Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Tofu Stir Fry: Indian Style

Cubed fried tofu, stir fried with spices, chili powder, coriander leaves and ginger.
Tofu, the protein-packed ingredient made from soybeans, is suited for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. These days, it comes in different tyoes. from traditional blocks to sofu and even organic varieties (VEGETARIAN NASI LEMAK). 

For this Indian-style stir fry, firm tofu works best. Otherwise, tofu will crumble apart, unless you’re after a softer, scrambled texture.

NIVEA Rose Care Micellar Wash Gel with Organic Rose Water

Front view of NIVEA Rose Care Micellar Wash Gel tube featuring organic rose water
As a woman in my 60s, I’ve long avoided traditional face soaps and powder-based cleansers, regardless of how promising their ingredients sound. These products tend to strip my skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and tight - exactly the opposite of what mature skin, in need of moisture and hydration, requires. I usually stick with milk cleansers, but when I came across the NIVEA Rose Care Micellar Wash Gel with Organic Rose Water, I was intrigued enough to make an exception (WARDAH UV SHIELD ESSENTIAL GEL).

First Impressions
The packaging caught my eye immediately - a tube in a delicate pink shade with a convenient flip-top lid. Its simplicity and elegance appealed to me, but what really drew me in was the product description. This micellar wash gel promises to gently remove waterproof makeup and deeply cleanse the skin without drying it out, all while being infused with organic rose water. It also claims to purify the skin, control sebum, and leave it feeling moisturized for 24 hours (FOOT CREAMS: DRY SKIN & CRACKED HEELS).

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe: Italian Genoise

chocolate cake, made with cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, butter and flour.
This Easy Chocolate Cake: Italian Genoise is light, tender, slightly dense, and soft yet crumbly, all the way through a chocolaty delight. With just six simple ingredients, it’s amazing how such a minimalist recipe can create a cake that melts in your mouth (BUTTER CAKE). 

Baking this cake requires the boiler method, where eggs and sugar are whisked over simmering water until foamy, then whisked off the heat to reach the ribbon stage. Folding in the flour carefully is equally important.

 

Fold in one direction and avoid lumps to keep the cake airy and light (CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE). 

Warung Mak Dara Corner (Jalan Kebun): Taste of Malay Heritage

Warung Mak Dara corner main entrance with its signboard prominently displayed
Living just 10 minutes from Jalan Kebun via Kemuning Greenville, I’ve yet to explore the eateries in Jalan Kebun. However, being a true lover of Malay cuisine, I’ve already indulged in every Malay eatery within Kemuning Greenville, where Nava's Zen is located as well. This time, for a casual lunch with my dining companion, we decided to venture into Jalan Kebun. Though I initially had another spot in mind, my lunch partner suggested Warung Mak Dara Corner (Kampung Jln Kebun), and we arrived around 11:30 am on a Sunday.

Parking was a breeze - being both Sunday and an early lunch hour. By the time we arrived, a few patrons were already enjoying their meals. While they offer breakfast and noodle dishes (likely served later in the day), the main attraction for lunch is Nasi Campur.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Ghee Mutton Roast Recipe

Cooked with spices, ghee, curry leaves, and mixes spices curry paste, Ghee Mutton Roast.
A really thick-gravy South Indian mutton curry with a tadbit of masala around tender mutton. This popular Ghee Mutton Roast is cooked in ghee with aromatic spices for spiced-up flavour profile and aroma (MUTTON RENDANG). 

Though the name may sound exclusive, making this easy spicy mutton recipe is surprisingly simple. Using a pressure cooker helps tenderize the mutton quickly, and the rest follows easy, step-by-step cooking.

Sweet Lotus Seed Soup Recipe: Leng Chee Kang

A bowl of Chinese sweet dessert, made with lotus seeds, red dates, longan, bean curd sheet, rock sugar, pandan leaves and water.
A bowl of refreshing Chinese dessert, served hot, at room temperature, or chilled with ice. This healthy sweet lotus seed soup is nourishing and naturally sweet from dried Chinese ingredients, enhanced by fragrant Malaysian pandan leaves (TEA GOJI BERRY JELLY). 

Leng Chee Kang, also known as sweet lotus seed soup, can be found at Chinese dessert stalls in coffee shops or from roadside vendors. Each version may vary slightly, but the flavors are always comforting.

 

Making a homemade Leng Chee Kang recipe is simple and flexible, allowing you to adjust dried fruits and other ingredients to your taste. Instead of white sugar, this dessert typically uses rock sugar, cane sugar, or lump sugar (MOIST BANANA CHOCOLATE CAKE). 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Religionism & Mental Health in Selangor Hindus: Yoga Healing

Author

Abstract
This article explores the intricate interplay between religion, mental health, and the practice of yoga among Hindus in Selangor, Malaysia. While yoga is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition, serving as a pathway to self-awareness and spiritual growth, modern interpretations often distort its essence. The article examines how contemporary societal pressures, social media, and the emergence of self-proclaimed "yoga masters" contribute to a disconnection from the authentic teachings of yoga. 

It highlights the importance of grounding practices in spirituality and the need for individuals to navigate their faith with humility and authenticity. By emphasizing yoga's role as a healing practice, the article advocates for a mindful approach to spirituality that fosters mental well-being and a deeper connection to one's cultural heritage.

Monday, October 7, 2024

Vegetable Pulao Recipe

A bowl of rice dish, made from spices, green chilies, saffron, nuts, dark raisins, green peas, coriander leaves and coconut milk.
Vegetable biryani and vegetable pulao are both flavorful rice dishes, yet they differ. Biryani is layered and cooked slowly for a bold, spicy taste, while pulao is cooked in one pot, giving it a milder, comforting flavor. Biryani is popular in India, Pakistan, and the Middle East, whereas pulao is across South Asia as a home-style dish (VEGETABLE BIRYANI). 

Both use fresh vegetables and aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf, often with onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic.

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Prawn Curry Laksa

Thin rice noodles with thick spicy coconut milk prawn curry gravy, prawns, green chilies, red chilies and lime wedge.

One of the most enticing Prawn Curry Laksa, sure to trigger your appetite. Also known as curry mee, it’s purely prawn-based with room for your own twist (VEGETARIAN CURRY MEE). 

 

The flavor comes from a simple prawn stock: lightly fry prawn heads, add water, simmer, and strain. The rempah paste or homemade laksa paste combines dried red chillies, fish powder, and belacan (shrimp paste) to lift the taste.

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Things to Do in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Indian lady lifting a red scarf behind her neck at the brown sand, sand dunes, during sunset in Dubai Safari.

Dubai, a world-famous cosmopolitan city in the United Arab Emirates, amazes visitors with its wide six-lane roads, modern highways, and towering skyscrapers. This busy city is home to people from many ethnic backgrounds, including locals, foreign workers from various industries, and numerous tourists. 


Dubai offers a mix of modern and traditional attractions, making it a top destination for things to do in Dubai. While it is not a cheap city for travelers, Dubai International Airport (DXB) serves as a major transit hub, connecting flights to cities across the globe (WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE ITALY).

Friday, October 4, 2024

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Wheat rolled noodles, with vegetarian soup, straw mushrooms, salad leaves and dried wolfberries.
A complete, wholesome meal. Chinese-style vegetarian noodle soup that’s easy and delicious. What makes a vegetarian noodle (VEGETARIAN CURRY MEE) soup, or any vegetarian soup, stand out? The stock.

Use a homemade vegetable stock made from onions, carrots, celery, and herbs, or store-bought stock - granules, cubes, or ready-made. For how to make vegetable broth or stock, click these links: Vegetable Stock and Vegetable Broth, from our YouTube channel.

 

Some dried wolfberries added to the stock bring natural sweetness and health benefits. The vegetables are simple. Straw mushrooms and salad leaves, but you can add more of your choice.

Foot Creams Review: Dry Skin & Cracked Heels

Lady showing her foot, highlighting areas needing care
How are your feet doing? Mine have already become rough, tough, and full of character, with lines and wrinkles forming a natural pattern. Honestly, I don't mind the wrinkling - people rarely notice my feet. Well, maybe they do when I’m conducting yoga sessions, but even then, I embrace the lines and wrinkles. What I do struggle with, though, is the rough, dry skin. At times, I can feel the skin flaking under my fingers. Being an urban gardener and taking care of household chores that involve frequent contact with water makes this almost inevitable.

The real concern for me is if the dry, flaky skin will start peeling and expose raw skin underneath  -  thankfully, that hasn’t happened yet. For some, dry feet can lead to cracked heels, which can be quite painful. Once the cracks deepen, they can bleed, making every step excruciating. Luckily, this hasn’t been my issue, but I’m always mindful of it.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Semperit Cookies Recipe: Biskut Dahlia

Long square cookies, made with custard flour, corn flour, butter, egg yolk and sugar, colorful sugar sprinkles atop.
Whether baked as long stripes or shaped like Dahlia flowers, these are yellow golden custard cookies that melt in the mouth. Some call them Kuih Semperit or Kuih Dahlia. They are Malay heritage traditional cookies (PINEAPPLE TARTS). 

The crumbly texture comes from corn flour and custard flour. Visually appealing and a delight to eat. Still popular for Hari Raya festive seasons, along with other Malay cookies.

 

The difference in making these custard cookies lies in the mould. Use either the stringent like metal long mould or a flower-shaped cookie cutter. Otherwise, the ingredients are the same (BUTTER COOKIES).

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Singapore Laksa

A bowl of rice noodles, with coconut milk spiced thick fish gravy, pineapple, cucumber, red chilies and red onion.
Coconut milk, homemade spice paste, fish stock, and fish pieces, all lifted by the aroma of Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum). This is the vibrant, absolutely delicious laksa.

Is there much difference between Malaysian Laksa and Singapore Laksa? Not really. Some ingredients are the same, while others vary slightly. This laksa is also a blend of Asam Laksa and Curry Laksa.

 

The recipe is simple, with no lengthy ingredients list. It’s all about convenient home cooking. Unlike hawker stalls, food courts, or restaurants, it can be easily replicated at home -affordable, straightforward, and fuss-free (PRAWN MEE).

Cempedak Goreng Recipe

Crispy batter and black sesame seeds coated cempedak, with yellow orange fruit inside.
Crunchy outer batter coating, and soft, yellow-orange cempedak fruit inside. For Malaysians, or even those in Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, cempedak needs no introduction. But for the rest of the world? Cempedak is a tropical fruit, similar to jackfruit, and can be eaten fresh. It’s especially delicious when fried as a snack or sweet dessert (KUIH KASWI RECIPE). 

Cleaning cempedak can be messy due to its sticky sap, like jackfruit. Sometimes it’s easiest to buy from fruit traders who have already prepared the fruit.

Wardah UV Shield Essential Gel Sunscreen

Front view of Wardah UV Shield Essential Gel Sunscreen tube showcasing its packaging
How many of you actively defend your skin against the sun? It's crucial to acknowledge that indoor lighting, as well as the light from laptops and smartphones, emits rays that can harm your skin. Today, I want to focus specifically on facial skin.

Neglecting to shield your skin from sun exposure and indoor light sources can lead to several adverse consequences:

Accelerated Skin Aging
Prolonged exposure to UV rays can result in fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.

Increased Risk of Skin Cancers
UV radiation can damage the DNA in skin cells, raising the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma.

Skin Inflammation
The blue light emitted from electronic devices is linked to various skin issues, potentially causing inflammation and contributing to conditions like acne and pigmentation disorders.

5 Top Mindfulness Tips

In the 21st century, mindfulness has become more than just a buzzword. It’s a popular concept, possibly even ranking among the most searche...