#Indian sweet meat

[thetockablog]

Burfee / Barfi

Burfee/ Barfi Ingredients500g klim milk powder, sifted160g nestles cream60g ground almonds1 tsp ground cardamom500g icing sugar, sifted¾ cup milk6 tablespoons butter ghee1 tsp vanilla extract or rose waterToasted almonds or pistachios to decorate MethodPrepare a 32cm baking dish with baking paper and set aside.Add Klim to a large mixing bowl along with the ground almonds and cardamom. Add the…

[metamatar]

good places to start with when looking for broad variety of indian recipes in english, biased towards north and south indian cuisine.

popular indian celebrity chefs with recipes/videos online: sanjeev kapoor, tarla dalal, ranveer brar (overcomplicates recipes imo)

national newsmedia that have recipe sections: ndtv, times of india, the hindu

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Medieval Plants & Stones

for your next poem/story

Agate - a stone that is used to find pearls. When divers want to locate pearls, they tie an agate to a rope and drop it into the sea. The agate is attracted to a pearl, and the diver can follow the rope to where the pearl lies.

Carbuncle - a red stone, and the name referred to several stones: the Oriental ruby, the garnet, etc. It is said to be found in the forehead of the asp or the dragon. Theophrastus says of it: "Its color is red and of such a kind that when it is held against the sun it resembles a burning coal."

Diamond - no harm can come when kept in a house, even demons cannot enter; comes from the East, where it is found at night by its shining. A person who possesses a diamond can overcome both men and beasts. The diamond does not keep the smell of smoke or fear iron. Only the hot blood of the he-goat can dissolve diamond. It is a miraculous medicinal substance formed by burning magnetic stone in a hot fire.

Fire stones - stones that burst into flames when brought close together; as long as they are kept apart, they are safe

Indian stone - a stone that can cure the illness called dropsy (i.e., a disease of excessive water retention) if it is tied to him. The stone will absorb the man's impurities, and in so doing, comes to weigh as much as the man. If the stone is then placed in the sun for 3 hours, the impure water will drain out of it and it can be re-used.

Magnet stone - or lodestone; attracts iron; can be used to determine if a wife is chaste; produces harmony between man and woman; enhances skill in argument; as a drink it cures the sickness called dropsy; powdered, it quenches fire. Burning a magnet stone produces a diamond.

Mandrake - a plant that shrieks when it is pulled from the earth; its roots grow in human form, male and female; it is of great use in medicine, but anyone who hears the plant's cry dies or goes mad. It was therefore a custom to tie a hungry dog to the plant by a cord and place a piece of meat beyond its reach. To get at the meat the dog tugs at the cord and drags up the plant, while its master remains safely out of hearing; it grows in the East, near the Earthly Paradise (i.e. garden of Eden)

Peridexion tree - a tree in India that attracts doves and repels dragons; doves gather in the tree because they like the sweet fruit, and because there they are safe from the dragon. The dragon hates the doves and would harm them if it could, but it fears the shadow of the peridexion tree and stays on the unshaded side of it. The doves that stay in the shadow are safe, but any who leave it are caught and eaten by the dragon.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Medieval Period

[fireandiceland]

Hetalia characters with dishes typical for their country - part 1 (part 2 here)

Italy: Maritozzo (cream bread) -> This Roman milk bread is said to be dated back to times of Ancient Rome. The baked good is filled with generous amounts of whipped cream and somtimes decorated with fruit or pistachio. Young man also used it in courtship by hiding jewellery or a ring in the filling.

Germany: Breze(l) mit Schokolade (chocolate dipped pretzel) -> A baked pastry with sweet or salty toppings, best known for its distinctive symetrical, knotted shape. Dipped in chocolate the soft pretzel is a popular snack at funfairs and markets, but there are also small, crispy pretzels that are to be eaten like crisps/chips.

Japan: 和菓子 (wagashi; plant based sweet) -> Originally meaning "Japanese confectionery" the term now refers to a traditional dessert made from plant based ingredients. It's artful shapes are influenced by season, nature, or even poetry.

France: Quiche Lorraine -> A savoury tarte traditionally made with a filling of eggs, heavy cream, ham, and bacon. Today cheese is often added, though it is controversial among professionals. (In the drawing there seems to be leek added too which is not mentioned in the original recipe either.)

England: Scotch Egg -> Supposedly inspired by the Indian nargisi koftas, this dish consists of a hard-boiled or soft-boiled egg wrapped in pork (sausage meat) which is coated in breadcrumbs and then baked or deep-fried. Often served in pubs and a popular cold snack as well.

America: Hamburger -> A popular fastfood consisting of a patty (traditionally made from ground beef) between two halfs of a sliced bun. There are countless variations made with all kinds of additional ingredients and condiments, including expensive high-end versions with edible goldflakes.

Russia: пирожки́ (Pirozhki; stuffed bread) -> This popular street food is a baked good made from yeast-dough is typically boat-shaped and filled sweet or savory with meat, vegetables, fruit, jam or tvorog (an Eastern European fermented milk product with a consistency similar to curd cheese)

China: 小籠包 / 小笼包 (Xiaolongbao; steamed bun) -> Steamed dumplings made from leavened or unleavened dough traditionally filled with minced pork, traditionally eaten for breakfast. The top of the dumpling is closed by folding and pinching it. Authentical dumplings have at least 14 folds, preferably 18.

[hannieehaee]

Svt & learning to cook food from s/o’s homecountry (aka not korean food). A different culture & food for each member would rlly cool

making you a meal from your country

content: established relationship, fluff, foreign reader (non-korean), etc.

wc: 872

a/n: this was such a cute concept omg!! i picked the food items and the home countries at random btw sorry if i got some dishes wrong pls lmk if there's any corrections i should make 😭

masterlist

seungcheol -

he wouldn't be able to stand your homesickness for even one second, feeling too sad at your sadness and deciding to do everything in his power to make you feel better. he'd ask around for traditional south african dishes leading him to make you some chakalaka while you were at work. the hours of trial and error wouldve been worth it the moment he saw the happiness in your eyes at his efforts.

jeonghan -

being quite used to simply ordering takeout whenever he so pleased, jeonghan was not used to cooking at home too often. however, if his sweet s/o wanted some homemade tom yum soup, then he'd deliver! after a quick call to mingyu (and an hour or two of messing around in the kitchen), he'd be ready with your food. he loves thai food, so this would be a win-win situation for him.

joshua -

he knew you sometimes missed australia and were unable to go back and forth as you pleased, so josh would occasionally indulge you in making meat pie for you, following a recipe you'd once made for him early in your relationship.

jun -

he'd had indian food before and loved it, so it did not take any convincing for him to decide to make you some indian street food. he'd do it out of his own volition pretty often, actually. by now, he had mastered the art of various dishes, specially panipuri, which he would frequently make for you, and sometimes he'd even share some with his members.

soonyoung -

if he sensed you growing homesick and missing your usual chinese cuisine, he'd go out of his way to seek out jun or minghao to ask what food may make you feel a bit better. he'd then take on the task of making you the most delicious street breakfast, jianbing, knowing it wasnt too difficult a task for him and that it was a meal you'd often have in your youth.

wonwoo -

wonwoo was quite known for his lack of ability in the kitchen, but that would not stop him from making you some laksa whenever you were feeling particularly homesick. despite not knowing how to make any other singaporean dishes, he'd have specifically mastered at least one in order to take care of you in such a domestic way whenever the opportunity arose.

jihoon -

never having been one to cook much (he'd much rather stick to washing dishes), he'd struggle a lot through making you some pastéis de nata for your anniversary, deciding to make a korean-portuguese fusion of meals to celebrate your relationship. ok, maybe he called mingyu over to help, but the joy in your eyes as you shared the meal with him had made it worth all of mingyu's nagging as he followed his instructions to the letter.

seokmin -

he's never been to spain, but he's had a few spanish meals throughout his life, so he'd quickly understand why you'd often complain about the lack of authentic spanish food near your shared apartment. would take it upon himself to learn how to make paella in the most perfect manner imaginable just to see a smile on your face.

mingyu -

making a pizza from scratch was easier said than done, but mingyu had taken on the task the moment you let him know of the fomo you felt at seeing him and his best friends explore your country of origin, italy. you'd watched nana tour happily, but still felt a bit off at knowing you couldn't be there with your boyfriend. but fear not! mingyu was about to bring the authentic italian experience to your door!

minghao -

he's been to the united states so many times by now that he just knows american food by heart. wouldnt even need a recipe to know how to make you some classic barbecue on a sunny afternoon. would even make an entire day out of it, grilling under the sun while you sunbathed next to him.

seungkwan -

seungkwan has always thought himself to be quite a good cook. or at least he was quite good at making korean food. japanese food was another story. he knew how badly you missed homemade sushi, never enjoying any from your nearby restaurants. he'd have to ask for your help at some point, but the end result would be the two of you sharing a nice moment making a meal together, so it all went according to plan.

vernon -

he doesnt know how to cook neither korean nor american food, but you best bet he'll try his hardest to make you traditional vietnamese food in the form of bun cha and bánh xèo. it looked easy and like it tasted good, how hard could it be? would try his bestest but eventually need to ask you for help completing the task. a+ for effort, though.

chan -

he already loves mexican food, so making it for you wouldnt even be something you'd have to request from him – he'd just do it on his own! he'd already mastered all types of street food, eventually opting to make you menudo, knowing how much you enjoyed that meal as a child.

[himefemme]

'bunny and her butch' - meeting sevika.

the soft rush of waves crashing against the mushy bed of sand burrowing the rocks and pebbles, salty water kisses the shore... you're awaken by your covers being ripped off of your soft body, lace camisole lifted by the smooth skin of your thigh. you'd gone to the dive bar the previous night, hammered from the endless barrage of drinks, cheap champagne and the 'special' they had on sale, you could taste that it was only grape juice with a dash of whiskey- your head spun like a neverendingly rocking rowboat. your bonnet had long abandoned your head, the measly bow which had been tied before, draped lazily over the soft curve of your shoulder. the satin material acting as a wakeup call, once the smooth, warmed material left the curve of your shoulder, you were rudely reminded of the wave of cold air seeping through the open window. your eagerness shot through like a bullet, today you'd meet sevika, she worked as a lawyer for a firm she left- sevika was an oldest daughter, her youngest (and only sibling) shivani worked as a vet, sevika included that in her bio as a fun fact. you'd been talking with sev, or 'sevi' or 'vika' for a while now, long enough to know about how she used to have waist length hair and only cut it off because she felt an intense need for change. also it was too girlish for her, she admired the fact that their were butches with long hair who could rock it without playing into societies stereotypical expectations. sevika had pictures of herself with her dog, her mother on christmas and a few others with random people she hadn't yet introduced to you. after a hot shower, blasting music and drinking hot cocoa, you find yourself checking your reflection in the full-body mirror by the front door, wearing round-toe ballet flats, a black dress with a lace hem, a khaki trenchcoat and a white bow, snapping a quick picture before ushering out of the door, glossy lips quivering with excitement. sevika waited outside of the cafe. wearing khaki pants (both had unintentionally matched and the fact made my heart lurch and a dark red jumper over a striped polo tee. it was likely she'd just returned from work. she holds her hand out for you, the cotton wool of your jacket caught onto the wrinkles of her fingers. sevika smiles, taking a bite from the thick chicken burger she'd ordered, the crisp meat a pearly white inside, traces of spicy mayo dripping back onto her plate, evidence of a good meal, she hummed in content. words were left unsaid, all that was needed was a good meal and eye contact, she'd already devoted herself to you. "so, whereabouts are you from, sev?" you asked, her eyes flickering up to meet you as she swallowed down the rest of her food. "My mother is Indian, as was my father—however //his// father was also from Barbados." she states, hell, she'd almost gone light-headed at the sight of you simply listening to her, nodding your head, pouting your soft lips in thought, and those small 'mm's' you'd let slip out. You twirled around the tomato pasta in your bowl, listening to the slimy slosh of the sauce mixing with the buttery noodles. after a lot of talking and much more eating, you felt stuffed, sevika insisted on paying the bill fully, she couldn't help it- she saw it as a chivalrous act, there was nothing she loved more than acts of service! on the way out her fingers laced between yours, swinging lightly as you made your way to her car. leaving a lingering kiss on your hand after stopping her car outside of your house, she watches your dress flutter in the wind, warmth brews inside of her chest. It was a fulfilling day, perhaps even more filling than the chicken burger she'd had earlier, the chicken burger you ended up splitting because the pasta you ordered had too many onions. sevika rests her head on the wheel, the scent of your sweet vanilla spray still lingers on the seat of her car, burying itself within the fabric… and within her mind too.

part two!

[starryalpacasstuff]

Fire (1996): A Mostly Spoiler Free Pitch Because You Should Watch It Immediately

It's time for "An Indian QL bulldozed past my expectations and I am reeling in awe", Part Two!

A few days ago, @neuroticbookworm told me about Fire, an old lesbian Indian movie she'd been wanting to watch. Me being me, I promptly tracked it down and settled in to watch it.

Very loosely based on the 1942 short story Lihaaf, the movie follows Sita, a newly wed bride who is settling in with her in-laws, which is how she meets Radha, who is married to her husband's brother. Both in unhappy marriages, they find solace and company with each other, quickly falling in love. Length: 1 Hour 40 Minutes TWs: Homophobia, C-word mentioned once, some depictions of domestic violence Release: 1996

The is almost entirely in English, and while one generally expects Bollywood movies to be in Hinglish, it's definitely a conscious choice here, which does make me wonder if the movie was supposed to be promoted to a greater international audience. You can find it here on Youtube, most of the (very few) Hindi dialogues have hard subtitles. I think it's also available on Prime? It wasn't available in India though, which is odd, but I didn't bother investigating. Let me know if anyone can figure anything out about this!

Going into this movie, I expected a melodramatic, emotional movie with a bittersweet tone. I did not expect a biting, incredibly engaging movie with excellent satire, symbolism, discussions of chastity culture, and an incredibly sweet, beautifully written romance. And I was certainly not prepared for how incredibly horny this movie is??? Both in subtle tension and overt sex scenes. There's also partial nudity, which again, completely unexpected. If you're going taboo, go taboo all the way I suppose. It's also very well directed, and while I'm not nearly as good at identifying details like that as some of the people on here, I did pick up on some colour coding and interesting framing. It's just overall packed with little details that I think a lot of us would have a field day analysing.

Honestly, I could talk about the cultural nuances in this movie for hours. Contrary to my assumption about the reasoning behind making the movie fully in English, the movie seems to rely on the viewer's understanding of North Indian customs to deliver a lot of it's messages, particularly with its satire, more on that below. While I don't think it's necessary to enjoy the movie, it definitely does add some meat to the story. Then again, I'm a biased party, so it'll be hard to determine just how many messages may be lost to someone from outside of India without someone to compare notes with (this is me shamelessly trying to get you to watch the movie). Honestly, I'd be 100% down to write a more detailed, spoiler-including post that goes into the implicit nuances if people are interested.

There's two main selling points for the movie; the incredible way it shuts down purity and chastity ideology and the absolutely adorable relationship between Radha and Sita. The movie is set on ruthlessly tearing down and emphasizing the ridiculousness of purity culture. A lot of the messaging is indirect and uses metaphors, but there's also several explicit scenes addressing the issue. It's one of the main themes of the movie and I'm almost convinced the real reason it's titled 'Fire' is the sheer number of burns it dishes out on this subject. The romance portion of this movie is one of the thing's that completely defied my expectations. It wasn't sad and dramatic, it was heartfelt and silly and adorable. There's several scenes of the two subtly flirting, laughing together and just being lowkey in love. But that's not to say there's no emotional depth—they're also there for each other and are quite vulnerable with each other.

The movie used a lot of metaphors, but my favourites were the almost satirical representation of mythological stories. In a religion as diverse as Hinduism, every holiday has two dozen stories behind it and each story has two dozen versions, so it's to be expected that you'll find a number of problematic or otherwise kind of ridiculous stories in the mix. The stories were told completely seriously, but the context of the movie highlights their absurd facets in a truly brilliant way. I'm not going to give too much away, but I will say, it was a delight to watch the juxtaposition of the myths and the storyline of the movie, particularly it's ties to the purity culture discussion. You'll understand when you watch it. I'm not turning this into a Hindu mythology lesson (yet) but one interesting tidbit is that Radha and Sita are both names of mythological figures; namely the partners of two of the most worshipped avatars of the god Vishnu: Krishna and Rama respectively. And I was overjoyed to find that their names do have relevance to the metaphors in the story, particularly Sita's.

When the movie was first released, there were massive protests against it, I'm talking hundreds of people storming into theatres to destroy them and drive away audiences. I don't know what to say here beyond this, but what I will say is that I think Fire is an amazing movie that absolutely does not deserve to be lost to the sands of time. I hope you give it a shot, and if you do, tag me in any posts you make about it!

Tagging people who seemed interested in recs from my last post, let me know if you'd rather I not tag you!

@lurkingshan @impala124 @bengiyo @letgomaggie @winnysatang

@watertightvines @nutcasewithaknife @blorbingqls @twig-tea

@waitmyturtles @cryingatships @benkaben @usertoxicyaoi

@befuddledcinnamonroll @flyingrosebeetle

[a-b-riddle]

What do you think the 141 boys would do with a reader who loves animals. Im not saying in the "aww theyre so cute" way, im saying that they see a homeless (and homeless could mean wondering the streets even if they have a collar on) and she just wants to take it home. Have you seen that guy on tick tock who trained the seagull? She'd do that but with every bird that flys by her window. Mice? She says your welcome as long as she protects her food a little extra careful. She refuses to hurt them or "scare" them in any way so using traps to catch "vermin" is a no go and she will cry just thinking about it!

Sorry, thank you for reading I love your writings x

Johnny jokes about you being a princess to his family when you first met them. It’s not until a sweet singing bird comes to sit on your shoulder did they realize he was serious. When you found out his Da had been using inhumane traps in his barn, Johnny couldn’t resist those tears. So he set it up where they were just repelled instead of killed. His Da pitched a fit, but Johnny promised to cover the cost.

Kyle is 100% on board with going vegan with you when you said you wanted to try it. The two of you spent countless hours in the kitchen, but what never really worked were cheese alternatives… so you settled on vegetarian, which worked out great. Both of you loved Indian food and not every dish needed meat… but then… no more sushi. You were disappointed in yourself for being able to only settle for pescatarian, but Kyle reminded you of that pescatarian is still good. He is just proud that you’re trying.

Price realizes that this is his chance to pull you out of the city and into the country. Get you a house with enough land to get you all the critters your heart desires. Come home with a highland cow courtesy of a Mr. MacTavish? He doesn’t care. He has the money to spend on you. If not handbags and jewelry then eventually something.

Simon doesn’t do pets. He refuses your attempts at wanting to get an animal, especially when the two of you had been trying to conceive. When you fall pregnant, it’s definitely a hard no. But your hormones make you cry at the drop of a hat. Seeing stray animals is bad, but roadkill is worse. Simon covers your eyes anytime you’re about to pass a dead animal on the side of the road. When you had come across a large dog one time, Simon had turned the car around after you wouldn’t stop crying to put it in the boot of the car and take it back home to give it a proper burial. He didn’t judge you about petting the deceased dog. Crying over an animal that wasn’t even worse. The next day he comes home with a floppy-eared german shepherd puppy. “Figured the two of them could grow together.” He shrugs, placing the puppy in front of you before kissing the top of your head.

[pinkpigtailsprincess]

𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Dollies 63 Days of Summer Glow up!! Day 1 > Prep 🎀☀️🐬

Hii Dolls!! 🎀 Welcome 2 my newest series of my 2 month long summer glow up process its pretty self explanatory but im gonna be documenting my 2 month long summer glow up process 2 just be a better me!! enjoy!! ☀️

DISCLAIMER!! ; i will censoring and dancing around certain topics just bc ik they can be triggering to some folk that have issues so cw; vauge mentions of w3!ght!! 💗

Stage 1 : Health! ☀️

It always important to keep up with ur health obvii 2 maintain good balance in life! ☀️

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Diet!! 🍏

Now diet wise i already do have a pretty balanced and healthy diet to begin with so i won’t have to that much work on my diet but i definitely wanna make small improvements!!🎀

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Diet Goals!! 🍋

incorporate different from my usual ones fruits!!

expand my palate (chronic picky eater)

making more meals that are still healthy & tasty but not repetitive!!

not skipping my meals!!

cutting out all meats except fish!!

push myself to like cucumbers

get back into drinking more fruit water!!

stop eating so much cheese!

knowing my limit when eating!

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Exercise !! 🧘‍♀️

Doing more exercise is definitely a huge one for me because there was a point where i did it daily but then i stopped bc i feel into a rut but then i started again but only once a month so im trying to get back into daily exercise!!

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Fitness Goals!! 🧘‍♀️

workout more than once a month!

do more yoga + cardio + home pilates

use exercise to make me healthier & happier

lose w*ight i won’t disclose how much i want to loose and how much i wanna be bc that’s personal 2 me !!

feeling comfortable in my body + build discipline

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Oral Health !! 🪥

I Will say i did recently update my oral hygiene routine bc i got braces so now i have to do more work but i definitely wanna still add things to it!!

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Oral Health Goals !! 🦷

consistently floss in the morning as well as night

buy a tongue scraper

get an electric toothbrush

start oil pulling

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Mental Health !! ☀️

I Sooo wanna improve some thing in my mental health bc obviously its super important to not only take care of my physical health but my mental health!! 🎀

𐙚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ Mental Health Goals !! 🧁

get back into journaling

get back into meditation

step out of my comfort zone

build more confidence in social settings!

replace most phone time with reading time

spend more time outside

prioritizing rest more

not being to hard on myself

celebrating all my wins and accomplishments no matter how big or small!

Stage2 ೀ⋆ : Hygiene!

I Already have a pretty solid skincare routine to begin with but honestly i just wanna improve to it and add more to it ! 🎀

Skincare ୭₊˚ ! 🎀

For my Skincare routine i already have my products and my basics but honestly i wanna stater using different products to better help my skin!!

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Skincare Goals ! ⭐️

ice rolling

gua-sha

jade rolling

bi weekly dermaplaing

weekly face mask

facial steaming

facial cleansing brush

use more Korean & Japanese products (Japanese products are literally the best)

Body-care ୭₊˚ ⭐️

Another section where i wanna make improvement i already exfoliate,hair removal sometimes and i use my antibacterial soap and my body washes but theres a bunch of things i wanna incorporate!! 💗

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Bodycare Goals ! 🐬

start dry brushing

exfoliate weekly

shave or epilating more often (my own choice bc honestly i don’t like the feeling of body hair

use my glycolic acid more routinely

buy more sweet smelling body products

find a signature scent

use body oil + body butter + body glitter

using an African exfoliating net instead of a rag

Haircare ୭₊˚ ! 💗

For my Hair care i definitely wanna make room for improvement i mainly detangle every day with just some water or style depending on if i need/want to or not and i oil my scalp!!

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Haircare Goals ! 🐬

Grow it out more with the Help of Indian Amla Oil (some said it stinks but if it helps)

Learn More Hair Styles

Use Rice Water

castor oil

Scalp Massage More Often

Hair Masque Bi-Weekly

Trim Split Ends

Deep Conditioning On a Wash Day

Nailcare ! ୭₊˚ ⭐️

use more cuticle oil

professional manipedis bi weekly!

soak my feet with foot salts more

develop my own at home nail care routine

Facials!!🎀

buy new daily vitamins!!

keep my hair professionally done!!

use my primuce stone more

buy more lipgloss + vaseline lip care

Stage 3 ೀ⋆ Makeup + Jewelry + Fashion + Perfumes 🛍️ !!

I wanna learn how to do my makeup again so badly! and this time i have more tips so i can actually learn how to do it properly!! 🫧

Makeup Goals ୭₊˚ !

find the perfect soft glam dolly makeup

perfect my eyebrows

learn to glue down lashes

make the perfect base

learn to bronze and contour correctly

perfect the highlighter placement

get the perfect sun kissed summer doll makeup

again buy more lipgloss

Jewelry Goals ୭₊˚ ! ⭐️

i desperately have been needing new jewelry and for the longest and ive stupidly been wearing silver knowing i like gold better

buy bangels

get gold hoops

get a new nameplate

get more necklaces

get more rings

get anklets !!

Fashion Goals ୭₊˚ ! 🛍️

actually dress in clothes i genuinely like

dress for my body type

not toning down my dressing for random people

build confidence in my outfits

start sewing some of my outfits bc i can

make crochet pieces for the beach

buy tons of cute clothes!!

make more inspo boards !!

Stage 4 ; Posture,Eloquence + Mannerism + Photogenic 🎀🍰

Definitely a Big one for me i wanna fix my posture and definitely speak up more in public bc im a little shy 🙈🎀!

Posture Goals ୭₊˚ ! 🫧

fix my back posture

learn to again regulate my nervous sustem and relax my shoulders

be more fluid in my movements!!

walking with my head up

Eloquence Goals ୭₊˚ ! 🛁

speaking louder in public so people can actually hear me

speaking clearly with confidence

controlling my facial expressions more

smiling more!! 😁

Mannerism Goals + Body Language ୭₊˚ ! 🛍️

I tend to tone down my natrual mannerisms ALOT when im out in public and honestly im tried of not being my true self in public and i let the opinions of those around me influence me into toning it down

be more animated as i am at home in public

walk the way i want to!!

practice princess mannerisms with my own little spin🤭

walk around like a princess bc im literally a princess

Extra Goals ୭₊˚ ! 🛍️

be more photogenic

learn how to pose

be more videogenic

walk around like i won the place (4 the confidence esque of it

Stage 5: Mindset!!🎀⭐️

The Final Stage!!🎀: where ill be implementing so mindsets of some my favs and learn how to express myself in my environment bc honestly it sucks not being able to be myself around my family ⭐️

Mindset Goals ୭₊˚ ! 🐬

knowing my worth

not letting outside opinions dictate my life

unapologetically being myself around my family

reminding my self that people opinions don’t matter

always have a one track mind with all my goals!!

again not being too hard on myself!

Thank you all so much 4 reading i can’t wait till start documenting my journey with you guys!!🎀⭐️ XO,Dolly!!

[casualaruanienjoyer]

Right haven't done one of those is so long buuuut....

What would be the favorite food of these AOT characters?

Armin: he strikes me as a fish guy, someone who enjoys carp dinner perhaps? Or maybe crab cakes? Something light, maybe even caught fresh. Well, it has to be, because Annie probably hates the smell of fish. He needs to be very careful with how he cooks it!

Annie: do I have to say this?? SWEET PASTRIES! Of any kind!! But she'a fond of jam donuts with powder sugar on top. She can eat an endless amount! No, for real, the bakeries can't keep up with her anymore.

Mikasa: Soup! She loves how warm and familiar it feels to her. It's like eating a hug, and she can always try new combinations of ingredients for it. She also likes to feed everyone who visits, even if they are hungry or not. You go to Mikasa's place? You eat soup!

Eren: he's a bit of a strange one, but there's just something about nuggets and fries that just works. Every day. Every time. Beige food is Eren food.

Jean: he's a fancy guy, so obviously... stake! Delicious juicy stake, and we can't forget about the wine! Only the finest! Until he spills it over himself... every time.

Reiner: the first thing that came to mind was mashed potatoes with meatballs and sweet tomato sauce. A very barebone recipe that just hits the right spot for him! Something that makes him feel at home. I bet he cries every time he has it too.

Connie: spicy food!! Of any kind! Maybe Indian, maybe Mexican? Doesn't matter! The only important thing is for his tongue to be ON FIRE!

Sasha: anything. She's a living, breathing food trashcan! But if she had to pick, perhaps any kind of game meat, wild animals that she hunted herself.

Pieck: She's all about pasta, any form, any shape. However, her favorite seems to be anything coated in copious amounts of Pesto!

Gabi: she's that kid that just LOVES sour candies. The ones that are so sour they make your eyes water. She likes pranking Reiner with them and watching him suffer.

Falco: he doesn't usually admit it, but he loves a good strawberry shortcake. Sometimes, when Annie buys some for herself, she'd also get Falco a slice. It's their little secret.

Zeke: this man will absolutely obliterate a burger. The taller, the better. Sides? Hell yes, add some fries and some corn on the cob and this man is SOLD. What's that? Unlimited refils on the drinks? You bet this man will do his best to make the most of his money!! People often have to physically pull him away from the drinks machines.

Yelena: Sushi, particularly sashimi. Simple, elegant food. She will kill someone for it if she needs to. So please, never take sashimi away from her. Ever.

Onyankopon: my dude can COOK, he's absolutely amazing at it, there isn't a single person who hasn't tried his cooking. He struggles to pick favorites, though he does really enjoy a good goat curry with rice, veggies and a delicious spicy sauce on top.

Levi: good old fashioned tea cakes. Obviously! Although not often, he does really enjoy snacking on them, especially when he enjoys a warm cup of tea on rainy days.

Hange: pizza!! So many different kinds it's almost impossible for her to pick!! Veggie?? Meat feast?? Italian?? Or why not ALL OF THEM AT ONCE!

[prettyboykatsuki]

Hey, I've been trying to make butter chicken for a really long time and no matter what I do the food cart in my city makes it better. I was wondering if you have a recipe that you would like to share since you said you're really good at making butter chicken. Totally okay if you want to keep it private or just not respond to this ask. Also, I love your writing. Long time fan.

HI!!

i was supposed to answer this last night but i took my melatonin super early and fell asleep on accident. i do have a recipe to share and i saw a few people were interested. im not very good with writing down like... formal recipes i cook by heart so to speak so i hope thats alright

but also thank u!! i see u in my notifs a lot so i was happy to see your ask

FANGS BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE:

a couple of things to know prior, making a really good curry usually takes a long time. im not one to be super picky on authenticity but if you're wanting to eat something super delicious it will take you upwards of an hour ++ some, start to finish.

ingredients for chicken

chicken breast / chicken thighs (i normally use a little less than two pounds of chicken thighs, boneless and cubed)

yogurt for marinade, about a half to three quarters cup

a tablespoon of premade ginger-garlic paste or equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic

about two teaspoons of garam masala, and one teaspoon of cumin, coriander, chili powder, tumeric and salt

FOR THE CHICKEN: it's up to preference what cut of meat you want to use for butter chicken, but i personally used cubed chicken thighs that i manually clean the fat off of.

in my opinion, the biggest difference this will make is in the marinading process. if you are using chicken breast, i would recommend marinating for up to twenty four hours. if you're using chicken thighs, you can get away with less time. but you need to marinade your chicken up to at 30 minutes.

mix everything together and set aside until ready.

ingredients for the sauce:

one large onion, medium diced (about a cup and a half)

half a head or garlic, finely chopped (i use a lot but you can use less)

some freshly chopped ginger or a tablespoon of garlic-ginger paste. about a tablepoon.

tomatoes (roughly two cups)

for the tomatoes, there are various substitutions you're welcome to make. most restaurants used crushed, canned tomatoes but if you're wanting the smooth texture without blending - used jarred tomato sauce as your base.

with whatever type of tomato you use, you will have to adjust for acidity and sweetness. i use a mix of fresh tomatos and tomato paste for depth and adjust for acid with sugar.

if you are using jarred tomato sauce or canned tomatos, you will need about a cup and 3 quarters or 14ozs of liquid over all.

if you are using a fresh tomato and paste combo like me - i recommend about a cup and a half of diced tomatoes and a 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.

spices including, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of coriander, chili powder to taste and a table spoon of pre-packaged butter chicken spice mix.

you will also need kasoor methi powder or fenugreek powder which imo is not optional

NO MORE than a half-teaspoon of fenugreek

salt to taste

sugar to taste (i use about a tablespoon)

for seasoning: while i use the teaspoon measurement here - it's more important you understand the ratios. im much more heavy handed with my spice mixture because i make it according to my own tastes and i like strong flavors.

i used pre-packaged spice mixes to add flavor but if i dont have it i wont use it and use about a teaspoon more each of the plain spices.

the one thing you shouldn't skip imo is the kasoor methi aka fenugreek powder. this is probably the thing most people are missing butter chicken at home. it's savory and mildly bitter, a bit like fennel and its what gives it a very classic indian flavor

3/4 cup of cream + 1/2 cup of milk (you are welcome to use one cup of cream if you like a thicker gravy, but i prefer a thinner one. you can also replace the milk with half and half)

a little oil to coat the bottom of my pan (a teaspoon or two)

3 tablespoons of ghee (or 2 tbps of butter + 1 tbsp oil)

cilantro to taste (optional)

if you can find ghee or make it at home, i would highly reccomend using it over butter and oil. ghee makes a huge difference to the flavor profile.

while i say 3tbsps, i would say be heavy handed and use enough to cover the pan. this is a fat heavy dish as is.

ONTO THE COOKING PROCESS:

first: you will want to grill / char your chicken. you can pick what method you use for this. i use a searing hot pan (i use a dutch oven for this entire recipe) and little oil to get the best cook.

fry the chicken on high heat until charred and take it off once all sides are cooked. DO NOT OVERCROWD YOUR PAN. it will released too much water.

set aside the charred pieces. the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.

NEXT, THE SAUCE

after you've cooked off the chicken, turn your heat down to medium, drop your ghee and your onions and cook until totally soft

this will take roughly 15 minutes of stirring and watching.

once the onions are translucent and halved in size, drop in your garlic and ginger

cook until fragrant. i like to go a little under ten minutes

add in your spices here (EXCEPT THE KASOORI METHI). this step is crucial

the key to good desi curry is understanding the process of bhuna, which is essentially frying your spices together for optimum flavor. you will want enough oil in your pan to fry / cook the seasoning which is why i say you might want to be heavy handed.

stir your spice mix with your onions, garlic and ginger - making sure it doesn't stick and burn in the process. let it cook until very fragant.

i let it go for a few minutes but if you don't cook often, a minute or less will be okay. too long and the spices will burn.

(i also like to add a pre-emptive amount of salt at this stage but you can salt afterwards)

next, add your tomatoes. if you are using tomato paste, add it before you add your other tomatoes and let it fry for about a minute to soften and cook down the taste

if you are are using jarred sauce or canned tomatoes feel free to toss it all in at once.

THIS IS IMPORTANT BUT LET THE LIQUID COOK OFF YOUR TOMATOES AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

i would recommend up to twenty minutes if possible, being careful it doesn't burn on the sides. the sauce will change color as a result, turning a deep brown / red and that's when you know it's ready. the pan should feel almost dry.

if you like a blended sauce - now is the time for you to take out from the pan and blend with a little water *

i do not like a completely blended sauce, so i will instead use the back of my spoon to crush up my tomato and onion mixture as much as possible once cooked soft enough.

THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL OR COMMON. but i prefer a bit of texture in my sauce and once soft enough i find the sauce still turns out silky smooth.

after you sauce is blended / smooth, add in your cream mixture, your sugar, and fenugreek powder, and cook your chicken for another few minutes

usually a little under 10 minutes for thighs and around 8 minutes for breasts if you're picky about timing.

turn your heat off and wait for the curry to stop boiling before adding in chopped cilantro

AND YOU'RE DONE YIPEEEEEE. serve with white basmati rice or naan/paratha of course 🫡

OTHER GENERAL TIPS:

the seasonings i list are intentionally light handed but i honestly use about double of everything above, so if you find that the taste is too light for you after cooking - fry more seasoning in oil in a separate pan and add it afterwards.

depending on your preference, you might like a thicker or thinner gravy. if you prefer it thinner, add more liquid (preferably water or milk) and if you prefer it thicker, feel free to just use one or the other.

be careful during the spice frying process and watch like a hawk if you dont anywhere else, because the burning will make it bitter.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ASKS IF YOU WANT TO TROUBLE SHOOT!!!

[najia-cooks]

Cranberry chutney

Sweet, tart, jammy cranberries evolve into the subtle aromatics of cumin, mustard, and bay leaf before rounding off into a smooth, even chili heat in this Anglo-Indian-style chutney. It's excellent in place of cranberry sauce on all kinds of roasts, meat pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards.

The cooked fruit-and-vinegar chutneys made by English cooks during the British colonization of India were inspired by the fresh and pickled Indian condiments that English traders and soldiers—including those in the East India Company's military arm—had acquired a taste for, but substituted locally familiar produce and cooking methods for Indian ones. "Indian" recipes began appearing in English cookbooks in the mid-18th century, inspiring and fulfilling a desire for the exotic and, effectively, advertising colonial goods. The domestic kitchen thus became a productive site for the creation and negotiation of colonial ideology: the average English housekeeper could feel a sense of ownership over India and its cultural and material products, and a sense of connection to the colonial endeavor desite physical distance.

This sauce, centered around a tart fruit that is simmered with sugar and savory aromatics and spices, is similar in composition to an Anglo-Indian chutney, but some Indian pantry staples that British recipes tend to substitute or remove (such as jaggery, bay leaf, and mustard oil) have been imported back in. The result is a pungent, spicy, deeply sweet, slightly sour topping that's good at cutting through rich, fatty, or starchy foods.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cranberries (krainaberee), or 1 cup fresh or frozen

5 curry leaves (kari patta), or 1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (rai)

3 Tbsp jaggery (gur / gud)

1-3 small red chili peppers (kali mirch), to taste

1/2” chunk (5g) ginger (adarakh), peeled

1 clove garlic (lahsun)

1/2 red onion (pyaaj) or 1 shallot

1 Tbsp mustard oil (sarson ke tel)

1/3 cup (80 mL) water

Pinch black salt (kala namak)

Curry leaves can be purchased fresh at a South Asian grocery store. If you can't find any, Indian bay leaves can be used as a substitute (the flavor isn't per se similar, but it would also be appropriate in this dish). Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled “tej patta” in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein.

Instructions:

1. Pound onion, garlic, ginger, and chili to a paste in a mortar and pestle; or, use a food processor.

2. In a thick-bottomed pot, heat mustard oil on medium. Add curry leaves or tej patta and fry until fragrant.

3. Add cumin and mustard seed and fry another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant and popping.

4. Lower heat to low. Add aromatic paste and fry, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

5. Add cranberries, jaggery, black salt, and water. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring often, until thick and jammy. Remove from heat a bit before it reaches your desired consistency, since it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Store in a jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

[broken-mandolin0357]

BTS and their Indian! S/O

BTS - 방탄소년단

✣ They happen to have a Indian S/O and so they finally experience some Indian shenanigans || Crack, Headcanons, Fluff|| boyfriend! bts x reader| Fem!Reader|

✣ this is my first post, hope you all enjoy it! This is no insult to anyone in particular, all is in good hearted manner, apologies for any mistakes, tell me if there is anything offensive, I will remove it, but this is not meant to marginalize anyone, just something I wanted to write out. Not to offend anyone or put hate on anyone or anything. Also Hindu! Reader.

Kim Seokjin - 김석진

☍ Seokjin with an Indian! S/O is a match made in heaven; you both come from big and divine cultures where you have a lot of amazing food and very pretty people! Seokjin is going to be so happy seeing his Indian! S/O, who is not afraid to show off their culture too other people.

☍ If there is one thing Seokjin loves about India, it's India's food, doesn't matter if it's street food or high class restaurant food, he enjoys street food more often though, enjoying Pani-puri, dahi puri, chaat, dabeli, vada pav, pav bhaji, omelets, etc. Does not care what it is, he is not afraid to try new things!

☍ He wants to see you in all the ethnic dresses of India!!! And now he realizes, how many sarees an Indian woman can have, some of which dates back to eight generations and how expensive they actually are, gets mental break down seeing how many sarees and clothing you have.

☍ Also he no longer does any maths, he asks you to do it and you do in your mind wayyy quickly than anyone else, cause you know Indian's love for maths and anger reach everybody...

☍ He was so shocked to see how less of meat consumption there is in India, literally all the food is vegetarian and so amazing! He packs up bags of foods from family events, weddings, hotels, restaurants and what not to bring to the members so they could try it....

☍ Literally always the victim of aunties bullying how call him, "Gorahae...." and maybe "girlish" always having emotional damage form your family, but all the aunties also fawn over him, feeding him, caring for him oh so gently, while treating you like shit....

☍ He also just I N H A L E S Indian sweets or pani puri, does not matter, he also loves the soda sold on streets, like the tingly feeling on his tongue...He sees how underdeveloped the country is but how caring, traditional, respectful and beautiful it is, nothing like how the Western movies perceive it to be!!!!

☍ Also, you know how women make their husbands pick out of so many beautiful choodees, some made of glass, some of china, some of metal, yeah he wants to buy all, not for you sometimes though, no for himself so he looks pretty just like you!

☍ Oh! He sees how often Indians wear gold, like pure gold is worn by children, who have no sense of money and just put it in their mouths, but every single person he sees has at-least something made of gold on them, might be fake but the amount of gold there is, it's scares him....

☍ Please take him to a mela (Indian amusement parks) he is going to be so happy, it's like seeing a child who has never been to an amusement park, you both will definitely go on the dragon swing ride or something like that.

☍ He will be smug and then you both will be screaming your heads off, because he is scary and when it ends he is rapping about you scaring him and forcing him to go there while his legs are shaking....

☍ Loves to watch romantic Bollywood movies, he claims that he is the embodiment of 'the flirty hero' in the Bollywood movie, so sweet and caring, loves to help you cook and respectful of all the elders and everyone, even if he doesn't know them!!!

☍ He finds the similarities between your cultures to be very nice, how you both are very caring of your elders, the amazing food, and the importance of education, divine cultures and so much more!!!

☍ He is definitely gonna rap at someone for playing Holi wrongly, and then someone will put permanent colour in his face, the silver one which is very hard to get out, so put on oil all over him and if it doesn’t work, well I guess more shower time with you, no?

Min Yoongi - 민윤기

✥ Yoongi, first and foremost love your culture, how it is very similar to his, how developed it is in many aspects as compared to many other countries in matter of behavior, culture, mannerism, festivals, relationships and much more.

✥ Yoongi very much loves Hindi songs, he finds them to be very catchy and amazing! He sees so many Indian singers and finds all their voices so unique and pretty.

✥ He also learnt about that one musician whose singing could make it rain or blow off a candle, he also started learning Indian classical music just so he could sing for you and ARMYs better!

✥ He finds Indian movies amazing as well, how musical they are, how many good points they serve and their story lines as of whole, he has watched so many with you.

✥ He has maybe learnt Indian curse words and would often angrily scream them at the boys whenever he gets mad and it scares them because it's like a different language to them and they feel he will curse them in some or the other way...

✥ He loves to see you dressed up in a traditional outfit with some jewelry, he doesn't care if it's a event or not, he loves to see you in in, reminds him of his own roots and reminds him how your country is important in your upbringing.

✥ Yoongi also loves Indian food, might be a tad bit too flavourful for him at times, but still enjoys it very much! He especially the non-vegetarian options of foods, reminds him of home with the spiciness and flavours, also treat him to momos, he's going to be so happy, mainly because you would remind him how his mother called him a boiled dumpling. <33333

✥ Take him to clothing markets of India, they remind him of the similar looking ones in Korea, except the ones in India are way crowded making him a bit scared but it's fine, he enjoys seeing so many clothing shops, food shops, jewellery shops, and you bargaining with the shop owner and buying things for 100 which were originally being sold for 700...

✥ One guilty pleasure of his is sneaking into the kitchen at night and making himself a packet of maggi and eating fridge cold rasgullas, he likes the chewy feeling when they're cold as compared to when they're at room temperature....He doesn't know why...

✥ He likes studying about India's past, he especially loves the superstitions because everything has some logic behind it for people following it, he also developed the habit of flipping flippers if he sees them upside-down.

✥ One more thing is take him to prepare for a wedding in your family, he sees how everyone no matter if you know them or not, if they're relatives, they all visit and help, women in the decorations and getting the bride and groom ready while the men do in the food, photography and others, everyone is needed to help and he has much more than happy to help your family.

✥ He always participates in prayers at Diwali, though gets a bit scared of blowing fircrackers, he refuses to ignite them in the beginning, but after a little bit of convincing, he agrees only if you go with him!

✥ Oh! Your cousins tie him rakhi, btw. Rakhi is a festival celebrated on love between brothers and sisters, does not matter if they're sibling or cousins, its where sisters tie rakhi on their brother's wrist and then brothers give them gifts in return, he gives every-single future sister-in-law and brother-in-law an envelope filled of 2000 ruppees ...Guess it's good being rich...

✥Oh, you know Yoongi will definitely say he is not going to play Holi and then will throw water balloons, use pichkari to spray water on you and put both pink and silver permanent colour on you and your teeth, luckily you’re prepared for his betrayal since the morning, so you lathered yourself in oil, and if you didn’t, well good luck….

✥ Also, he is gonna make so many rang-golis with you and others, he isn’t sure how to pick up the powdered colour and what to do if a colour is finished, but he’s got the most amazing spirit, and please teach him how to colour like he’s a kid, it’s gonna be so fun!!

Jung Hoseok - 정호석

♮ One word, he loves to see classical dances of India, there are so many classical dances of India and each require a set of knowledge of music and rhythm which can easily be learnt by anyone, he has tried to learn a dance and convinced boys to try out Kathhak and Bharatnatyam it ends up with them bruising their feet as you and the instructor laugh and have fun watching them.

♮ He also likes to watch South Indian movies with their amazing dance and songs also he is in love with KGF series and Pushpa, also RRR. He really likes songs of Indian movies though, he sees how they're perfect for dancing to and he practices Hindi songs with you.

♮ Also, him giving you the confidence to wear a traditional outfit in front of him or at an event to show how pretty you are... It's one thing because why not, you slay every Indian traditional outfit you wear! People are honestly so sensitive and so when he tries on a outfit, he makes sure you're in the pic with him to show that he's not a rude tourist and that it was your idea and so antis get no thought to hate on him and they go back to insulting how he has a lover....!! He'll save you from hate, no worried.

♮ Also, take him to eat food at chowpatis, especially baraf ka gola (ice stick) basically, shaved ice which is shaped and dipped into flavours and yogurts. I personally think he’d enjoy momos and dahi puri. Also maybe shikanji. He likes the sodas.....find them fun but also scary cause he fast he has to drink after the man places the powder in..

♮ He likes watching Indian movies, he finds them interesting and enjoys the songs in between them, he likes the storyline and the difference between a Korean drama and your movies. He will learn the dance for fun and practice and he will sing the songs too!!

♮ He loves to play Holi, but please put oil on his skin and hair because keep in mind, you will be putting permanent colour on him, also even if it’s not permanent, the colour does stain and he dyes his hair regularly, so it might be better for him to have darker hair.

♮ He likes Anupama btw, he loves to watch Indian serials, where there is drama between the mother-in-law, sister-in-law and female lead! He will then spread this to the boys and then whenever you’re watching the tv, when it’s the time for the show to come on the channel, they’re all pushing you out the frame to watch it and the tea is always hot and spicy to hear out!

♮ Jhope will be loved by your families, he is loved by the aunties, the uncles, the dadas, the dadis, the fufajis, the mausajis, the mausis, the mamas, the mamijis, the buas, basically everyone and you get the point, even the toughest nuts of the family like him!

♮ Your family will be a bit doubtful because well you’re Indian he’s Korean, so what if something goes wrong, they don’t want you to be in pain, but maybe let them chill out with Hobi for a bit and they’ll be asking to ask for a faster wedding date. Also, question by your parents, they asked me to ask you, Ahem! “WHEN ARE YOU GIVING US GRANDKIDS?!” Thank you!

♮ Whenever there is an event and there is music, he’s the first to dance at the event and he makes everyone feel confident enough to go crazy and he invited everyone to dance, teach him the dholak dance between the women of the family, you know the ones where you repeat the same steps while going around in a circle but it’s very fun? Yeah, those ones, he’s very good at them as you’ve seen!

♮ Every single cousin and sibling wants to tie a rakhi to him, especially your sisters are excited because he’s their future jiju after all~~ Okay and he gives everyone a handmade gift with some money, like he makes cards, gets dresses, and makes them a lot of bracelets! He makes the rakhi you tie on your brothers himself as well!

♮ Whenever you take him to a mela, prepare to be tired out because in his opinion, it’s so fun! He goes on E V E R Y  S I N G L E ride, He cannot handle himself and he pays for everyone! He buys every lady in the family the nice cheap jewellery which is sold in the fair, he buys you some as well until you stop him..

♮ He will always go with you and the elder people of the family to check your cousin or siblings or whoevers arranged fiancée or lover it. He wants to make sure your cousins and family is in good hands.

♮ His sister will absolutely be decorated by your family, she’s so fricking pretty and when she wears a lehenga, it may seem a bit too heavy on her, but she feels beautiful and she looks so pretty like her brother as well!!! She’s prettier than you as well!!!

♮ Hobi and the boys will join you for an Indian movie night, he and the boys will sing their hearts out whenever the music comes on and you and Hobi will dance together. And then he and boys will learn the whole choreography and dance it and maybe cope some of them steps for their next music video.

♮ Also, he looks SO HANDSOME in a kurta, please, do not try to convince me otherwise, you and him will wear matching clothes!!! He will also try to match accessories and then the boys will match as well and now you’re all matching!!!!

♮ He will always have fun during Diwali, he will learn about why cow dung is so important and reason behind everything you do during your festivals and then he will join you as well!! All the ladies will also gossip with him!! Some things he finds a bit weird, but pretty open to cultures...

♮ Is shocked how many ARMYs are there in India, and how less he hears from them when SO many things are also done here. He is happy to meet them and promises Indian ARMYs for a concert in India!

Kim Namjoon - 김남준

✤ Now, if there is one thing we all know is that Namjoon always loves to learn things. And he is the most invested in your culture! He finds the story so interesting and he is always ready to listen to something you say and he asks ‘What’s the reason behind it?’, even if it didn’t exist in India…

✤ Namjoon is also very much interested in Indian classical music and classical dances, especially KathaKali and Kathak, he is so intrigued to see how a person can produce such facial expression with such a strong eye movements and how it’s so interesting!!  Also how a drama can be shown through dance, he finds it very sweet and amazing!!

✤ Namjoon LOVES Indian curries, now he is surprised at how less of meat consumption there is of meat and even if somebody eats meat, Pork or Beef is off-grounds, mainly cause Pig is considered a impure animal and it’s meat is taboo and cows give us milk and it is our god’s favourite animal and it’s considered a family member and so eating it’s meat is said to be wrong...

✤ Look at me and tell me he won’t look handsome in a kurta…… I DARE YOU. He looks so pretty!!! He looks so pretty and his smile and his body and his thighs and and- Okay, sorry for the break-down, but let’s be honest here! He is looking phenomenal! Of-course your sisters will tease you, but it’s all in good fun, he looks like a prince, not our fault!

✤ Namjoon is always the one whom your family loves a lot, he’s THE standard of the cousin, all your cousins including you are being compared to him, and it only affects your cousins though, because you know GOD IS FAIR. They come to you asking how you got such a boyfriend and you explain how he doesn’t know how to drive or cook and they try to laugh it off but realize how they’re still gonna be compared to him….

✤ Namjoon is always so eager to learn and he will sit down with your grandparents who are watching those mythological shows, and then he will ask you to translate or explain it to him and if you don’t, he will ask your grandparents and then you will translate whatever they explain to him and he’s so excited to bond with them, your grandparents will love him so much!! I just know it deep in my veins!

✤ Namjoon very much likes Indian treats, especially sweets, more specifically rasmalai, or mango-rasmalai, he loves it, so delicate and sweet, and sugary and pillowy!! He is very generous at times, but he definitely doesn’t share it! Maybe after a lot of convincing by either the boys or you, he will give you a few bites…

✤ You know one thing, he is obsessed with Laila-Majnu love story, it is very similar to Romeo and Juliet, and he tries to understand everything, how Laila was a noble and Majnu was a commoner and thus they couldn’t be together and how when one of them was hurt the other would also sustain the injury because of how strong their love was. Also how even after Laila’s marriage and execution of Majnu they managed to be together in after life, he loves it, he cried a bit ngl….

✤ Namjoon is much obsessed with Diwali, he is surprised how easily Indians handle cow dung, he could never…But he finds everything to be very fascinating and fun, he definitely spends time with the kids who can’t handle sitting still while their parents do the rituals...Then you and him will burn crackers for as long as you all can!! Of-course you have to stop him and the kids, cause they don’t realize they’re using crackers meant for the next day and you have to tell them to stop otherwise there won’t be any crackers left to burn the next day

✤ Namjoon likes celebrating Holi as well, finds it to be fun and nice and gets to eat good food and spend time with you and family….Especially when the playful people of the family life his shirt to put permanent colour and find his abs and stop and freeze in the moment….

✤ Ooh, he will watch ‘bhabhiji ghar par hai’ maybe?? Idk…I’m not sure, but I do get the vibes that he will enjoy it, despite it being kind of stupid, but then again he will also enjoy some Hindi literature and devolve himself in it for a while!!

✤ Namjoon also very much enjoys the celebration of a wedding, especially how a family is heavily involved in everything related to the wedding, the designs, the venue, the outfits, the dances, haldi, the theme, the food, the video, the photos and everything else, he is always ready to involve himself and maybe the boys will help around as well, though they may be a bit ignored for they’re foreigners, but they’re happy to help around wherever they can!! But I guess we try to put our differences aside, but Indians have TOO MANY RELATIVES and so no everybody knows them, so introduce the boys as your friends and Namjoon as your fiancée and then get roasted a bit and asked whens your wedding date…

✤ OMG! HE IS SO SURPRISED AT HOW MANY BTS FANS OR K-POP FANS IN GENERAL ARE THERE IN INDIA?! He is always ready to put on concerts for his fans, and after the interview with Sakshma Srivastav, he wanted to meet more fans and he did and he is surprised at how many people are excited to see them, he's happy for such a new found group of people he didn't knew existed, but he likes it either wayyy!!

✤ Oh, please if there's a wedding or something where you're putting on mahendi/henna on your hands, please put some on his hands too!! His hands look very pretty and he likes the time to be spoiled like a the pretty baby he is..He finds the smell to be very 'naturey', you don't know what it means and neither do i...

✤ He will invite your cousins, friends or siblings to his studio so they could ask if he did good on his songs, only you're very favorite people come and yes they all agree with the tunes that they're nice...gorahae boi...

Park Jimin - 박지민

✿ Mr. Park Jimin is probably obsessed with rom coms from your country and also the amazing songs and soap dramas, he will sit with you before you go to bed and he will ramble about how tulsi got another husband after just divorcing her ex-husband and how turns out tulsi’s first child belongs to her second husband??? Yeah, no I don’t understand either, but my mom does this…Anyone else? Anyways, yeah, you go to sleep thinking how hot and steaming the spicy gossip tea is…it’s all fictional…

✿ Jimin would always be happy to go out with you and eat at chowpatis, he is always hoping you don’t have to cook and he goes there with the boys often to the point where when he enters the chowpati with you, the shopkeepers greet him saying “Gora ladke, heyyyyy!!!” While waving their hands and some usual customers remember him as well, cause well he's sorta famous and he comes very often, the food is good and cheap…not his fault, nice experience and these things are something he only gets to experience and you get to see his mocha cheeks, win win!!! Of-course be careful about food bacteria..

✿ Jimin is very much in love with colouring rangolis, if you know how to, please make one for him and if you don’t…cry…then try your best to make one, then once you’re back is hurting and you’re tired, he will kiss you sit down like a princess getting ready to be kind and start colouring prettily, you teach him if you know how to, if you don’t...Kind of sad, but it’s fun trying new things out for both of you!!!

✿ Oh don’t ask why, but I think he will like anklets, on himself and on you, cause it is a social construct and yeah, eh will put them on in the house and walk around, his anklets jingling as he moves his feet or when he’s on a dance practice, he anklets jingling, the boys teasing him as he dances and then they all get distracted and now you have seven boys stealing payals from you if you have some, if you don’t they’re gonna order online or ask your parents for some…please restock, they’re gonna break…

✿ You know, I heard some someone that Mochi is Korea’s rasgullas and rasgullas are Indian mochis, and this haven’t left my head, so our mochi boi likes the pearly, pillowy sweet rasgullas as he squeezes the sugar syrup out to make sure nothing drips out and then he will feed some to you, it’s a sweet moments for you both!!

✿ He will dress you up and himself up for Diwali and Navratri and do graba with you, teach him some steps, he will dance and join you and if you go to those huge places where people learn how to dance for days and then one the final days they have colour coded dresses and then winners and all that things are done, he will come with you there and ready to dance and spend a night in ethnic outfits!!

✿ He is very much ready for Holi, he is gonna fight with colours, completely wet, with water balloons, permanent pink and silver colour, with huge water-guns, and buckets filled with colours and water in it, get ready, he is not gonna go down without a fight…

✿ He is ready to fight anyone who says Indian does not have good Ethnic outfits, he’s ready to fight and he will do so while wearing a sari/lahenga/kurti, just to show he a man can look pretty in it as well...It popped in my head, forgive me…

✿ He adores shopping with you, especially for jewellery, he is gonna be beside you while you bargain or someone else whom you brought with you bargains and get the thing for price three times less than it was originally for!! He is gonna try on things and you tell him which looks the prettiest on him, they will surely look good on you as well, you’re a couple after all!! And then once home, you will wear it and send photos and when he comes home, he will wear the jewellery and then you will have a mini photoshoot!

✿ He is gonna dance the kathak, teach some steps or look up on youtube, please, he will find ghungroo online, buy them and wear ghungroo and maybe he will whine because the thread is too tight and it hurts (like I used to..), but you explain it needs to be tight as to make sure it doesn’t open…you know he will fall if it does happen…and he tries to understand but I guess it doesn’t work, he still will tie them a bit loosely, also he gets to learn that Bharatnatyam and Kathak both have different types of ghungroo

✿ When you introduce him to your family, they will poke his cheeks and call him cute and sweet, your cousins will like him, and the ladies are FAN of him, like how could they not be?? Then men are a bit skeptic, but they get over it mainly cause he’s nice and like a fairy roaming around..

kim taehyung - 김태형

▨ Okay first, let's get the obvious out of the way, he's just as crazy as a Desi family, he's gonna fit right in, perfect boy! He's already loved by family, more than you or anyone else cause look at his achievements and look at you, reading this! Of-course he's your family's favourite!

▨ He loves to go out in chowpattis to eat, sometimes when he doesn't want to eat rotis, he will idk, go find some random cow or dog and give it to them cause he saw some old lady do it...I used to do that to escape yelling from my parents, but yeah, it's what he does. But he loves your cooking, worry not!!

▨ If you call him a Korean nickname "Jagi", he will call you a Desi nickname "Jaanu", it's no-negotiable, you can't be saying anything, unless you want him to call you something, then he will.

▨ You and him will be watching Indian soap dramas, especially "bhabji ghar pe hai?!", it's his fav genre, comedy and idiocy, if you can put on some subtitles, do that. He would love to watch movies as well, he finds them amazing, kind of upset, he can't understand hindi because when you both watch comedy he sometimes doesn't understand and you have to explain it and it ruins the fun?

▨ He wants his hands done first for henna, because he loves it, and he is obsessed with it as well!! He also helps you around if your feet and hands both have mehendi/henna on it, he will help you around unless he is also occupied, one of the boys will, and if they are occupied, then who knows who will help?

▨ He looks SO GODDAMN HANDSOME IN A KURTA!! I once saw a edited photo of it, and he looked like a goddess!! You both can match in Kurta and lehenga or saree or something and you both can be attractive and steal attention at family event's.

▨ Oh, the parent's wishes on having grand-kids will increase twice-fold cause well he wants kids, your parents show him photos he shows his photos, they fan-girls and now they're constantly thinking what your child will look like..

▨ Loves to dance with you on Indian songs, loves Bollywood films and songs and dances with you and watches a lot of films with you when he gets the time! Sometimes Tannie is also dancing and watching with you, if you have a dog, good and even great if your dog and Yeontan got close, you're a cute family!!

▨ Loves to fire crackers on Diwali, honestly always waiting for the day to end so he can get started on playing crackers at night, one the forth day when he sees and learns the uses of cow dung, he is a teensy bit grossed out, but will stay open-minded, though will stay away from it like I used to, unless they ask him to help and he doesn't want to feel bad and the boys laugh until they also get roped in it then they all wash their hands like three to four times just in case cause in the end it is still poop, no matter how useful, but find it a bit fascinating how useful it actually is.

▨ Will loved by cousins and kids of the family and others in general due to how playful he is, when he gets the time, he will helping cooking and even wake up early and bath so he can help the grandparents in bathing gods, dress them up, put the cool sunglasses on them, etc. I used to do it as a child where I would wake up early to bath so I can help bath god's idol we have, you all have that??

▨ Language barrier, but you're the translator, they don't understand songs or anything, but they're happy for the fame he receives, you and him will definitely go famous for being sch a gorgeous couple, an Indian and a Korean!? DAMN! Anyways, you're all gorgeous, Indian or not!

▨ He is another one who is shocked about the insane amount of ARMYs in India, he never knew there were so many ARMYs in Asian countries other than Korea, Japan, China, etc. But he's happy and is also keen on performing for Indian ARMYs when he can!

▨ Loves to colour in rangolis, finds it a bit hard to stay within the lines, but always happy to colour, make a separate rangoli for him,he will happily colour in it when he can. Also, loves the amazing gifts he gets sometimes from your family members as a honorary future family-in-law member, so he also gets gifts for everyone.

Jeon Jungkook/Jeongguk - 전정국

☁ Now, another cutie who loves to go to chowpati. Anyways, it's easy convenient, etc. He enjoys Indian food a lot, it reminds me of the video where they first ate paneer. He has loved to try some dishes made from paneer after that, the sodas sold on streets, the food, maybe his stomach will handle it, maybe not! But, he is definitely happy with all the food

☁ He is also loved by your mama, he's so cute, so respectful and so caring. And he's good at everything and he helps her cook, plays with the little kids (if you have some) in your family, with the help of you being the translator, he sits and watches TV shows or helps fix things or simply sits like a pretty boy on the side.

☁ He will absolutely dance with you on Hindi songs when he can, maybe with Hoseok, the maknae line when he can. It's so fun, making them dance on the most random songs.

☁ He loves to spend time colouring in rangolis, it's fun, he is great it for some reason and after one or two lessons, he's also able to make rangolis, using the dot pattern though. Would love to help you make some if you want, always searching up ideas for you and him to do when he's bored.

☁ Sits with your grandparents with you as a translator to listen to stories from their childhood, he likes it and finds it fascinating and it makes him curious to see what types of stories people of other cultures grew up with, it's pretty fun for you and a good bonding time!

☁ Makes his angry face every time he something good and you get confused if he actually likes it or something for a moment, it's funny, cause it confuses everyone who doesn't know that the angry face means the food i good!

☁ Whenever there is a wedding in your family, he will be the one to help the dancers in the family teach others and you both will absolutely have a dance together, he will be pretty and will capture everyone’s attention and then he will award himself with a good amount of food from the wedding!!

☁ Loves to burst crackers on diwali, and eating the many types of sweets, he doesn't know one culture can have THIS many sweets, absolutely devours them and they finish pretty quickly, sometimes brings some Korean sweets for your family too! He loves some exchange of cultures!!

☁ Oh my god the sight of his tattooed forearms in the rolled sleeves of kurta, my god!! He looks so hot and he eats everyone up at the event! Slaying bitches and Saving bitches, truly, he's made for some hot Indian films!!

☁ Your parents might get him a ring or a pair of earrings of pure-gold and diamonds or maybe his birthstone instead of diamond after he's been welcomed in the family as your unofficial husband and he looks pretty in them, I can imagine.

☁ Called you "jigar ka tukda" once and laughed himself to half-death when you told him it meant or translated somewhat to "piece of your chest" or "piece of your liver", but he calls you "babu" or "jaanu", it's cringe, but he pulls it off as always, so?

☁ APPALLED AT HOW MANY ARMYS ARE IN INDIA and how come he's never met them or gotten into any contact with them, sorta upset, and will demand that there be a few affordable concerts in India, he's trying!!

☁ Would love to go around with you, loves pani-puri, the culture, and jewellery and overall such a loving cutie!! Whenever he visits, he brings gifts for some close family members and the kids, whatever they would like, just remember to tell him not to mention chicken or anything if you're veg.

© writing belongs to broken-mandolin0357, Aurelia, Moon, Cerine, Kiara. Reblogging is appreciated, but plagiarizing or copying my works is forbidden, thank you for ready and if you like this check out my blog!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Herbs, Spices & Seasoning

Herbs and spices can add flavor and variety to your food.

Use a little at first, then add more when you are sure you like the flavor.

To substitute dry herbs for fresh, use ¼ teaspoon powder or 1 teaspoon crushed for 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs. Some herbs and spices are expensive.

You might want to buy only a few of the less expensive herbs and spices you will use.

Herbs and spices lose flavor and can spoil or get buggy if kept in the cupboard longer than a year.

If you use herbs and spices slowly, buy small containers, or store them in the freezer.

Uses of Herbs, Spices & Seasonings

Allspice - A mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Use in fruit desserts, pumpkin pie, apple cider, cakes, cookies, chicken, beef and fish dishes.

Basil - Tomato and egg dishes, stews, soups and salads

Bay leaves - Tomato dishes, fish and meat dishes

Celery seed - Juices, soups, salads, vegetables, pot roasts, poultry, rolls and biscuits

Chili powder - Chili, bean and rice dishes

Chives - Potato dishes, soups, dips and sauces

Cilantro - Latin American, Indian and Chinese dishes, salsa, stir fries, (Coriander leaves) legume or rice salads, hot cooked rice, grilled chicken or fish, or a dish of ripe tomatoes. Use fresh if possible.

Cinnamon - French toast, fruit and fruit salads, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and squash, puddings and apple desserts, ham or pork chops

Cloves - Whole cloves on ham or pork roast; ground cloves to season pear or apple desserts, beets, beans, tomatoes, squash and sweet potatoes

Coriander seed - Middle Eastern dishes, spice cakes and cookies, soups, roast pork and salad dressing

Cumin - Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes; beef and lamb, dry bean dishes, marinades, chili and tomato sauces; ingredient in curry powder

Dillweed - Tuna or salmon salad, potato salad, pickles, dips and sauces

Garlic - Mexican, Italian and Oriental dishes and in salad dressings; can be used fresh or dried, minced or powder

Ginger (fresh) - Oriental dishes, marinades for chicken or fish, fruit salad, dressings

Ginger (ground) - Gingerbread, spice cake, pumpkin pie, poultry or meat, soups, stews, stuffing, squash, sweet potatoes

Ground peppers: black, Cayenne & white pepper - Meats, casseroles, vegetables and soups

Italian seasoning - A mixture of marjoram, oregano, basil and rosemary; use in Italian dishes such as spaghetti

Marjoram - Egg and cheese dishes, meats, fish, poultry and vegetables

Mint - Fruit salads and fruit soups, melon, berries, cold fruit beverages, cooked carrots or peas, chilled yogurt soup, lamb, tabbouleh

Mustard - Sauces for meat and fish, in marinades, salad dressings, chutneys, pickles and relishes

Nutmeg - Cooked fruits, pies and desserts, baked items, spinach, sweet potatoes, eggnog and French toast

Onion - Any dish where onion flavor is desired; can be used fresh or dried (minced or powder)

Oregano - Italian dishes, chili, omelets, beef stew, meat loaf, pork and vegetables such as broccoli or tomatoes

Parsley - Meat, soup or vegetable dishes; adds color

Paprika - Stew, chicken, fish, potatoes, rice and hard-cooked eggs

Rosemary - Egg dishes, meats, fish, soups and stews, and vegetables

Thyme - Fish, poultry or meats, in soups or stews, vegetable salads

If these writing notes help with your poem/story, do tag me. Or send me a link. I'd love to read them!

More: On Food More: Word Lists

[v-ternus]

GHOULS AND THEIR FAVORITE FOODS

Started thinking of the ghouls a little too much while I was hungry, so Im now here to present this dumpster fire.

Aether: frozen yogurt

He loves when it’s warmer out, it means the cold treat is even better than usual (yes he's the type to eat cold stuff when its cold out). He loves the tart, plain flavor and puts cookie dough bites and butterfinger pieces on it.

Dew: ravioli

Any filling, any sauce. Lil guy will put these away like they’re air. The store bought, premade ones are good, but he loves the ones Mountain makes— mushroom and cheese filled in a brown butter sauce.

Aeon: rice crackers

He likes to think that this is what it must feel like to chew on styrofoam. Sure they taste good, but he mostly eats them for the crunches. He lowkey hates the ones wrapped in seaweed.

Aurora: indian food

She is an absolute fiend for samosas. She could make a meal out of it if only she didnt want to eat everything else on the menu. She loves literally everything, but her favorite is chicken madras. She’s busy eating her way through the menu at the restaurant in town. She goes with Copia every Friday for lunch, its their “thing”.

Mountain: barbecue

He’s in heaven whenever they tour through some of the southern states. Loves brisket. Loves cornbread even more.

(he also just loves meat in his mouth)

Rain: cheap pizza

He loves all chain pizzas, but his favorite is Little Caesars. A crappy and slightly-overcooked-from-sitting-under-the-warmer pizza will cheer him up on even the worst days. Also hates olives. Like he really, really hates them. Dew messed up the first time he ordered and got a supreme pizza with olives and Rain straight up cried.

Sunshine: pierogies

She'll eat any pierogi, as long as you give her sour cream on the side. Sometimes she likes them crisped up in butter, but that's a big sometimes. Sunshine has still not found a filling she dislikes.

Swiss: fancy(ish) pizzas

I cant really blame the guy for liking the woodfired stuff. Favorite toppings include but are not limited to: roasted garlic, roasted peppers, prosciutto, and arugula. Him and Rain are opposites when it comes down to this.

Cumulus: pad thai

Americanized or traditional, she will devour it. Though she regularly eats meat, she only gets tofu as the protein option for her pad thai. Unlike the others who seem to have had the best luck, she has found one that she absolutely hated. It was from an Asian fusion chain restaurant. She would've sent it back if she wasn't so scared of being perceived as rude.

Cirrus: crab rangoon

She hates when there's actual crab in her crab rangoons. She just wants that sweet cream cheese. It is the only thing she asks for when they pick cheap Chinese food for dinner.

[feyburner]

a while ago you shared your rice onions bell peppers chicken recipe as your go to meal and i made it last night and it was amazing!!! tysm for sharing it. do you have any other chicken recipes that can be made in a wok/kadhai? I don’t have an oven so I was pleasantly surprised to make sth that actually tasted good and not just sth i whip up for sustenance 😅

Yeah for sure. I rarely use the oven when I’m cooking dinner, I do pretty much everything on the stovetop in a wok or frying pan. It's faster and gives me more control.

I think the best thing you can do is learn basic techniques. Once you have the basics down, you don't need a recipe to whip up a quick weekday dinner. You can just cook whatever you feel like cooking, with whatever's in your kitchen: whatever cut of meat, whatever veggies, whatever spices in your pantry.

99% of what I do is just the same basic techniques with different seasoning profiles, veggie sides, and carbs (rice, flatbread, potatoes, noodles).

Here are 4 things to do with chicken in a wok.

Dry Rub + Saute

The easiest and fastest. Simply make a spice mix, massage it into every nook and cranny of the meat (whole or chopped, either way), let it sit for a bit while you get other stuff ready and heat the pan (ideally you'd let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, but it's not necessary), then saute in oil.

The spice mix can be whatever you want (or a premade one, who cares). It's honestly hard to find a combination of random herbs and spices that doesn't taste good. After all, the basis of all cuisine is "doing stuff with whatever we have around," and I've never met a cuisine I didn't like. My go-to spice mix is 1 spoonful brown sugar plus roughly equal parts (1-2 tsp each) paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili or cayenne powder, salt, black pepper, plus 1-2 dried herbs. (Basically Cajun spice mix.)

How to saute (it's one of those things that everyone just assumes you know how to do, but maybe you don't!): First, heat wok over high/medium-high heat. You know the wok is nice and hot when you flick a couple drops of water in there and they instantly evaporate. Then, drizzle in enough oil to give the bottom of the wok a solid unbroken sheen. Swirl the pan so the oil coats the whole bottom. Watch the oil. When the surface is shimmering/trembling (should be very quick if your pan is already hot), it's ready. Carefully add your chopped meat or veggies in a single layer--don't overcrowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of brown. Let the meat sizzle untouched for like 2-3 minutes, then flip to brown the other side. You don't need to constantly stir or toss--that just lengthens your cooking time because the meat isn't touching the pan long enough to brown. That's how you get tough chicken! For chopped chicken, 6-7 minutes of pan-touching is plenty of time to cook through.

Marinate + Saute

Same thing as a dry rub, just wet. There are lots of ways to marinate chicken. The thing to remember is marinade = acid. Acid breaks down proteins, which tenderizes the chicken/meat.

Typical marinade acids: lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, buttermilk, yogurt. Simply pick one and build the rest of the marinade around it. If you use something very acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar, you'll want to balance it with fat: roughly equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. For soy sauce, it's really salty, so you'll want to balance it with something sweet: honey, brown sugar (i.e. teriyaki). Buttermilk and yogurt are great bases for a spice mix--think US Southern buttermilk fried chicken, or Indian yogurt marinades.

Once you have a balanced base, you can add whatever herbs and spices you want. Then just make sure all the meat is coated in marinade, cover, and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Then saute as usual (though you might want to use a little bit more oil to avoid bits of marinade sticking and burning).

Curry

Very easy and delicious. There are 1 million kinds of curry. This is just me but I think of it as a spectrum from thin to thick. "Thin" would be like Japanese or Thai style, where the base is primarily broth or stock (sometimes with coconut milk/cream) thickened or flavored with roux or curry paste. "Thick" would be like certain types of Indian curry, like makhani style with the blended tomato-onion base, or yogurt base, or creamy cashew/peanut/etc. base.

The main building blocks are gonna be onion, garlic, ginger. Then spices and other seasonings, obviously depending on what kind of curry you're making: curry powder, garam masala, lemongrass paste, cumin, coriander, cardamom, chili, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, etc.

If you are making "thin" style, you might want to make a roux. A roux is just equal parts fat and flour cooked in a pan.

How to make roux: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter. Melt butter in pan, add flour, stir constantly over medium-low heat until desired color. Light roux = cook 5 min just until blond/golden, use for white sauces like bechamel. Brown roux = cook until caramel color, use for curries and soups. Dark roux = cook until deep chocolate brown, use for gumbo or jambalaya (mostly for flavor, not thickening).

To make roux for a curry, make a light or brown roux and add curry spices near the end. Let it fry for 1 minute or so to bloom the spices. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Another way of thickening curry is to cook chopped or diced onion until softened, then sprinkle on 2-3 Tbsp of flour + whatever spices you're using and stir for 1 minute or so to cook the flour and bloom the spices. Then add liquid.

3 basic curry methods:

Japanese style. Make curry roux. Heat oil in a wok. Add chopped onion and cook until softened. Stir in minced garlic and ginger (or ginger-garlic paste). Add chopped chicken and cook, stirring, until white on the outside. Add 4 cups chicken stock. Add chopped carrots and potatoes. Season with soy sauce, honey, etc. Simmer 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until chicken is cooked and veg is softened. Take 1 ladleful of cooking liquid and whisk into your roux until smooth. Stir that mixture back into your curry. Simmer, stirring, 5-10 minutes until thickened.

Thai style. Heat oil in a wok. Add curry paste or ginger/garlic/lemongrass paste + curry spice mix and fry 1 minute to bloom. Add 2-3 cups stock a little at a time, whisking, to avoid lumps. Add chopped chicken, onion, potato, whatever else you want, plus 1 can coconut milk/cream. Season with fish sauce, tamarind, sugar, etc. Simmer 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until chicken is cooked and veg is softened.

Indian tomato-base style. Marinate chopped chicken in yogurt marinade with curry spices for a few hours. Heat oil in a wok. Add minced garlic and ginger (or ginger-garlic paste) and curry spices. Fry 1 minute to bloom. Add chopped onion (and bell pepper if you want) and stir together. Add 1 x 28oz can tomato puree. Cook, stirring, 5 or so minutes until slightly darkened. Carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer back to pan. Add 1 can coconut milk/cream or 1ish cups heavy cream. Simmer 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, sear chicken on both sides just until browned and caramelized. Add to curry and cook for 10 minutes until cooked through.

All of these are very hard to fuck up, since they're so similar to soup. Pick a style, pick some spices, go for it.

Finally,

Stir Fry

Who doesn't love stir fry, the world's most versatile food. "Stir fry" as a technique is different from "saute" in that it uses a bit more oil and a slightly lower heat, so there's a slightly longer cook time. (And you're stirring more.) For stir fry, you'll want to velvet your chicken to make it super tender and juicy. Otherwise, all you're doing is making a stir fry sauce and then cooking chicken and veggies in stages.

To make a stir fry sauce: The equation is: Water + fat + balance of sweet, salt, spice, sour + thickener. My go-to is like 1/3ish cup water + 1-2 Tbsp sesame oil + brown sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice or rice vinegar + 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water to create a cornstarch slurry. Just mix everything together and set aside. Then saute your chicken first, remove from pan. Add your veg to the pan in stages depending on how long they take to cook: first something like broccoli or carrot, cook for a few minutes, then onion and pepper, then minced garlic and ginger at the very end (garlic burns easily). Add your chicken back in, give a stir, pour your sauce in, give it a stir, done.

Good god this got long. Sorry. Work was slow today so what else am I gonna do.

Anyway, hope this helps! These 4 basic things, in combination with the wide world of seasonings, can create infinite easy meals. Let me know if you try anything. Good luck!