Nasi Briyani
A world-renowned Indian dish, biryani takes time and practice to make but is worth every bit of the effort. Long-grained rice (like basmati) flavoured with exotic spices such as saffron is layered with lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables cooked in a thick gravy. The dish is then covered, its lid sealed on with dough and the biryani is cooked on a low flame.
Method:
For the rice:
1. Heat the ghee in a pot or preferably a rice cooker.
2. Add and sauté onions till golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cinamon, cloves and cardamom. Sauté well.
3. Next, add the tomato puree and stir briefly. Also add the carrot and pandan leaf.
4. After cooking for one minute, add the pre-measured water and bring to a boil. Also add salt.
5. Add the rice, stir and bring back to a simmer.
6. Next, add the evaporated milk. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on low heat, till water runs dry. (OR Till your rice cooker goes to the ‘warm’ setting’).
7. Fluff up the rice with a fork.
8. (If using Rice Cooker – TURN OFF the Rice Cooker – do not keep on warm setting or the bottom layer of rice will become crisp).
9. Remove the rice to a serving platter and sprinkle the Kewra Essence evenly through out the hot, fluffed rice.
10. Also add the yellow food coloring, if using and toss so that you gets specks of yellow throughout the rice. This is commonly used here, but it may be omitted. You can also substitute for saffron soaked in hot milk to give you natural yellow coloring.
For the Chicken/Mutton:
1. Rinse the chicken ( or mutton) well and keep drained.
2. Add the ingredients ‘For the Marinade’, and rub well into the chicken. Allow to sit for ½ an hour or so while you prepare other ingredients.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the pieces of marinated chicken to fry lightly on both sides. (We do not want to cook the chicken, just to get the outer flesh light golden. This helps to lock in the flavors keep the chicken moist while cooking.)
4. Set aside chicken and strain the oil from the pan.
5. Heat some of the strained oil again. Add onions, garlic and sauté till softened.
6. Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper powder, turmeric powder and pandan leaves. Stir till aromatic.
7. Add chicken (or mutton) and stir-fry for a few minutes.
8. For chicken: Add 1- 1 1/2 cups of water and cook, covered for 10-15 minutes on low over medium heat.
9. For mutton: Add enough water to cover the mutton and cook, covered for 30-35 minutes on low over medium heat.
10. Add on top of rice and serve.
11. You may garnish with some fried golden raisins, cashews and fresh chopped coriander/cilantro.
Ingredient
Amount
Ingredient
Amount
Chicken or Mutton:
1.5 kg
salt
1 tsp
Basmati rice/ long grained rice:
4 cups
small lime
½ teaspoon of lime juice
ghee
4 rounded Tbsp
oil
1 cup
onions Sliced
2 medium
Sliced onions
4 medium
garlic, minced
4 cloves
Garlic, minced
1 ½ tbsp
ginger, chopped finely
1 Tbsp
Ginger, Minced
1 ½ tbsp
cinnamon sticks
½ Tbsp
Cardamom pods
1 tbsp
cloves
½ Tbsp
Cinnamon sticks
½ tbsp
cardamom pods
1 Tbsp
Cloves
½ tbsp
tomato puree
2 tsp
Pepper poweder
1 tsp
grated carrot
¹⁄8 – ¼ cup
Tumeric powder
¾ tsp
pandan leaf/screw pine
4 leaves
Fennel powder
¾ tsp
water
5 cups
Pandan Leaves(Knotted)
4
evaporated milk
1 cup
Coriander powder
1 ½ – 2 tsp
Salt
3- 3½ tsp
Chilli powder
1 ½ tsp
Kewra Essence (or pandan essence)
1 tsp or more
Golden Sultanas/Raisins, Cashews
Optional: as needed
garlic
1 entire bulb
chopped fresh cilantro/ coriander leaves
½ cup
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is also known as lipids that are found in our blood . While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells, having high cholesterol may cause higher chances risk of heart disease.
If you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits makes it harder for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart won’t get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which will increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain and can cause a stroke.
When seeing a doctor….
Ask your doctor if you should have a cholesterol test. Recommend the age for the screening vary .If your result are not within the normal range , doctor may suggest to have more frequent tests If you have a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease or other risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure.
Causes:
Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. You may have heard of many different types of cholesterol such as Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and High – density lipoprotein ( HDL). Low – density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol transports cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL). High – density lipoprotein ( HDL )cholesterol picks up cholesterol and takes it back to your liver.
Factors within your control — such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet — contribute to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Factors beyond your control may play a role too. For example, your genetic makeup may keep cells from removing LDL cholesterol from your blood efficiently or cause your liver to produce too much cholesterol.
Risk factors
• Poor diet. Eating saturated fat, found in animal products, and trans fats, found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, can raise your cholesterol level. Foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, will also increase your total cholesterol.
•
Obesity. Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol. Large waist circumference. Your risk increases if you are a man with a waist circumference of at least 40 inches (102 centimeters) or a woman with a waist circumference of at least 35 inches (89 centimeters).
Lack of exercise. Exercise helps boost your body's HDL, or "good," cholesterol while increasing the size of the particles that make up your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, which makes it less harmful.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking ruin the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower your level of High – density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
• Diabetes. High blood sugar hand out to higher LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also ruin the lining of your arteries.
Complications
• Development of atherosclerosis
High cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, a dangerous addiction of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of your arteries. These deposits (plaques) can cut down blood flow through your arteries, which can cause complications, such as: chest pain , Heart attack and stroke .
• Chest pain.
If the arteries that accumulate your heart with blood (coronary arteries) are affected, you may have chest pain (angina) and other symptoms of coronary artery disease.
• If plaques tear or rupture, a blood clot may form at the plaque-rupture site — blocking the flow of blood or breaking free and plugging an artery downstream. If blood flow to part of your heart stops, you'll have a heart attack.
Stroke.
• Similar to a heart attack, if blood flow to part of your brain is blocked by a blood clot, a stroke occurs.
Prevention
• Eat a low-salt diet that includes many fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Limit the amount of animal fats and use good fats in moderation
• Lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weightk
• Quit smoking
• Exercise on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Side Effects of Eating Fatty Foods
• Gas
• Bloating
• Acid reflux
• heartburn
• risk for heart disease
Hypertension
Definition
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg but hypertension is higher than 140/90 mmHg. Hypertension can lead to several complication and it increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and death.
Pathophysiology
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the blood vessels. The pressure depends on the work being done by the heart and resistance of blood vessels. Blood pressure is determined by cardiac output, peripheral vascular resistance, the ability of the vessels to stretch, the viscosity of the blood, and the amount of circulating blood volume.
Risk Factors
• Age : Hypertension is more common in people of age 60 years old and above
• Alcohol and Tobacco use : Smoking and alcohol intake can increase a person blood pressure. Smoking damages the lining of your artery walls and drinking alcohol damages your heart.
• Lack of Physical Activities : People who are inactive tend to have a higher heart rate
• Obesity : The more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues
• Salt-rich diet associated with processed and fatty foods : This causes fluid retention which increases your blood pressure
Symptoms of Hypertension
• Blood pressure exceeding 140/90 mmHg
• Sweating
• Anxiety
• Severe headache
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Chest pains
Complications
Hypertension can eventually lead to
• Heart Failure or Heart Attacks
• Aneurysm – An abnormal bulge in the wall of artery that can burst, causing severe bleeding
• Kidney Failure
• Stroke
• Amputation
• Hypertensive retinopathies in the eyes which can lead to blindness
Treatment and care
• Losing weight if you are obese
• Quitting smoking
• Eating a healthy diet which includes eating more fruits, vegetables, low fait dairy products and less saturated and total fat
• Exercising regularly
Types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure:
• Diuretics
• Beta-Blockers
• Alpha-blockers
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers
Hyperlipidemia
Definition
Hyperlipidemia is a term used to describe high levels of fats in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides. Having hyperlipidemia increases the risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, stroke and other problems.
Pathophysiology
Causes
Foods that have a high level of saturated and trans fat raises blood cholesterol level. These includes
• Cheese
• Egg Yolks
• Fried and processed foods
• Ice-cream
• Pastries
• Red meat
Other causes of hyperlipidemia includes
• Family History
• Lack of physical exercise
• Age
Symptoms
• Angina
• Skin deposits fats or xanthomas
• Blockage of blood vessels in brain or heart
• Swelling of organs such as liver, spleen or pancreas
Diagnosis
Taking a blood test that measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides at least once every 5 years. Those with family history of hyperlipidemia and risk factors may need to be screened for frequently.
Treatment
• Lifestyle changes, including eating a diet that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol
• Weight loss is the most effective way to lower triglyceride levels
• Quitting smoking and exercising may raise the level of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
• Taking medications that are specially designed to reduce blood cholesterol levels such as bile acid sequestrants, statins and niacins