Food
Ramadan Iftar Ideas: Healthy foods, drinks to break your fast
Ramadan iftar refers to the end of fasting. The fasting starts through Sehri before the rising of the sun. With the sun going down, families, and friends typically gather together to break the fast with various items of food. However, you need to break your fast with some healthy foods and drinks as it’s the meal that refills the energy of your body after fasting almost 12 to 16 consecutive hours of the day. Now, how to plan your meal at Iftar after Ramadan fasting? Stay with us to get some tips.
What to Eat or Drink for a Healthy Iftar during Ramadan
Here are some ideas for a fulfilling iftar for you and your family. These foods and drinks will keep you nourished and healthy.
Liquids
After the daylong fasting, you need to drink plenty of fluids like water, freshly squeezed juice, or milk. It is important to prevent your body from dehydration. Liquids will provide your body with the essential fluids it needs.
Water is the best source of hydration. So, drink one to two glasses of water before your meal but make sure you don’t drink water during your meal because it will delay your digestion process. However, don’t take too many drinks or syrup with sugar.
Read: Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan
Dates
Traditionally, people start their iftar with dates. Dates are a nutritious burst of natural sugar that fuels your body with essential energy instantly. Dates can give you enough nutrition.
People who suffer from bad headaches during the fasting hours, most likely caused by low blood sugar, are recommended to begin their iftar with 2 dates to replenish their sugar levels.
Soups
Don’t forget to keep soups in your iftar menus. Souls help you hydrate as they are the source of water. You can take lentil, tomato, or vegetable soup but try to avoid cream-based soup. In the summer season, you may not enjoy warm soup, in this case, you can take cold soups.
Read Ready for Ramadan? How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting?
Vegetables
Vegetables have vitamins, minerals, and fiber and they help to provide you with various nutrients but few calories. Remember that if your salad or vegetables are more colorful, they have more health benefits.
Eating vegetables or salad helps you to eat less of your main dish. They will give you fullness. So, make sure you take at least 2 servings of vegetables per meal. From one serving you will get equal to 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice or 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables.
Good Carbs
Make sure your iftar meal contains a source of carbohydrates, preferably complex like brown rice, whole grain pasta or bread, potatoes, or burghul. If you take complex carbs, they will provide a more stable and sustainable source of energy in addition to fiber and minerals.
Read Tiffin Ideas: Healthy Recipes for Your Kid's School Lunch Box
Lean protein
At iftar, you need to eat high-quality proteins that are highly digestible and contain all the essential amino acids like beef, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, fish, and poultry. These are all complete high-quality proteins. Your body uses these foods to build and maintain muscle mass.
If you want to take little saturated fats make sure you choose lean proteins like fish, skinless chicken or turkey, and low-fat dairy.
If you are vegetarian, don’t worry. Then you can select other protein sources like legumes, beans, and nuts.
Read Yummy Milkshake Ideas, Recipes to Try at Home
What to Avoid at Iftar after Daylong Fasting
After day fasting, we become hungry. Many people tend to eat a huge amount of food when it is time to break the fast at Iftar. It is a great mistake because the body is unable to utilize the energy intake altogether. The body’s metabolism cannot adapt to new eating patterns. Ultimately it creates digestive issues. It may also lead to weight gain in the long run. So, you need to avoid the following food items during Iftar:
Foods high in fat
If you want to be healthy during the whole month of Ramadan, avoid heavy meals for iftar because such foods usually contain a considerable amount of unhealthy fats. You can make your favorite Iftar recipe healthier by trying different cooking styles like stewing, baking, roasting, steaming, or grilling meats or fish. But try to avoid frying the meat, fish or vegetable with oil.
Read: Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home
Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeinated drinks naturally will increase the risk of obesity and can also provoke acidity in your body. If you take caffeine too much, you will always feel thirsty because caffeine doesn’t help in hydration.
Besides, it causes insomnia which is not good at all for you during Ramadan. Lack of sleep makes you weak and consequently, it will be difficult for you to continue fasting. So, make sure you must avoid cold drinks, tea, and coffee.
Spicy, fried foods
If your Iftar meal includes spicy foods like fried vegetables, meat or fish, you will get nothing in terms of nutrition. On the contrary, fried foods will surely increase your acidity. So, you need to avoid spicy and fried food items like samosas, bread rolls, etc. Even sweet and fried dishes such as Gulab Jamun should be avoided. Instead of them, you can take herbs and spices to flavor your meals.
Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home
Salty food
Salty foods make the body dehydrated. Moreover, salty foods are risky for you if you have high blood pressure. So, during Iftar, don't take nuts, chips, pickles, and foods containing soya sauce.
Sweet Items
If you take so many sugary items in your Iftar, they will increase the level of carbohydrate in your body.
So, you can replace sweets and sweetened drinks with naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, dried fruits, and fruit salads.
Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?
Bottom Line
Muslims generally take two meals per day during Ramadan- one is the pre-dawn meal, suhoor and another is the iftar. Iftar is the post-sunset meal that Muslims take to break the day’s fast.
At Iftar, you need to have a hearty and fulfilling meal. Start your iftar by drinking enough water to prevent dehydration. Besides, take fresh fruit juice or milk to replenish the fluids vital to your body. Make sure you take enough liquid and nutrients at iftar.
Try to take your food and drinks slowly at iftar. Because excessive consumption of food and beverages within a short time might have detrimental effects on your health and immune system.
Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview
Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan has brought a feeling of peace and festivity itself. The fasts, also known as Rozas, start with Sehri or Suhoor in the morning before sunrise. Sehri meal should be nutritious to get strength and energy until it is Iftar time. So, it is important to know which foods are healthy for Sehri. To protect health during Ramadan, you should also stay aware of the foods to avoid in Sehri. Continue scrolling to have a list of foods that you should and should not have for Sehri.
What to Eat in Sehri for Ramadan Fasting
It is natural that before a day long fast you may want to treat yourself with delicious foods. But make sure you take healthy food minimising the fatty and sugary foods and sugary drinks to a small amount. During Ramadan, you don't get enough time each day to eat and drink to provide your body with all the important nutrients and fluids it needs to be healthy. So, it is important to ensure the quality and quantity of your diet during Ramadan. If you want to maintain your energy level till the time of Iftar, the following five healthy foods are a must for you to take for Sehri.
Banana
From one medium ripe banana, you will get about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams fibre, and 450 mg potassium. It is a source of vitamin C.
Read Ready for Ramadan? How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting?
In bananas, manganese is available which is good for your skin. It is good for your heart health and blood pressure because of having potassium. Bananas have excellent power to aid digestion and help beat gastrointestinal issues. Bananas give you energy – minus the fats and cholesterol.
So, it is seen that bananas have huge food value and health benefits. However, if you don’t feel like taking this fruit, you could make a quick protein smoothie with banana and other essential ingredients including peanut butter, yoghourt, milk, and cocoa powder.
Milk and honey
Both honey and milk are an essential combination of nutrients. Honey is great for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, while milk is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and lactic acid.
Read Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home
Actually, they are nature's most sacred treasures. These two powerful ingredients offer assorted promising health benefits. They may improve sleep quality, enhance bone strength, and promote heart health. So, make sure you take this pack of milk and honey to maintain your energy level till you break your fast.
Oats
Oats have 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 8 grams of fibre, but only 303 calories. Therefore, try to add this nutrient-dense food in your Sehri. Oats are not only rich in carbs and fibre but also higher in protein and fat than any other grains. Besides, oats are rich in antioxidants and contain a powerful soluble fibre.
Oats are really great to lower your cholesterol levels and improve blood sugar control. So, they help you stay full longer with energy and strength. Moreover, they are great to maintain digestive health. Furthermore, oats enhance the immune response to diseases. So, make sure you take oats regularly during Ramadan.
Read 7 Yummy Coffee Recipes to Try at Home without Coffee Maker
Eggs
You will get 75 calories, 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids just by only taking one egg. It is called a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Actually, eggs are highly nutritious and supply almost every nutrient you need. Besides, eggs are rich in several nutrients that promote heart health, like betaine and choline. Eggs are a great source of choline. They are essential to eye health also. Most importantly, eggs may support your weight management. Taking at least one egg in Sehri will keep you going all day long.
Lentils
Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, an excellent root of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home
Highly nutritious- Calories: 230, Carbs: 39.9 grams, Protein: 17.9 grams, Fat: 0.8 grams, Fibre: 15.6 grams, Thiamine: 28% of the DV, Niacin: 13% of the DV, Vitamin B6: 21% of the DV.
As lentils are rich in fibre, folate, and potassium, they can be your great choice for the heart and for managing blood pressure and cholesterol. They are also a source of maintaining a steady heartbeat because of having iron and vitamin B1. So, why can't you take lentils in Sehri?
Other Healthy Food Ideas for Sehri (Suhoor)
Besides, you need to eat fruits and vegetables rich in potassium like spinach, broccoli, cantaloupes, peas, mushrooms, etc. These fruits and vegetables help you to increase your pain endurance. They are also great to minimise cramps and increase electrolyte balance in the body.
Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?
Next, make sure you take fruits and vegetables rich in protein such as chicken, paneer, nuts, dates, nut-butter, legumes, etc. to strengthen immunity.
Moreover, fruits and vegetables with high fibre content like peaches, apples, kidney beans, chickpeas, quinoa, etc. are essential for you to keep your digestive system healthy and your body cool for the whole day.
Furthermore, don’t forget to take drinks like water, milk, fruit juices, soup, or smoothies to get rid of Dehydration. Drinking enough water is essential also.
Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview
Which Foods to Avoid in Sehri (Suhoor)
Caffeinated drinks
If you take caffeinated drinks, they will increase the risk of obesity and can also trigger acidity in your body. Caffeine is something that doesn’t help in hydration and keeps you longing for water all day long. It can also trigger insomnia. So, you must avoid cold drinks, tea, and coffee. You can take them for a reasonable amount.
Spicy, fried foods
From spicy, fried foods you will get nothing, just your acidity will grow. So, make sure you avoid samosas, bread rolls, and even sweet and fried dishes such as Gulab Jamun.
Read Culinary Schools in Dhaka for Basic Cooking to Professional Chef Courses
Salty food
Salty foods make you thirsty while fasting. They hold onto water in your body and cause water retention. So, avoid nuts, chips, pickles, and foods that contain soya sauce.
Bottom Line
So far we have discussed healthy meal ideas for Suhoor or Sehri. We have also mentioned which foods and drinks are not recommended for Sehri during ramadan. You can choose the nutritious foods and drinks for Sehri as per your taste and health condition. If you have any medical condition contact your doctor and dietitian to prepare a healthy food chart for Ramadan. By choosing good foods for your Serhi, you can spend your whole Ramadan smoothly.
Read Yummy Milkshake Ideas, Recipes to Try at Home
DPS STS Chef Minister: Tamanna crowned champion
The gala round of DPS STS Chef Minister, the biggest cooking competition for mothers in the country, was held in the capital Thursday with the first 50 participant mothers.
The event sponsored by Maggi Noodles crowned Tamanna Rifat Khan as the champion. She won Tk1 lakh, a professional certificate and a trophy.
Tasnima Akter and Ehmerin Rubaba became the first and second runners-up respectively.
DPS STS Chef Minister had organised three workshops which were conducted as part of the competition by topmost chefs from Dhaka city.
Around 1,500 mothers registered for the workshops, and the first online workshop was held at Le Meridien Dhaka.
The second online workshop was held at the Great Kabab Factory, and the third at the DPS STS Senior section cafeteria in Uttara.
After these workshops and several rounds, the gala round (in-person) was finally held today.
Dr Shivananda CS, principal of DPS STS School Dhaka, said: "We are overwhelmed by the response the organisers have received since the beginning of this competition."
"It is so heartening to see that so many mothers have taken part in this competition, sparing some time from their busy schedule to showcase their culinary skills."
7 Yummy Coffee Recipes to Try at Home without Coffee Maker
Many of us love to start the day with a mug of smoking hot coffee. This refreshing beverage helps to reduce work-stress. It offers a kick to think more clearly and work with greater energy. The coffee lovers can’t do without this drink even on the hottest summer days. But not all people own coffee makers at home. And, certainly it is not exciting to wait in line to shell out big bucks at the coffee shop. Don't worry, just check here the seven best coffee recipes without using a coffee maker.
7 Luscious Coffee Recipes
Pour-over coffee
Pour-over coffee is a wistful coffee recipe that produces a rich, flavorful cup of coffee. It is easy and simple to make this coffee recipe. You will need a couple of specific tools.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories; 0g, 0g Fat, 0g Protein
Ingredients
300 milliliters filtered, distilled, or spring water, 18 grams of medium-fine ground coffee
How to Make
First, gather all ingredients and tools. Then, add water to the kettle and heat it until it reaches between 195 F and 205 F. Grind coffee beans to a medium to fine ground and measure the ground coffee in the pour-over brewer. After heating, throw out the water from the cup, set the drip cone on the cup’s rim, and then measure the coffee. Finally, add coffee and brew for 3 to 4 minutes to have medium roast coffee. Just dip for about 30 seconds after adding all the water and serve.
Read Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home
Cuban coffee
If you want to enjoy sweet, rich, delicious, and hot beverages just try Cuban coffee at home. You want to get a dairy-free alternative, you can try this coffee recipe.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
72 Calories, 0g Fat, 17g Carbs, 2g Protein
Ingredients
1/4 cup coffee ( finely ground), One and a half cups water, One-fourth cup granulated sugar
How to Make
First, brew coffee using fine-ground coffee. Then, take a 2 cups capacity cup and add the sugar. Wait until it is finished brewing. After that, to make the espuma, use a spoon and beat continuously until it becomes a foamy paste. When you feel that your coffee has finished brewing, pour it over the espuma and stir to blend. Finally, let the foamy crema rise to the top and serve to enjoy yummy coffee.
Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home
Cold Brew Coffee
To make this delicious and tasty cold brew coffee, you don’t need any special equipment.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories; 0g, 0g Fat, 0g Protein
Ingredients
1 cup ground coffee, 4 cups filtered water
How to Make
First, take a large jar and add the ground coffee. Then, flow 4 cups of water over the beans and stir the coffee until it mixes thoroughly. After that, put a lid on the jar and put it in the refrigerator, and let it rest for about 12 hours. Make sure you filter the beans from the coffee and serve.
Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?
Sweet, Creamy White Chocolate Latte
You cannot but love this tasty, yummy, and dreamy recipe. If you try this at home, you can skip the drive to the coffee shop this winter.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300 Calories, 18g Fat, 28g Carbs, 8g Protein
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole milk, 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, 2 tablespoons whipped cream & Dash of ground nutmeg (for garnish)
How to Make
First, add the milk and the white chocolate chips to a pot. Cook together on medium-low heat. Keep continuing till the white chocolate has been blended and the sauce becomes smooth. Then, make a half cup of your favorite coffee and pour it into a cup. After that, pour the white chocolate milk sauce over the coffee and add sugar, if desired. Finally, garnish with whipped cream & ground nutmeg, and serve.
Read Yummy Milkshake Ideas, Recipes to Try at Home
Italian-style cafe latte
If you are a coffee lover, don’t miss trying this popular coffee drink at home.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
47 Calories, 2g Fat, 5g Carbs, 3g Protein
Ingredients
For the Espresso:
One-ounce water, 1 tablespoon ground French roast coffee, One and a half fluid ounces ( optional)
For the Foamed Milk:
3 ounces milk
How to Make
First, take the water into the boiler and put the coffee into the portafilter. Then, press the coffee down using a tamper. You need to do it 2 to 3 times until the grounds are packed tightly. After that, put a latte cup under the group head and pull the shot for 25 to 30 seconds. Then, make the foam following the necessary steps.
Read Tiffin Ideas: Healthy Recipes for Your Kid's School Lunch Box
Assemble the Latte
First, put aside the foam with a spoon, and then pour the bottom 2/3 of the steamed milk into the latte cup. Then pour the remaining bubbles on top of the latte onto the drink and serve.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes
This cozy coffee recipe would be great for you, especially in the autumn season.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
226 Calories, 7g Fat, 33g Carbs, 9g Protein
Ingredients
1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, one tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup brewed espresso, 2 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream
How to Make
First, take unsweetened pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, and espresso to a small pot and heat on a medium-low flame, stir continuously until the pumpkin puree has been mixed well and the sugar and spices dissolved. Then, take the milk into another pot and heat just enough to warm through. Stir the milk thoroughly to make foam. Finally, mix the hot coffee mixture and frothy milk together and serve.
Read Healthy Salad Ideas with Recipes to Try at Home
Easy Iced Coffee
You will enjoy this tasty coffee recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 116 calories; protein 6.5g; carbohydrates 14.2g; fat 3.6g; cholesterol 14.6mg; sodium 77.7mg.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 tablespoons warm water, 1 cup ice, 6 fluid ounces of cold milk
How to Make
Combine instant coffee, sugar, and warm water in a jar and shake until the mixture is foamy. Then mix ice and milk and serve.
Read Magical Benefits of Himalayan Pink Salt
Savory Lassi: 7 Easy Recipes to Try at Home
Who does not love to drink lassi? It is a perfect cooling, refreshing and nutritious drink for the warm summer months. Lassi is indeed a favorite evergreen drink for children, adults, and elderly people also. Generally, it is very popular in the Indian Sub-Continent. But nowadays it is popular in many other countries as well. It is a blended yogurt drink. Lassi can be both sweet and salty. Stay with us to know some delightful spicy easy lassi recipes to try at home.
Health benefits of drinking Lassi in summer:
- Aids digestion
- Prevents stomach problems
- Rich in probiotics
- Improves bone health
- Boosts immunity
- Good for skin
Read: Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home
Seven delectable lassi recipes to try at home
Mango Lassi
Mangos are super foods that contain more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. About three-fourths cup of mango gives 50% of your daily vitamin C, 8% of your daily Vitamin A, and 8% of your daily vitamin B6. The nutrients that mango has helped to boost your body's immune system.
Mango lassi with amazing flavor can be your perfect summer drink. You could prepare it within a very short time just need some easy and hand on ingredients.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Diced Mango – 1 Cup, Grounded cardamom – 1/2 Tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Sugar
How to Make
First, take about one cup of yogurt and half cup water in a blender and blend properly until it reaches a perfect consistency. Add ice cubes and the pulp of mango. Then, add cardamom to the blender and blend these ingredients together for 1-2 minutes. Serve with garnish.
Read Easy Homemade Summer Drinks to Beat the Heat and Increase Immunity
Strawberry Lassi
According to The United States Department of Agriculture, one cup of fresh( sliced) strawberries contains the following nutrients: calories: 53, Protein: 1.11g. carbohydrates: 12.7g.
Who doesn’t love strawberries? How is it if you can enjoy the tasty and healthy lassi of this colorful fruit? Yes, you can prepare this yummy lassi at home with just a few ingredients that are available at your home.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200ml, Diced strawberries – 1 Cup, Mint leaves -1-2, Ice cubes – 2-3, Sugar
How to Make
First, take a blender and put about 1 cup of yogurt with half a cup of water, and blend until it reaches the required consistency. Then add ice cubes and diced strawberries. If you want to enhance the taste, you can also use strawberry syrup. After that, Beat the ingredients together in a blender for 1-2 minutes. Finally, garnish with the leaves of mint and serve.
Read: Yummy Milkshake Ideas, Recipes to Try at Home
Chocolate Lassi
The United States Department of Agriculture says that a 101-g bar of dark chocolate with 70–85 percent cocoa solids contains 604 calories, 7.87g of protein, and 43.06g of fat.
Chocolate has many health benefits and it is a versatile ingredient with lassi also. Its mouth-watering color attracts children more. So, you must try this one in summer.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Chocolate bar/Hershey’s chocolate syrup, Ice cubes – 2-4, Sugar
How to Make
First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water as long as it reaches the perfect consistency. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend for about one to two minutes. Finally, garnish it before serving.
Read Easy Homemade Drinks to Boost Up Digestion Power Naturally
Pineapple Lassi
One cup of pineapple chunks contains only 74 calories, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Pineapples are also amazing because they are fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium.
Nowadays, pineapples are available all year round. Almost everyone likes these amazing fruits especially during the summer season. The pineapple lassi is really unique and delicious.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Diced pineapple – 1 cup, Ice cubes – 2-4, Sugar
Firstly, you need to blend the yogurt with half a cup of water. Make sure you blend it until you get a perfect consistency. Then add other ingredients and beat together for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.
Read: Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Cafes in Dhaka City for Family Dine Outs
Banana Lassi
Many of us love to eat bananas. It can be a nice ingredient for lassi.
One serving or one medium ripe banana has about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams fiber, and 450 mg potassium.
Can you imagine how refreshing the banana lassi could be for your lovely family? Try today this yummy lassi at home today.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Peeled banana – 1, Cinnamon powder – ½ Tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Sugar
How to Make
Firstly, you need to blend the yogurt with half a cup of water. Make sure you blend it until you get a perfect consistency. Then add other ingredients and beat together for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.
Read: Child-friendly Winter Drinks to Keep Your Family Healthy, Warm and Cozy
Classic Lassi
It is a popular sweet lassi recipe that you can prepare anytime for your family.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Ice cubes – 3-4, Salt, Sugar
How to Make
First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water and then add the ice cubes to blend again. Add salt or sugar depending on the variant required. Classic lassi can be made both sweet and salty. Sometimes, it is made with a combination. In the case of the salt recipe, follow the same process just don’t add the sugar. Beat thoroughly for 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.
Read Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding
Mint Lassi
One-third cup or half an ounce (14 grams) of spearmint contains Calories: 6, Fiber: 1 gram, Vitamin A: 12% of the RDI, Iron: 9% of the RDI, Manganese: 8% of the RDI, Folate: 4% of the RDI.
When will you prepare the mint lassi for your family?
Ingredients
Yogurt – 200 ml, Mint leaves – 8-9, Pepper – ½ tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Salt
How to make
First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water as long as it reaches the perfect consistency. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend for about one to two minutes. Finally, garnish it before serving.
Read Culinary Schools in Dhaka for Basic Cooking to Professional Chef Courses
Bottom Line
So far we have discussed 7 easy homemade lassi recipes. Lassi can pacify our souls during the hot weather. Besides cooling the mind and body, this drink keeps us healthy. Though Yogurt is the main ingredient of lassi, you can make this drink special by adding your favorite fruit or chocolate. We hope you have enjoyed this article! Don't miss trying these delicious summer recipes of lassi at home!
Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home
Summer days are exhausting. During the summer season, the weather often becomes hot and humid resulting in inconvenience and dehydration. So, make sure your system stays hydrated during the summer. Eating summer fruits is the best way to do the same. Among summer fruits, watermelon can be your perfect choice to boost energy and reduce tiredness and fatigue. You can prepare tasty and healthy ice cream as well as cake recipes with watermelon. Check out some easy-to-prepare, yummy Watermelon cake and ice-cream recipes to try at home.
Is Watermelon Healthy?
Yes! Watermelon has huge health benefits. Summers become incomplete without watermelon. It is red, juicy, and one of the excellent fruits to fill you during the summer season. It is healthy and cheap and a great source of water, vitamin A and C as well.
Vitamin A is good for the eyes and also boosts immunity. Vitamin C boosts immunity as well. Besides, watermelon has Vitamin B6 and potassium. Potassium helps to maintain water balance in the body while Vitamin B6 improves immunity. Not only that Potassium also stops muscle cramps and keeps your heart healthy.
Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?
Sun causes skin damage and you prevent that by eating watermelons. Studies show that it is filled with the antioxidant lycopene which could restrain your risk of cancer and diabetes. Watermelon is great for hydration and always keeps you feeling satisfied with very few calories. To reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, you can eat sufficient watermelon.
Delectable Watermelon Ice Cream Recipe
Are you looking for a refreshing summer dessert? If yes, you must try watermelon classic ice cream at home. It is really quick, easy, and simple. It just needs 10 minutes and some simple ingredients. But it is a refreshing, flavorful, healthy treat. It helps to cool you down in an instant.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk
- 2 tablespoons monk fruit
Read: Yummy Milkshake Ideas, Recipes to Try at Home
Instructions
- First, take a quarter sized sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Then, cut the watermelon into uniform cubes, and place it on the lined sheet pan. You need to place it in the freezer for about four hours.
- After removing watermelon from the freezer, blend it in the high-speed blender with almond milk and monk fruit.
- Make sure you blend as long as the watermelon has broken down and you have a thick, creamy consistency. If you like to enjoy it right away, serve and enjoy!
- But if you want to eat the watermelon ice cream later, you need to move it to a loaf pan. Then place it again in the freezer. But you have to remember that if you want to fill the loaf pan, you need to make two batches of ice cream.
- Finally, let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes before dipping. When it softens a bit, serve and enjoy.
Read Khichuri Recipes: 7 varieties of yummy nutritious Khichdi to try at home
Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?
When you have heard about the Oil-Free Cooking idea, there may be some questions whispering in your mind. Why avoid oil from a regular diet? Is oil really bad for us? Is it possible anyway to cook without oil? Are oil-free foods healthy? Don’t worry. We are here to give the answer to all your questions. Just continue scrolling to explore how to cook without oil.
Benefits of Cooking without Oil
Check out here some proven health benefits of oil-free cooking
More tasty food
Oil is not a mandatory ingredient for preparing tasty meals. Even some recipes can taste better when the food is not not covered in oil. For instances, we eat vegetables and whole grains without oil. Some salad recipes offer better taste without oil based coating. Besides, opting for oil-free cooking we can adopt a healthy diet in the long run.
Read Healthy Salad Ideas with Recipes to Try at Home
Feeling better after eating
Foods full of oil do not get you a good feeling. As the too much oily food are bad for our digestive system, our stomach feel bad after eating. Many people experiences bloating, stomach ache, and other issues after consuming oily food. It is proven that if you can cook, bake or fry the food without oil, the meal can give you a more satisfactory experience.
Fewer skin breakouts
Do you have acne? Nutritionist may suggest you to limit the consumption of fatty food in your regular diet. Opting for oil-free cooking, you can consume healthy foods with fewer fats. This habit can lead you to salubrious lifestyle thus you can experience fewer breakouts or less acne. Therefore, try to cook food without oil.
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More energy after eating
Consumption of excess fats can make you lazy, slow, and sluggish. Less oil means fewer fats. So, when you eat oil-free foods, you feel more energetic.
Weight loss
Oil-free foods can really promote a healthy body. Those who dopt oil-free cooking can avoid obesity. This habit potentially lead to weight loss if other high-calorie foods do not replace those calories.
Read Magical Benefits of Himalayan Pink Salt
Heart health
All oils along with the healthy soluble kinds are related to our heart diseases. You can minimize the risk of heart-related diseases by cutting down on oils used for cooking, baking or frying.
Overall health
Oil-free foods are essential for your overall health. By omitting oil, you can improve your immunity. Remember oil suppresses the function of the immune system.
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How to cook without oil
If you are already planning to cook without oil, just follow the steps given below. The process is much easier than it seems to you.
Use Non-Stick
For oil-free cooking a non-toxic non-stick pan is suitable. Using stainless steel or cast iron would be easy to cook without oil; because your food could burn without oil in a stainless or cast iron pan.
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Replace oil with liquids
Use water instead of oil to fry or cook things on the stove. You can also use oil with water, veggie broth, vinegar, soy sauce, or another liquid. While using a liquid, you need to fix the pan every time the liquid dries up. You have to do this until your food is cooked through.
Steaming
By steaming your veggies you can avoid oil as well as minimize your cooking time. You can cook much faster through steaming. Veggies like potatoes and broccoli can take up to an hour to cook in the oven. But you can cook them in about 10 minutes when steaming them in a steamer basket inside of a pot or pan on the stove.
However, steaming produces a different flavor than roasting. So, it may take a little time to get used to cooking without oil, as your food may taste a bit different than your usual meals.
Read How to Encourage Your Child to Try New Food?
Utilize Your Oven
An oven is the best component if you want to cook without oil. It would be easy for you if you line your cookie sheets with a reusable silicone mat instead of greasing the pan. It will ensure that your food does not stick or burn. However, veggies can be roasted straight on the pan without burning.
Use An Air-Fryer
The most important benefit of an air-fryer is that it does not need to preheat. This appliance will not take much time to cook food. Besides, it cooks food from every angle so no oil is needed. Oil-free cooking requires constant attention. But in the case of the air fryer, you do not need to check on your food until the timer goes off.
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How to bake without oil
Are you health conscious and want to know how to bake without oil? If yes, just continue reading.
Interestingly, substitutes for oil come from diverse food sources. So, you can use fruit or vegetable puree, mashed avocado, coconut milk, yogurt or vegan yogurt, a variety of nut butter, dates, almond flour, or even coconut butter for baking instead of oil.
But remember sometimes a straight substitution can change the texture. Let’s see an example. Applesauce works well for muffins and cakes. But it will give a very different appearance for cookies.
Read Grocery Shopping Hacks: Proven tips to choose best foods at grocery stores
How to fry without oil
For frying food without oil, your best choice can be an oil-free fryer like an air fryer that will give you unbelievable results. This is a very handy device. You can fry raw food through this appliance without using oil. Besides, this appliance pushes extra-hot air around the food that makes foods crisp perfectly. However, air fryers may not work for some foods, such as onion rings or mozzarella sticks. You can use an oven to bake these foods easily instead of air fryers.
In the case of a deep-fryer, you can choose a healthier oil to deep-fry your favorite items. Coconut or avocado oil can be your right choice in this regard.
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How to dress salad without oil
Have you ever thought of an oil-free vegan salad dressing recipe? Check out here this tasty oil-free balsamic dressing which is homemade but tastes like it’s right off the shelf.
Ingredients
Most importantly, you don’t require any blender or food processor to prepare this salad. The necessary ingredients are Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Maple Syrup, Nutritional Yeast (optional), Dried Basil & Oregano.
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How To Make
Take all ingredients in a small jar and blend them well by shaking them several times. Now, your oil-free salad is ready to taste.
Bottom Line
It is not easy to change food habits. However, for the sake of health as well as a salubrious lifestyle you can try oil-free cooking. Advantages are multifarious. In this article, we have mentioned a number of ways to cook food without oil. Opting for oil-free diets allows you to cut down extra fat, and calories from your diet without compromising the taste of the food you cook.
Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview
10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview
The pandemic has brought a remarkable shift to the purchasing habits of people across the globe. The effect is apparent on the inhabitants of Bangladesh as well, especially for the city dwellers. The lockdowns combined with social distancing propelled the popularity of online grocery shops, some of whom were already well-established virtual grocers. Here are 10 renowned online grocery shops in Bangladesh where users can get their grocery fix on the cheap and easy.
10 Bangladeshi Grocery Mobile Apps in 2022
Chaldal
Founded by Waseem Alim in 2013, Chaldal (https://chaldal.com/) is arguably the largest and most efficient online grocery shop in Bangladesh. The company believes in customer service and efficiency over anything. Initially, Chaldal had a next-day delivery system. But over time, the company introduced 25 micro-warehouses across its service regions to ensure 1-hour delivery from order time.
Currently, Chaldal serves customers in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Jessore, and Rajshahi. With fast delivery system and cheap delivery fee, Chaldal now serves over 10,000 deliveries per day accruing to over 1 Crore BDT in turnover daily.
Read Best Food Delivery Apps in Bangladesh in 2021
Daraz dMart
Daraz (https://www.daraz.com.bd/dmart/) is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Bangladesh. Founded in 2012 in Pakistan, Daraz emerged as a global logistical solution and e-commerce marketplace with a concentration in the South Asian region. The company is now owned by the Alibaba group and mainly operates in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Through its grocery stores namely dMart and Daraz Mall, users can get all types of grocery solutions. The company has an express delivery option with next-day delivery dates. Users can buy Daraz verified products at a great deal and flat delivery fee from any location in Bangladesh.
Meenaclick
Founded in 2002 by the Gemcon group, Meena Bazaar is another large retail chain of superstores across Bangladesh. Meenaclick is their online home delivery solution that fulfills deliveries in partnership with the physical stores.
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Meenaclick (https://www.meenaclick.com/) operates from 18 different superstores scattered in Dhaka city. It offers a catalog of over 90,000 products and grocery items. The company has a 90 minutes delivery commitment with a flat delivery rate after shopping over a fixed amount.
Foodpanda
Though commonly known to be a food delivery app, Foodpanda ventured into the grocery delivery scene with Panda Mart. Foodpanda is a global conglomerate of food and grocery delivery solutions founded in 2012 and is currently owned by Delivery Hero.
The Panda Mart operates from both its own warehouses as well as established superstores in all the major cities of Bangladesh. The Panda Mart option already exists in the Foodpanda application. Users can check for exciting deals and discounts as well as order products from the comfort of their homes. The delivery time ranges between 30 minutes to an hour depending on the location. The delivery pricing depends on the distance and number of products.
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Pathao
Founded in 2015, Pathao (https://pathao.com/shop/) is a Bangladesh-based on-demand service provider operating in the Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet Metropolitan areas. Initially, the company focused on ride-sharing to ease the transportation needs in the city regions. Over the years, the company ventured into retail service through their Pathao Pharma, Tong, Health, Parcel, and Shop.
The Pathao Shop operates similarly to Panda Mart. Users can choose from a huge catalog of products, some of which are categorized based on superstores nearby the user. Pathao also has a fixed delivery fee from certain superstores as well as their own warehouse products. The rest depends on the distance and product number.
HungryNaki
HungryNaki (https://hungrynaki.com/) is the first food delivery platform in the country. The company currently operates as a subsidiary of Daraz. The app predominantly serves in the Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, and Narayanganj region.
Read: Grocery Shopping Hacks: Proven tips to choose best foods at grocery stores
In addition to food delivery, HungryNaki provides grocery solutions through HN Dokan. Users can choose from their diverse product catalog including fresh perishables. The delivery system is also on the same day, with some being on the hour. The process is similar to their food delivery system.
Khaas Food
Khaas Food (https://www.khaasfood.com/) was founded in 2015. This online Bangladeshi grocery shop primarily operated in Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, and Sylhet city. This online grocery store even has its own brand of organic grocery items. Khaas Food even has a chain of retail stores across Bangladesh. The vision of the company is to provide pure and safe food to people at an affordable price.
Users can choose from a range of product categories in their app as well as website. They have a fixed delivery fee and same-day delivery service is also available.
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Sheba Groceries
Sheba Grocery (https://www.sheba.xyz/groceries) is a subsidiary of Sheba.xyz, a service-oriented platform founded in 2015. The startup aims to provide service for day-to-day issues through its mobile app as well as website.
The Sheba groceries section can be accessed through their mobile application. It primarily operates in different metropolitan areas. Users can order any kind of grocery item. Sheba guarantees same-day delivery. Users can also avail the flat delivery rate after shopping for a certain amount.
Jogaan
Jogaan (https://jogaan.com/) is another rapidly growing online grocery business in Bangladesh. Currently, the platform sells over 4000 different grocery items. The best thing about Jogaan is the flash deals available on certain items.
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Recently, the platform launched its own mobile application. Users will get a smoother experience on the app as well as more exciting deals and discounts. The quick tab lists showing different offers allow the users to skim through easily.
Othoba Groceries
Othoba groceries is a subsidiary of Othoba.com, another service startup platform based in Bangladesh. They have over 15 different categories of food and groceries for the users to choose from. The comprehensive list of items combined with fast delivery easily makes Othoba groceries one of the best app-based grocery delivery solutions in Bangladesh.
Othoba groceries currently operates in Dhaka metropolitan area with plans for subsequent expansion.
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Final Words
Online-based grocery shopping is on the rise in Bangladesh thanks to all the different platforms and services. The growing popularity not only encourages new startups but also ensures a competitive landscape where the customers are getting benefit. Hopefully, this shift in online purchasing habits will only widen making way for a truly digital Bangladesh.
So far, we have discussed some of the most reliable grocery shopping apps in Bangladesh. Each platform has some unique features. The users can download their chosen grocery app from Play Store to order products. However, it behooves upon the consumers to check the product quality while receiving the service. Happy grocery shopping!
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Culinary Schools in Dhaka for Basic Cooking to Professional Chef Courses
Do you have a passion for cooking? Cooking is an art that allows you to express your creativity. Numerous people from different professions fall in love with cooking so much that they choose it as their career. To learn the art of cooking and how to present it before the target audience is nothing less than a subject worth studying. A good institution or mentor can be of great help in that fact. Here are some of the most reputed culinary institutions in Dhaka city famous for teaching culinary art.
Some Popular Culinary Schools in Dhaka City
NIHMB
National Institute of Hotel Management Bangladesh (NIHMB) provides highly recognized, certified six to twelve-month career training programs in culinary arts and culinary management to prepare Bangladeshi students to appear for the Institute of Culinary Arts and Management Examinations. Apart from these preparation classes, it also provides customized courses based on local requirements. The culinary arts programs have an average class size of ten students, while the culinary management programs have an average class size of twelve students.
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Bangladesh Hotel Management & Tourism Training Institution
Bangladesh Hotel Management & Tourism Training Institution is the country's first and largest privately funded government-approved Institute, having been founded in 1990 A.D. Over two decades, the Institute has served the hotel, tourism, and hospitality industries. It is the first Institute of its type in the private sector that has been certified by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism under the Government of Bangladesh. The Institute has previously educated around 15000 boys and girls in preparation for careers in the sector. The majority of them have worked both in the United States and overseas.
Advanced Hotel Management Institute
14 years of experience as a leader of education and operations at an academy for advanced hotel management. Md. Suzun Uddin Talukder founded the Institute in 2003 in Bangladesh. It is situated in Uttara, Dhaka. This recognized, private, co-educational culinary institution offers students with world-class instruction in a world-class environment that is rich in career and work options. The Institute of Culinary Arts' hotel management training department provides Diploma and advanced diploma programs, as well as an Australian trade certificate. In Culinary Arts and Food Preparation provides Diploma and advanced courses from London UK.
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Spending Romantic Valentine’s Day at Home? Get Delectable Lunch, Dinner Ideas
Valentine’s Day means to enjoy and have fun. If you want to express love to your special one on February 14, homemade food can be a great idea. Are you excited to know some amazing Valentine’s Day recipes for a warm lunch or dinner at home? Just continue reading!
Delicious Home-cooked Food Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Sheet-Pan Salmon With Tomato-Eggplant Compote
You can enjoy these silky and delicious salmon filets as your Valentine’s Day lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds grape or cherry tomatoes,1/4 cup olive oil, Kosher salt, 4 cloves garlic, sliced, 1 pound eggplant (cut into 1/2-inch dice), 2 tablespoons chili paste, Four 6-ounce skinless salmon filets, Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish, Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and salt for 5 minutes. Then, put tomatoes and garlic aside and cook eggplant for about 20 minutes and mix with tomatoes. After that, cook salmon over medium heat for 6- 10 minutes. Transfer salmon carefully to plates. Scoop tomato-eggplant compote alongside.
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Chicken Marsala
This easy recipe will need you only 15 minutes for preparation and 30 minutes to cook only. It is a dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine.
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 tbsp flour, salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp butter, 1 (8-oz) package button mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, 2/3 cup chicken broth, 2/3 cup dry Marsala wine, 2/3 cup cream
Directions
First, dush the chicken with flour, salt, and pepper, put it in a ziplock bag, and seal the bag tightly. Keep aside. Then heat the oil and 2 tbsp of the butter on medium heat. Fry the chicken until the chicken becomes golden. After that, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan, add other ingredients and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and served.
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Lobster Bisque
This mouth-watering and appetizing bisque will surely give you an amazing taste can be your perfect portion for lunch or a fancy lunch or dinner for two.
Ingredients
One cup chicken broth, 2 onion, 2 tablespoons butter, two tbsp flour, 2 cups cream, tomato paste (2tbsp), half teaspoon salt, 1 pound lobster meat (cooked and cubed), One tbsp sauce, half teaspoon pepper
Directions
First, cook the chopped onions and ¼ cup of chicken broth for 5 -7 minutes on low heat. Then, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat and whisk in flour until the mixture becomes creamy and add the remaining chicken broth step by step. After that, add the other ingredients. Cook the mixture and remove it from heat before boiling.
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Marry Me Chicken
This is such a delicious dish that after one bite you will feel the taste.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, 2 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided, 1/2 pound bacon, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, salt to taste