Sticky Rice with Mango

 

Sticky Rice with Mango

Chef	:	Veena Arora, The Imperial Hotel
Recipe Servings	:	2
Recipe Cook Time	:	1 Hour 15 Minutes + Time to soak rice
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This dish is also know known as 'Khao Neow Ma Muang'. A classic Thai dessert where sticky rice are cooked with coconut milk and served with diced mangoes.

Ingredients

• 30 gms white sticky rice
  
  60 ml coconut milk   
  
  5 gms sugar
  
  1 gms salt
  
  2 gms sesame seeds, roasted
  
  1 ripe mango

Method

Wash sticky rice and soak it for 8 hours. Put it in muslin cloth and steam it till half done.

Put coconut milk in a pot, add sugar and salt. Keep on stirring it on slow flame till it becomes a little thick.

When sticky rice is fully done, pack it with coconut milk, leaving 1 tbsp of coconut milk aside for garnishing.

Peel the mango and dice it.

Put sticky rice in a small mould. De-mould it onto a plate. Garnish with a tbsp of coconut milk and sesame seeds.

Serve it with dices of mango.

Key Ingredients: coconut milk, sugar, salt, sesame seeds,mango, rice

Do You Know What Your Chewing Gum Contains?

What Goes into Making a Chewing Gum?

Chewing gum is typically composed of Gum Base, Softeners, Sweetenersand Flavors. These are briefly discussed below.

Gum Base: As indicated above, the gum base is rubbery in nature, and used to be derived from latex sap (called chicle) of the sapodilla tree. Other natural sources include gum Arabic, natural resin, food grade agar, Chiku,Ghatti, Jhingan, Khair etc. 

However, these days, with the advent of rubber synthesis technology,synthetic rubber is primarily used for making the gum base. These include:

·         Synthetic resin

·         Polyvinyl acetate

·         Polyethylene

·         Glycerol esters of wood resin/gum resin

·         Glycerol esters of partially hydrogenated wood/gum resin

As has been indicated above, there are many components of gum base (besides lanolin) that remain unknown to the consumer, since the manufacturers have no intention to declare them, in the absence of any strict regulations forcing them to do so.

Softeners: As the name suggests, the primary function of this component is to maintain a "soft" consistency of the gum so that it is appealing to the consumers. This component helps to retain moisture and prevents the gum from hardening. The most common softeners are glycerin and vegetable oil.

Sweeteners: As you have probably guessed, the most common sweetener is sugar. Sometimes, corn syrup is also used. For the health conscious, the following artificial sweeteners are also used:

·         Saccharin sodium

·         Sorbitol

·         Mannitol

·         Xylitol

·         Maltitol

·         Aspartame (methyl ester)

·         Acesulfame potassium

·         Sucralose

Flavors: The flavor component of chewing gum is usually added last and imparts a long-lasting, refreshing, and zingy taste to the chewing gum. 

What are the Various Varieties of Chewing Gums?

Chewing gums come in a variety of shapes & sizes, attractive wrappers, flavors (already discussed) and a number of novel functions. Some chewing gums are advertised to impart a white sheen to the teeth (Orbit Whitening) or for giving kids some fun e.g. Bubble Gums (Hubba Bubba, Super Bazooka etc.). Other varieties have medical functions, and contain drugsimpregnated in them. These include the following:

·         Analgesic e.g. Aspirin

·         Antacid e.g. Calcium carbonate

·         To increase alertness e.g. Caffeine

·         To prevent dental caries e.g. Xylitol or Chlorhexidine

·         To give-up smoking e.g. Nicotine

·         To provide nutrition e.g. Vitamin C

The major international agency on food safety and standards is the Codex Alimentarius, which has fixed the maximum levels (in mg/kg) of various food additives in chewing gum. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulatory authority in India has fixed the chemical composition and maximal levels (in ppm) of the various food additives in chewing gum/bubble gum.

Are there any Health Hazards from Chewing Gums?

Yes there are! There are a number of health hazards that consumers should be aware of.

Chewing Gum Can Trigger Temporo-Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMD): The temporo-mandibular joint is the joint that connects the jaw bone (mandible) with the temporal bone of the skull. Excessive chewing can cause differential contraction of the muscles, particularly if you chew more with one side of the mouth as opposed to the other. This can trigger TMD, which causes chronic pain, tightening and inflammation of the jaw muscles, ear aches, tooth aches, as well as migraine-type headaches.

Chewing Gum Can Cause Gastrointestinal Problems: Chewing gum increases the air intake into the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, which can cause abdominal cramps and bloating. It can also aggravate the condition in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Peppermint flavored chewing gum can cause gastric acid reflux. Also, popping a chewing gum into the mouth immediately causes the brain to send signals to the digestive system to be prepared to expect food intake. As a result, saliva and other gastric juices, including gastric acid starts to be secreted. Since, there is no intake of food, this actually may compromise your ability to digest food due to lack of digestive juices, when you actually consume food. This can cause indigestion. Some chewing gums sweetened with artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea.

How to Prevent Body Odour: 8 Tips That Will Help Keep You Fresh

So how does one internally start to rectify this problem? Here are some tips that will help you –
 
1. Watch What You Eat

Firstly, you need to watch what you eat. Avoid strong smelling garlic and onion-based foods. You will be surprised but such foods do affect your body in many ways. Start to drink cooling drinks besides plain water. Take plenty of chaas, coconut water, lime water, rhododendron water, etc. Include plenty of salads and fruits in your daily diet. Green vegetables are a natural deodorizer and green salads will not only keep your skin fresh but clear it of impurities.
  

2. Shower Time

In summer, showering twice a day is a must, even if it’s for just five minutes. Most people cringe at the thought of having a bath, as it may take too much of their time. But it is necessary. Add fragrance and a handful of alum to your bath water, which acts as a powerfulanti-bacterial and antiseptic, and will keep a check on body odour.
  

 
3. Natural Deo

You can make some wonderful herb-based deodorants at home, as several herbs are helpful in combating body odour. Through centuries, the herbs that have been commonly used for various beauty treatments are sage, rosemary, leaves of chrysanthemum, lovage, celery and parsley. All can be made into a tea, which can then be used as a wash. Celery, parsely, sage, rosemary and lovage should also be included frequently in the diet.
  

4. Nothing Like Lavender Oil

Lavender oil is also an excellent deodorizer. You can make a strong lavender tea using 250 grams of the herb to 250ml of boiling water, and then adding a few drops of the oil before applying on yourself.
  

5. Drink Camphor Tea

For those of you who have a chronic problem with body odour, here’s an old fashioned drink which is worth trying. Take –
 
1 rind of lemon
250ml milk
3 drops of camphor oil

Method: Gently warm the milk and soak the lemon rind in it for 10minutes. Add the camphor oil and drink the milk just before going to bed.
  

6. Apple Cider Vinegar 

ACV makes an excellent wash for dispelling body odour and keeping the acid mantle of the skin. Dilute 1tsp apple cider vinegar in 250ml water and use frequently as a wash. Don’t be put off by the smell of vinegar, it evaporates quickly, in about 10 minutes.
  

7. Say No to Alcohol and Smoking

Alcohol and smoking not only result in bad mouth odour, but also body odour as it builds up toxins in the body. When you smoke, the smell tends to adhere onto your clothes and body for a long time.
  

8. Wear Light Clothes

Another golden rule and especially for hot climates is to wear cotton, jute, khadi and all other natural fibers. Avoid synthetic clothes that do not allow the skin to breathe and avoid tight fitting clothes. Wear loose airy clothes that allow air circulation, thereby keeping you cool.
  

These simple yet highly effective ways of reducing body odour will help you feel and smell better. Remember to follow them regularly.

Micromax Canvas Tab P701 4G Voice-Calling Tablet Launched at Rs. 7,250 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The new Canvas Tab P701 features a 7-inch display.
• It supports voice-calling and 4G LTE connectivity.
• It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box.

Micromax on Monday expanded its 4G tablet portfolio with the launch of the Canvas Tab P701. Priced at Rs. 7,250, the new Micromax Canvas Tab P701 tablet will be exclusively available via Flipkart. The domestic manufacturer in March had recently launched the Canvas Tab P702 featuring 4G connectivity priced at Rs. 7,999.

Similar to Canvas Tab P702, the dual-SIM supporting Micromax Canvas Tab P701 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box and features a 7-inch (1024x600 pixels) IPS display. It is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor, clocked at 1GHz, clubbed with 1GB of RAM.

The tablet packs 8GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card (up to 32GB). In the camera department, the Canvas Tab P701 sports a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash along with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

On the connectivity front, the Canvas Tab P701 supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Micro-USB connectivity. The Flipkart listing confirms that the tablet can support 4G on one SIM while another slot can support 3G at one time. The online listing also reveals that the tablet supports voice calling.

Available on Flipkart in Blue and Grey, the tablet packs a 3500mAh battery rated to deliver up to 15 hours of talk time and up to 4.5 hours of browsing time. Much like the Canvas Tab P701, the new Canvas Tab P702 also comes preloaded with 7 Kindle e-books worth Rs. 1,500 for free.

Commenting on the launch, Shubhajit Sen, Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax Informatics said, "At Micromax, we strive to design devices that address consumers' needs in a specific category. In the tablet segment, we realise that consumers today most frequently use their tablets for watching videos of all sorts. The Canvas Tab P701 offers a fantastic entertainment experience to users on the move giving them flexibility to easily access content anytime and anywhere, without being bound at their homes. Our range has been very well received by the consumers and as the industry leaders we continue to grow the category as also the use case for the large scale adoption of the tablet form factor and hence the larger display size".

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Micromax Canvas Tab P701

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

7.00-inch

Processor

1GHz

Front Camera

 2-megapixel

Resolution

 600x1024 pixels

RAM

 1GB

OS

 Android 5.1

Storage

8GB

Rear Camera

5-megapixel

Battery capacity

3500mAh

प्रतीकात्मक तस्वीर

नई दिल्ली: आगामी 1 जून से भविष्य निधि (पीएफ) से 50,000 रुपये तक की निकासी पर स्रोत पर कर कटौती (टीडीएस) नहीं की जाएगी। एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी ने यह जानकारी दी।

अधिकारी ने बताया कि सरकार ने टीडीएस कटौती के लिए पीएफ निकासी की सीमा को मौजूदा के 30,000 रुपये से बढ़ाकर 50,000 रुपये कर दिया है। इस बारे में अधिसूचना जारी कर दी गई है। अधिसूचना के अनुसार वित्त अधिनियम, 2016 ने आयकर कानून, 1961 की धारा 192ए को संशोधित कर दिया है, जिससे टीडीएस कटौती के लिए पीएफ निकासी की सीमा 30,000 रुपये से बढ़ाकर 50,000 रुपये कर दी गई है।

यह प्रावधान 1 जून, 2016 से लागू होगा। इससे कर्मचारी भविष्य निधि संगठन के अंशधारकों को राहत मिलेगी। अगर कर्मचारी पांच साल की अवधि के बाद पीएफ से पैसा निकालता है तो स्रोत पर कोई कर कटौती नहीं होगी।

Truecaller for Android Can Now Identify Unknown Numbers in Messaging Apps 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Truecaller now identifies unknown numbers on WhatsApp.
• This feature is exclusive to Android users.
• It works on Line, Viber, and Telegram as well.

Caller ID service Truecaller has introduced some new features in its app recently, the big one being partial Live Caller ID support for iPhone. Now, a blog post reveals that the Android app even gives details for messages from unknown senders.

Expanding to messages, the Truecaller app identifies unknown numbers in messaging apps. The company claims that the app recognises unknown numbers in WhatsApp, Line, Viber, and Telegram apps. However, this isn't a default turned-on feature. This ability to identify unknown numbers in Messaging apps can be turned on in the Settings menu > General > Messaging apps.

Once enabled, users will be notified about the identity of the unknown number that just messaged them. In case an unknown makes a voice call over the app (presumably via a service tied to your phone number like WhatsApp), users are also notified about the identity. Of course, in both cases, the unknown number has to be saved in the Truecaller database. One could say the feature is similar to the Truemessenger app, however, it works across messaging apps and is not limited to SMSes.

This feature is exclusive only to Android users, and iPhone users should just be happy that live Caller ID has been introduced (with caveats) recently.

As mentioned earlier, iPhone users received the live caller ID feature earlier in May. However, the app had to be kept running in the background for the feature to work properly, and it only worked between two Truecaller users.

This New Search Engine Could Be Way Smarter Than Google

Search engines that aren't Google rarely have much that's interesting to offer to the average consumer. But Omnity, a new search engine aimed at researchers - or even just students doing their homework - offers some glimmers of something new that make it worth taking notice.

Search, as we know it, is ripe for some sort of change, after all. Google is certainly working to bake search more fully into our cars, phones and other devices. Specialized search engines - for flights, places to stay, even .gifs - are going strong. And then there are those AI bots being promised byGoogle, Facebook, Microsoft and others. What are they but high-powered, repackaged search engines?

Omnity stands out by offering results that best match for any given search term and also how those results relate to each other. So if you're about to start a research project on a topic you know little about, you can quickly see who is getting cited the most, whose research is the most influential or which university is leading the pack on that subject. It draws from a number of data sets, including SEC filings, public news organization reports, scientific journals, financial reports and legal histories.

You can also drag and drop documents into the search engine to get an analysis of the "rare words" in it - Omnity obviously strips out the little words like "he," "she," "it" and "but," yet also looks for words that are more unique to any given document to get a better idea of what it's about. For example, I dragged in a legal filing from a case I'm researching for another article. Omnity turned up links to other cases that were relevant but not directly cited in the filing, as well as the names of some experts that I may now end up calling.

That starts to nibble away at a pretty important problem we see with today's Web: The keyword system most of us are using today isn't always that great. It's impressive that search engines know the keywords of an article; that gets a long way to the goal of indexing all human knowledge. But what if it has been mislabeled? You lose access to that whole avenue of exploration. Omnity, by scanning whole documents, gets around that problem to some degree.

In addition to helping pick up some of the information we can lose with normal search, Omnity also illustrates a trend that's cropping up more and more in data products these days: a focus on context.

Enamored of the possibilities of big data, we've spent the last few years gobbling up as much information as possible, looking for the high-indicator "Moneyball"-type data points that tell us everything. The problem is, there's so much information out there in the world that it's easy to lose sight of where it comes from. This is how we end up with (worthy) John Oliver rants about scientific papers being reduced to sensational headlines without any context around them. Now we're increasingly seeing a focus on grounding information in a larger setting again, rather than just looking for the silver bullets. Omnity does an admirable job of focusing on both the highlights, as well as the larger tapestry into which those shiny spots are woven.

So is it a revolution? Realistically, no. It's pretty safe to say that Omnity and its ilk are never going to take over Google. But niche search engines are a funny business, and as we rely more on voice-controlled assistants and smart bots to do our bidding, it's entirely possible that we'll see a greater reliance on these more-specialized tools to get exactly the right information for the queries we're mumbling into our phones. We've certainly seen niche search engines gain their place among top-tier products - just look at Wolfram Alpha, the "computational search engine" that helps power a little thing called Siri.

That may be thinking a little far ahead for Omnity; there are no announcements here about integration with other products just yet. It's launched at a base price of $99 per month for researchers, though it does have a basic/academic version for free.

But as search as we know it gets morphed into something new, it's worth looking at new products like this to see where things might be going and how it could change our habits in the long run.

Indian Museum Galleries to Be Available Online via Google Cultural Institute

Beginning with its prized collection of Buddhist art including the famous Gandhara sculptures, the Indian Museum is now putting all of its galleries for 360-degree panoramic viewing for anyone to see online.

As part of a tie-up with the Google Cultural Institute, which allows art lovers to explore artifacts from all over the world on its website, the Indian Museum is launching an e-version of its exquisite exhibition titled Indian Buddhist Art on Wednesday.

Among the important highlights in the exhibit include a sculpture of the head of Buddha from fifth century in Sarnath which is featured even in school textbooks.

"This is the first virtual exhibition we are organising after which all our galleries will gradually be available on the Google Cultural Institute website," museum director Jayanta Sengupta told PTI.

Three galleries, including those on Buddhist sculptures, are ready for 360-degree panoramic viewing on the Internet.

"This allows anyone to have a walk through the gallery and see it as you do it with your eyes. You can scroll around to see even the ceiling and the floor," he said.

Since last year a team of Google from the UK and the US have been working hard with their specialised and patented camera technology to click high-resolution photos of the treasures lying in the museum.

The process is taking time because the work can only be done on Mondays when the museum is closed to visitors.

It is expected that all galleries will be online within a year's time.

Over 200 years old, Indian Museum is the oldest and the largest multi-purpose museum in Asia.

The biggest repository of Indian antiquity, some of the museum's prized possessions include an Egyptian mummy, Buddhist stupa from Bharhut, Buddha's ashes, Ashoka pillar, fossil skeletons of pre-historic animals and a collection of meteorites.

For some of such cultural and historical treasures, the museum is also planning to have gigapixel images which will allow magnification upto a thousand times.

"If it's a painting then you can see all intricate details like even the brush strokes. Seeing a gigapixel image is like putting the object under microscope," Sengupta said.

Another advantage of having a virtual tour of the museum is that the website will have more information about the artifact on display since there is no space restriction in the virtual world.

The musuem director rejects suggestions that once all galleries are online the number of visitors at their campus will decrease.

"Internationally this has been the case. After people see it online they are more motivated to see the real thing and so they walk into the museum," he said.

Spread over 10,000 square feet area, it boasts of over sixty galleries of art, archeology, anthropology, geology,zoology and botany sections.

It houses rare artifacts of great archival and heritage value numbering more than a lakh.

The museum has a unique collection of coins, numbering more than 52,000 from the sub-continent ranging from fourth century BC to present date.

Besides Buddhist stupa, the Bharhut gallery shows the architectural remains from Bharhut belonging to Shunga period, along with similar fragments from Bodhgaya. The textile gallery showcases how the art of weaving was known to Indians as early as 2500 BC.