Naila Kanwal

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  • Travel: The Beautiful City Of Brugge (Bruges) , Belgium |

    Travel: The Beautiful City Of Brugge (Bruges) , Belgium |

    Welcome back everyone . Its been a while since i have finished writing my blogs lol they are all sitting in drafts , been so busy lately.Today I ‘ll be sharing my trip and tips to the beautiful city of Brugge in Belgium.  We took this trip early April but I can’t imagine how dreamy it must be during winter when all those Christmas lights are on. Brugge or Bruges is recognized by its gorgeous canals and medieval buildings. Its a small yet gorgeous little town full of history. Its best to arrive early and take the whole day to walk around and see everything it has to offer.

    I didn’t realize since we went on a Sunday , I was expecting everything to be closed but it actually has a great traffic free shopping street with all kinds of low and high end brands which were open until 6 even on a Sunday but we walked through that street exactly around 6 so everything was closing  bummer for me yay for my kid and husband hehe.

    Taking a boat through the canals of Brugge is a must do. You can do a boat tour or a horse carriage tour they both end up around 50$ , we decided to go with the boat. The boat ride was around 50 minutes, Azlan ( my 16 month old at the time ) being a super hyper baby who loves water , I had a little phobia that he might want to jump off the boat. That particular thought made me make sure to take my baby carrier with me and I had him strapped in it through out our boat ride. To my surprise it went surprisingly well and he loved the boat ride so much he didn’t wanna get off in the end. I have had the BabyBjorn Baby carrier since Azlan was born and it has been great , I will make sure to post the link below.

    I think its a great place to visit and spend a whole day . Near the shopping street , there is a whole area with restaurants of all kinds. Plenty of souvenir shops , that you must visit to purchase something nice for yourself, family or friends. They have carousels and other attractions for young kids.

    The drive from Mechelen to Brugge was pleasant as well , its only about 1 hour and 30 min , probably an hour if you are coming from Brussels. Plenty of gas stations on the way to stop for a quick snack or if you are with kids bathroom breaks. To my surprise unlike in the United States the gas station we stopped at had a cost to use the bathroom services. I had to change Azlan’s diaper and the way it worked was it was a few cents that you had to put in to use the restrooms and they pay you those cents back in a coupon which you can use to purchase something for the store. Coming from the States that was quite shocking for me lol but anyways I definitely think its a great idea though.I hope you guys enjoyed this post , photographs and the video tour below. Stay updated by subscribing to my accounts below for more travel related posts.

    Photographs and Video Tour Below.

    Video Tour

    Thanks for reading you guys !

    All images © 2014-2018 Naila K

    Instagram @naila.us

    Twitter @itsnailakanwal

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  • Tasty Desi Murgh Karahi | Farm/Home Raised Chicken Karahi |

    Tasty Desi Murgh Karahi | Farm/Home Raised Chicken Karahi |

                    Hello loves,  For this recipe i am using the same chicken that was left over from the organic broth recipe that I posted earlier. We bought the chicken at a local organic farm , we slaughtered it ourselves. There is a tremendous difference in the chicken you buy at a local market compared to the one from the farm. The diet , health and the condition the chicken lived in is very important factor to consider. Animal welfare is very important because whatever condition that animal lived in will affect you too when you eat it. If you are eating the chicken that comes from factories where they lived a stressful life , never saw a day in the sun , was fed GMO food and grew up with growth hormones etc. Don’t you just wonder what horrible effects it will have on your body and not just that by eating and buying that chicken you are supporting cruelty on animals and the companies that run it.

               Yes eating healthy can be a bit expensive for some people but isn’t it better to eat less but healthy rather then to eat a lot but total crap that will bring no good to you or your body. Its a matter of choice and what your prioritize. Buy local and support small organic farms.  The Farm/Home raised chicken takes longer to get tender compared to the one you buy at the grocery store which is why its better if you boil it before starting this recipe or you may also use a pressure cooker. If you are just simply boiling the chicken before you can also add its broth to the Karahi , it will make a tremendous difference in taste. I didn’t have any clear broth to use because I made the drink out of it. You can read my organic broth drink recipe here.

    Let’s get started

    What you need

    • Organic Tomato                  3 Organic Tomatoes
    • Green Chillies (Serrano)   3-4
    • Dried Fenugreek                 1 TSP ( squish with fingers to turn it into really small pieces)
    • Onion                                    Half medium sized
    • Ginger/Garlic Paste           1 TBSP
    • Sunflower Oil                       1/2 Cup
    • Chicken                                 1/2 Kg ( 1 LBS ) ( pre boiled )
    • Yogurt                                    2 TBSP
    • Cilantro                                 For Garnish

    Spices

    • Red Pepper                         per taste or 1/2 Tbsp
    • Himalayan Salt                  per taste
    • Cumin Powder                   1/2 Tbsp
    • Coriander Powder             1/2 Tbsp
    • Turmeric                             1/2 TSP

     

    Instructions

    1. Chop Onion
    2. Add Onions to the pot with 1/2 Cup Oil
    3. Fry for 4-5 minutes
    4. Add Ginger/Garlic Paste
    5. Add Chicken and Fry for 5-10 min
    6. Stir , sprinkle some water if the chicken start to stick to the pot.
    7. Add all the spices
    8. Stir and mix well
    9. Add Yogurt and stir.
    10. Add tomatoes
    11. Cover the pot and cook on low – medium heat until tomatoes dissolve about 20-30 min
    12. Add green chillies
    13. Add fenugreek
    14. Add Cilantro
    15. Serve hot with flat bread ( Roti ) and Enjoy!

     

    Watch The Video

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    All images © 2014-2018 Naila K

    Instagram @naila.us

    Twitter @itsnailakanwal

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  • Healthy Red Kidney Beans Gravy | Red Lobia Ka Salan | لوبیہ کا سالن | & Benefits

    Healthy Red Kidney Beans Gravy | Red Lobia Ka Salan | لوبیہ کا سالن | & Benefits

    Benefits of Red Kidney Beans

    Kidney beans carry a great source of manganese that acts as an antioxidant defense for your body as well as plenty of protein which makes them the best substitutes for meat & dairy products.

    According to WHFoods Cooked Red Kidney Beans have:
    • molybdenum  295%
    • folate                58%
    • fiber                 45%
    • copper             42%
    • manganese     38%
    • phosphorus    35%
    • protein            31%
    • vitamin B       123%
    • iron                 22%
    • potassium      20%
    • magnesium    19%

    Kidney beans are known to be a great defense against some cancers , combine that with the awesome powers (including cancer reducing ) of turmeric, mixed with the anti-inflammatory powers of ginger and garlic, Voila ! What a great way to keep your body healthy. So don’t forget to try this recipe !

     

    What you need

    • Red Kidney Beans              1 Cup
    • Water                                    5 Cup
    • Organic Tomato                  1 medium sized
    • Green Chillies (Serrano)   1
    • Onion                                    1 medium sized
    • Ginger/Garlic Paste           1 TBSP
    • Sunflower Oil                       1/2 Cup
    • Cilantro                                 For Garnish

    Spices

    • Red Pepper                         per taste or 1/2 Tbsp
    • Himalayan Salt                  per taste
    • Cumin Powder                   1/2 Tbsp
    • Coriander Powder             1/2 Tbsp
    • Turmeric                             1/2 TSP

     

    Instructions

    1. There are two sizes available for red kidney beans we are using the small size bought at the local south asian grocery store ( it is said that the small size tastes better )
    2. You can soak it overnight if you like you don’t have to but it ll make things easier.You can boil the beans before starting the recipe so its easier to cook  OR you can use a pressure cooker.
    3. Chop Onion
    4. Add Onions to the pot with 1/2 Cup Oil
    5. Fry for 4-5 minutes
    6. Add Ginger/Garlic Paste
    7. Add tomatoes and green chillies
    8. Stir , sprinkle some water if the onions start to stick to the pot.
    9. Add all the spices
    10. Stir and mix well
    11. Add beans and mix
    12. Add water
    13. Securely close your pressure cooker for and leave it for about 25-30 min
    14. If you choose not to use a pressure cooker at this point you can add another cup of water and leave it on stove for 40-50 min.
    15. Add Cilantro
    16. Serve hot with flat bread ( Roti ) and Enjoy!

     

    Watch The Video

     

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    All images © 2014-2018 Naila K

    Instagram @naila.us

    Twitter @itsnailakanwal

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  • Anti-Inflammatory Ginger & Turmeric Tea | Natural Remedy To Fight Cold & Flu

    Anti-Inflammatory Ginger & Turmeric Tea | Natural Remedy To Fight Cold & Flu

    What you ‘ll need

    • 1.5 inch         Ginger
    • 1 inch            Fresh Turmeric
    • 2 Cups          Water
    • As needed    Organic Honey or Raw Honey

    Instructions

    1. Clean and cut ginger and turmeric in half
    2. Bring water to boil
    3. Add ginger and turmeric
    4. Once water starts boiling , boil it for 10 minutes.
    5. Pour it into a cup and add honey as much as you desire.
    6. Drink it while its warm.

    Benefits

    The spectacular turmeric ginger tea has a very lengthy list of benefits which includes helping you eliminate inflammation and strengthening your immune system. Help your body become naturally strong enough to fight off flu and cold related problems this season.  Collaboration of these powerful ingredients helps speed up relief for cough, colds, congestion and eradicates the masked infections. Turmeric is also a great known agent to clean acne, acne scars and improve skin quality overall.  Make it a part of your daily routine once a day is or once every two days is good enough to stay safe this flu season.

    Watch The Video

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    Thanks for reading you guys !

    All images © 2014-2018 Naila K

    Instagram @naila.us

    Twitter @itsnailakanwal

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  • Organic Chicken Broth Recipe | Desi Murgh Yakhni | Great For Patients , New Mothers & Winter Days!

    Organic Chicken Broth Recipe | Desi Murgh Yakhni | Great For Patients , New Mothers & Winter Days!

    You will need…

    • Whole Chicken –   1 Kg   (Preferably organic & pasture raised )
    • Water                  –  20 Cups
    • Onion                  –   1 Medium size ( Cut it up into large pieces )
    • Ginger                 –  1-2 cm thick
    • Garlic                  – 2 whole heads ( peeled or not doesn’t matter you’ll be draining it later. Cut it in half  if you don’t want to peel it )

    Spices

    • Turmeric                            1 TBSP
    • Black Pepper                     1 – 1/2 TBSP
    • Himalayan Salt                  According to your taste
    • Cumin Seeds                      2 TBSP
    • Dried Coriander Seeds     2 TBSP
    • ( Optional:  Cloves  1 TSP  )

    (more…)