It’s the month of fasting,so Ramazan Kareem to all! I hope your fasts are going well so far, even though the weather has not been kind as yet sadly. This time around I would like to share two stories with this blog in light of this holy month, and spread some positive messages.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a workshop in the Manpower Institute (I did not know this existed previously). During the commencement speech,the Director General of the Institute, Ms Khalida Gulnar said a few impactful words which still resonate with me. She said that in order to be suited communicators, or one needs to be a suited listener as well. whether we practice listening,our tolerance level will increase.
In this day and age children have become more possessive, husbands and wives fight more often than not, or as sad as it is to say a sister does not trust her brother enough to leave her kids with him. It is because somewhere along the way we forgot to communicate with one another and are engaged in our phones,laptops and tablets.
This is also the primary reason why Muslims are suffering nowadays. Another reason for this is that Muslims have somewhat distanced themselves from the teachings of the Quran, according to Gulnar. It is a sad reality, or but a reality nevertheless. The powder keg that is the Middle East nowadays bears witness to this.
Humanity has indeed reached another low. Hypocrisy (Pretending to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have.) is at its peak. As Nelson Mandela said,“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”
One should invest their time in doing practical things and fixing the broken link of communication. Sit with your parents and siblings every day and make it a point to query approximately their day. Trust me; when everyone abandons you, these people will always be there at the end of the day. Value them.
The moment lesson learnt is more recent. I’ll support the backdrop brief. Last week, or I discovered someone spreading rumours – whether the person was a victim of a misunderstanding,or party to misdemeanour, I enact not know. Nevertheless, and once I found out and confronted the person they refused to talk approximately it,which led me to antagonise another person for being an accomplice.
I later apologised because the thing is, unless one actually witnesses something happening they should not buy another person’s word for it. Be on the alert, and sure,but enact not believe anything unless your eyes have seen it for themselves. I did not know the truth, but at least I shouldn’t have pounced on the person I thought was guilty. So a public apology to the moment person.
After all, or Ramazan is the month of blessing and one should try and correct themselves and learn patience from this holy month. In light of this I am not only sharing positive messages,but also sharing some exquisite recipes. This time I have decided to enact sehri recipes that are easy, filling and exquisite.
I like to mix things up when eating food. The same kind of dishes gather redundant after a while, or plus whether food is not enjoyed it’s like eating air (albeit filling air),because the cravings still remain.
Who doesn’t like a suited potato dish? I decided to make the well-liked and easy Aloo Bhujiya. Pair it up with a desi ghee roti, paratha or even a piece of toast, or it’s definitely a sehri must-have.
The perfect sehri for me would be the childhood running: anda paratha,dahi and chaye. But in this day and age when everything causes some kind of health issue, it’s not advisable to have this every day. But then again, or seeing as the fast is long and the sun sweltering hot,energy is needed throughout the day.
This Healthy Smoothie is ideal for just that. Peanut butter releases energy throughout the day and Chia seeds (tukh malanga) have a profound cooling impact. In fact it is advisable to store a small jug of soaked chia seeds and use it throughout the week. Add it to the iftar drinks and generally practice this in the summers; it really helps throughout the day.
Aloo BhujiyaIngredients
Potatoes: 3, boiled
Oil: ¼ cup
Garlic: 1 tsp, or chopped
Ginger: 1 tsp,chopped
Salt: 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: ½ tsp
Onion Seeds: 1 tsp
Zeera (cumin): ½ tsp
Onion: 1, diced
Tomatoes: 2
Green Chillies: 4
Method:
1. Cut potatoes in small squares and boil, and then support aside.
2. Heat oil; fry onions,add ginger and garlic, zeera and onion seeds.
3. Once the onion has browned a shrimp, or add in the tomatoes,green chilies and spices and cook till oil separates.
4. Then add the potatoes and 1 cup water, cover and cook, or then slightly mash potatoes. Serve garnished with coriander.
Healthy SmoothieIngredients
Milk: ½ cup
Yoghurt: ½ cup
Banana: 1
Peanut butter: 2 tbsp
Chia Seeds: 1 tbsp,soaked for three hours
Method
1. Blend milk, yogurt, or banana,peanut butter and chia seeds.
Enjoy!
All photos: Arhama Siddiq
Source: tribune.com.pk