Mango Rice

Mango…mango and mango….I love mangoes…

I never tried mango rice recipe before. I cut the mango and ate a small piece it was too tart, so to I added grated carrot to balance the tartness to the sweetness of carrot. I was so happy because Shoj does not like anything which is too tart.

Ingredients:

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1 big raw mango

1 carrot

3 green Chilies

4 dry Red Chilies

1 sprig Curry leaves

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp Asafetida

½ tsp Mustard seeds

½ tsp Cumin seeds

¼ tsp Chana dal

½ tsp split Urad dal

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

2 cups Basmati rice (cooked)

Method:

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1. Peel and grate the mango and carrot.

2. In a pan add oil, add mustard seeds when the oil is hot.

 3. After the mustard sputters add cumin seeds,dry red chilies, chana dal, urad dal, and green chilies fry until the dal turns golden brown, add asafetida and curry leaves.

4.  Add the onions and fry them until golden brown.

5. Now add the grated mango and carrot, cover and cook until mango gets bit soft for about 5 mins. 

6. Add turmeric powder and salt and stir frequently for about 2 mins so that it does not gets mushy or stick to the bottom. (Note: the mango should not over cook as it will get mushy).

7. Off the flame and add the cooked rice and mix well.

8. Serve this rice hot.

Carrot Halwa / Gaajar ka Halwa

Today Mom and me made yummy yummy Gaajar Halwa. It turned out to be so delicious. I had the halwa with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream and roasted nuts. It was a mini sundae - Desi style.How did I make it? Well, here is the story behind its making..

Ingredients


Grated Carrots - 2 cups
Whole milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cashews - About 6-8
Clarified Butter/Ghee - 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Method

• Take a heavy bottomed pan and add the ghee/ clarified butter. Once the ghee is warm, add the grated carrots and stir it till the raw smell of the carrot is gone.
• In another pan, boil 2 cups of milk and allow it to boil till it reduces to half the volume.
• Add this reduced milk to the carrots and stir it well for another 5-6 minutes.
• Then add the sugar and mix it well.
• Keep stirring the mixture and take care that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• The halwa is done when the ghee starts leaving on the sides of the mixture.
• Add the cardamom powder and mix it well into the mixture.
• Take a tadka pan and add a little ghee to it and add the cashewnuts and roast them until golden brown.
• Garnish the Halwa with the roasted Cashews.

Solving Common Toilet Problems

Quick and Easy Toilet Repairs That Anyone Can Do!

Even if you’re less than handy when it comes to home plumbing repairs, the following toilet tricks are simple enough for you to tackle on your own.


Phantom Toilet Flushes:

If your toilet frequently refills spontaneously, as though somebody has just flushed it, you’ve got a phantom flush. No, your house probably isn’t haunted, but that sporadic running is caused by a slow leak from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. The problem is likely a bad flapper or flapper seat. To fix it, drain the toilet tank and the toilet bowl, and check the flapper. Clean the seat if necessary or replace the flapper mechanism if it appears cracked, worn or damaged. Flappers and flapper parts are available at any hardware store.


Toilet Bowl Emptying Too Slowly:

A weak flush, or a toilet bowl that empties too slowly, usually means the flush holes under the rim of the bowl are clogged. Using a curved piece of wire, gently poke each hole to clear away debris. A wire coat hanger works well for this, and you can use a small mirror to help you find the holes inside the toilet rim.


Ugly Toilet Clogs:

By far the most common—and frequently most unpleasant—toilet problem is a clog. To clear a clogged toilet drain, try a force-cup plunger instead of the standard type. A force-cup plunger has a small rubber extension at the bottom that fits into the bowl drain for better suction. Put the bulb into the drain and pump straight up and down with force. Slowly lift the handle and let some water in to see if the clog is cleared.

If you’ve got a really serious toilet clog, you may need something a little stronger than a plunger. Try a closet auger, which you can purchase at any home improvement or plumbing supply store. Insert the auger into the toilet drain and twist the handle as you push the rotor down. Be careful not to scratch the bowl.


Leaky Toilet Seals:

There are at least five seals on a standard toilet, and all of them can leak. Before you can fix it, you have to figure out which seal is leaking. The largest seal is between the toilet tank and the toilet bowl; if you’ve got a leak here, water will shoot out from under the tank every time the toilet is flushed. The smaller seals at the bolts that mount the toilet to the floor and the one at the base of the ballcock will cause smaller leaks. To replace one of these faulty seals, drain the water from the toilet tank first. Then simply take off the damaged seal and put on a new one. If you suspect a leak at one of the smaller seals, you might also try tightening the bolts or nuts; this can often stop a minor leak.

The fifth seal is the wax seal mounted underneath the base of the toilet. If this seal is damaged, you’ll have water leaking from the toilet onto the floor. This can cause the floor to rot, which means big trouble. If you simply caulk the seal without repairing the leak, water will be trapped under the base of the toilet, making the situation worse. You’ll have to remove the entire toilet and replace the wax seal. If you don’t feel up to it, this would be the time to call in a plumbing professional.



Related Plumbing and Toilet Information from Horizon Services...

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• How To Properly Use a Plunger to Unclog a Toilet, Sink or Tub
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