frying.

I have given heart shapes to my cutlets & have carefully rolled them over a mixture of semolina & bread crumbs. This give an awesome crunch to the coating.

Heat little oil in a flat pan preferably nonstick just enough not to burn the cutlets. Shallow fry the cutlets on medium flame. All the veggies are already cooked, so just fry them till you get a good crunchy coating on both sides. Serve it with your favorite ketchup.

Healthy tricks here:

ü   Incorporate steaming in your cooking – that will always cut down the cooking time & oil quantity.
ü  Avoid Maida or all-purpose flour for binding, use oats or wheat flour.
ü  Use non-stick pan – that considerably lessens the oil need.
ü  If you are cooking for kids, use this recipe to hide those veggies which usually they don’t want to eat. Just mix it with other veggies & give different shapes with a cookie cutter.

Be bold, be blessed!

BD.

Get New Skin this (New) Year | The Body Shop Oils of Life Review

Well it's already February, considering that we have still 11 months to cross- no harm to still call this as New Year to keep the zeal alive. This being my first beauty related post, wanted to pen down something which I actually tried & then give some genuine comments. The product I picked up today is not newly launched or something & there have been already many reviews on it. But there are times when you come across something & fall in love with that so much that you would like to spread out the information to everyone & give your honest comments - this is one of a kind, The Body Shop Oils of Life!

I have been a fan of The Body Shop products since long time but never thought I would invest on facial oil any day. Firstly, the fact that it's oil stopped me. I have a combination skin on face, T-zone is oily & I also gets dry spots. So, applying oil was never an option. Oil on body is still okay, but face? - A big No! I used to see one of my hostel senior applying olive oil every day on her face. She believed it gives her that glow & keep her skin healthy. She used to ignore the stickiness & just dealt with it. :o

Secondly, this is a higher range product. I love skin care but am not really in favor of randomly buying beauty stuffs & just piling up your dressing table. When I last visited The Body Shop, I picked up & just kept that on the same place. Instead bought some amazing body scrubs.

What convinced me to buy this product were the reviews that I saw afterwards. There has been a buzz recently with different brands launching their facial oils. I was like why not give a try & then see. Finally I ordered the product online & got it delivered in 2 days. 

Super excited me adored the packaging as it arrived. By now, you must be knowing that the oil comes in a small glass bottle which is having a bit ombré effect. Robust & leak proof, secured with a little dropper which allows to take out the desired amount of product without wastage- Beautiful!

The brand writes about the product as "OILS OF LIFE™ INTENSELY REVITALIZING FACIAL OIL-Give new life to your skin with our new collection infused with black cumin seed oil, rosehip seed oil and camellia seed oil, known for their supreme revitalizing and repairing properties on skin. This daily routine has been created to intensely revitalize skin, revive radiance and leave your skin feeling nourished." So, basically this is a combination of various oils which has their own beauty benefits & claims to be close to 100% pure. I had to do my part of research before I ordered the product. 

Black Cumin/Nigella Seeds

Black cumin seeds also known as Nigella seeds is often used in Indian food but never did I know its skin benefits. It tones the skin & prevents the skin from acne, allergies & other skin infections.

Rosehip

Rosehip seed oil has anti-ageing properties, takes care of the fine lines, moisturizes & protects from harmful UV rays. Camellia oil, also known as tea seed oil is the actual green tea oil. It has again Anti-Aging property & protects skin from free radical damage. Whoa! You are getting all these skin benefit from a single product.

As I started using this product, I realized the fact Oils do not necessarily mean oily. Our skin needs oil, if you don’t provide- it creates its own. It is always important to maintain that balance, blessed are those who already has a balanced skin. I need 2-3 drops of this product to apply all over my face & neck. It is not sticky or typically oil like texture. It is super light, bendable & skin absorbs very quickly. I love products which can be easily absorbed by skin, they make skin soft & you can see instant glow without making skin greasy. It has no such strong odor as such but I can somehow find a mild nice smell which I think to come from Nigella seeds. Because I only know the smell of Nigella seeds – so that was just a wild guess, duh!

You can use 2-3 drops of this oil & apply every day on your face morning & evening before you apply any cream or other products. I would say after you apply the oil, give some time like 2-3 mins & then apply other products. You can also mix one drop of this oil & mix with foundation when you are in hurry & want to do make up super fast.

Now, it has been more than 2 months that I am using this oil & I have loved this product to the core. I have not used any moisturizer since then. You can actually feel your skin getting softer & toned. You do not need much of the product, I have still quite a lot left after using every day. Also heard from 35+ women who have used this product & noticed amazing results in terms of reducing fine lines. So, in a nutshell-if you want a single product which can take care of your skin as a whole & nourish it, give this a try. This will be an investment for your skin even if you do not have major skin issues. Oils are good & when it comes from such amazing brand, your money is not wasted. Get new skin this New Year! J

Veg recipes: No onion-garlic | Mix Vegetables with Yellow Lentil

It's said if we incorporate Daal (Lentil) and Vegetables with Rice in a meal - we are enhancing the nutrient value multiple times balancing carb and proteins. This recipe is simple and complies by this thumb rule. Simple & healthy ingredients make this one of my go-to recipes for busy days. 

We need:

• Vegetables of your choice & Yellow Lentil or Moong Daal - I have taken Carrot, Cucumber, Radish, Potato. 
• Green Chilli: We won't be using any red chilli powder - so adjust green chilli as per the heat & taste. 
• Ginger - grated or finely chopped.
• Whole cumin seeds: 1 tea-spoon
• Whole red chillies: 1-2 
• Cloves: 1-2
• Turmeric & Coriander Powder
• Salt & Sugar to taste.
• Oil or Ghee: 1 tablespoon.

Process:

1. Dice up the vegetables - not that small. We want the vegetables to cook with daal & don't want them to get mushy in the process. 

2. Dry roast the Lentils in a pan till it gives a nice aroma. Take out and wash properly. Keep aside. 

3. Take a sauce pan or Kadai - add oil or ghee. Once heated, add whole red chillies, cloves & Cumin seeds. Let them splatter. Add half of the ginger at this point, quickly stir without burning it & add the chopped green chilli.

4. Saute & add vegetables. While adding the vegetables, keep in mind the time they take to cook. Like cucumber takes less time to cook so add them at the last. Leafy vegetables really don't go in this. Root vegetables, pumpkins, squashes, peas etc blend well & give the desired taste. 

5. Saute the veggies for 3-4 minutes so that they absorb the flavours from oil. Add salt, turmeric & coriander powder. Mix and put on lid. Let it cook for sometime in medium heat. The veggies will release water and will get soft meanwhile.

6. Once the veggies are half done & water is absorbed, add the lentils. Mix & add some water just enough to cook the lentils. The lentil should be cooked but should remain intact. We don't want a proper daal kind of texture. Add more water later if you want more gravy.

7. Put the flame on high. Add rest of the ginger now. This will give the required flavour. Avoid this if you don't like ginger much.

8. Once the whole thing comes to boil. Put on the lid again and let it cook on medium heat.

9. Check the lentil after sometime. It should be soft and cooked properly by now. Add little bit of sugar to balance all the spices. At this point add salt if needed. 

10. Serve with plain boiled rice with a dollop of ghee or butter.

I love this recipe for its humble flavours, it is also called Daal chetano sabji. No garlic no onion & not much spices used. I don't pressure cook this as I find it difficult to get the correct texture. All the vegetables and lentils should retain their shape but nicely cooked - that's best achieved in Kadai or a sauce pan. Happy cooking :)

Carry your Accessories in Style :) | Packing Hack!

I get super excited as I plan to travel but the level of excitement drops that fast as I think of packing my stuffs. Packing literally scares me and that fear can even make me cancel my trips. Believe me I am not exaggerating at all. My ‘this’ laziness has forced me to find out short cuts and easy hacks to pack & make everything hassle free.

I am fond of accessories and love to experiment with them to create new styles. Hence, I can never settle on a single piece & end up carrying a lot of them to keep my options open to decide according to the mood of the day later. N-number of accessories equals to n-number of accessory boxes & we cannot afford to dedicate this much of space either as we have still clothes to go in that bag, right? ;). And if you dare to carry them in a single box, you will get n-number of knots and tangles which takes ages to free, discoloration, scratches and what not! Beware, this activity can also result in breaking up your precious delicate pieces or scratches on those beautiful stonesL, Disgusting right? To tackle this, I have found an easy hack to carry all the accessories which gets tangled very easily.

Grab that versatile transparent plastic foil from your kitchen cabinets. Cut out and place some foil on a flat surface.

Line up all the accessories/jewelries over it keeping some gap in between them. Once done, place another foil of the same size and seal properly from everywhere. And you are done!

               

Roll it up, fold it up! All your accessories are safe & sealed, they will remain scratch free and tangle free & won’t even take up much space in your vanity.

This plastic foil is so versatile – you can even use them for sealing bottles or anything which you feel might leak. Travel in style! J