How to make urad dal pinni at home: The winter sweet Punjabis swear by (Image Source: AI- Generated)

One dish that is an epitome of winter delicacies and is now considered comfort food and a nutritional package is urad dal pinnis. These are very common in Punjabi cuisine and especially prepared in winter to bring warmth and energise both body and soul. Making urad dal pinnis is very simple, and as the dish is prepared, one will realise how these goodies are packed with maximum nutrition and flavours due to the slow roasting involved in preparation. What makes these delightful bites unique is not only their scrumptious flavour and delight, but the dedication and preparation involved in making these tasty bites healthy and delicious. Known to have been prepared during traditional times to be given to young mothers and young kids to give them an energy boost during winter times, urad dal pinnis is now making its own revival as more and more people are turning towards eating healthy to enjoy winter delicacies, home-prepared snacks and packaged sweets available in the market!

Recipe for urad dal pinni

You can follow this easy recipe this winter and make that perfect urad dal pinni: Ingredients

Steps for making urad dal pinni

Dry roast urad dal, but not too dry, till it emits an aroma. Let it cool completely, and grind it into a fine powder. It gives a nice nutty flavour and texture to pinnis.Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan and add urad dal flour, and roast in a low flame, stirring continuously. The roasting of dal flour is a crucial step in this recipe, as roasting in a low flame evaporates excess moisture, adds aroma, and removes bitterness from dal, turning it golden in colour.

Edible gum: To be used if available. Fried separately in a little ghee until it puffs up, crush a little, and then set aside. This will give an extra warm crunch.Add the chopped nuts, crushed gond, and cardamom powder. Mix well so that everything is well combined.Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool for a little while. Then add powdered jaggery and mix well. This way, jaggery does not dissolve, and the consistency remains smooth.While the mixture is still warm, take small portions of the mixture to shape round pinnis with the help of your palms.

Best way to have urad dal pinni

The best time to eat urad dal pinnis is in the morning with a glass of warm milk or as a mid-day snack in winter. Pinni releases energy slowly, keeps the body warm, and is very good for giving strength and stamina on cold days. Thanks to urad dal and ghee, pinnis are rich in healthy fats, protein, and iron, making them especially beneficial in winter diets when the body needs extra nourishment.

Storage tip for urad dal pinnis

Pinnis can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They stay fresh for up to 2–3 weeks and taste even better as flavours settle.

Beginning March, snow usually starts melting around Tawang, thereby allowing more accessibility, but with the snow draped visuals. High-altitude monasteries, mountain passes, and lakes are particularly beautiful at this time of year in the region. As we travel before high summer, there will be less crowds and the views out there of the surrounding mountains would be clearer.

On December 13,1946 Jawaharlal Nehru enunciated the defining vision of what the soon-to-be sovereign country should look like: there was no place for a free India except as a republic. In the next three years, the Indian Constitution was framed, believed to be world’s longest that details out the political, legal and social structures of India. India became a sovereign democratic republic when the Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.

This year, President Droupadi Murmu unfurled the Tricolour at Kartavya Path, marking the commencement of the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial near India Gate. He was joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, and others. The ceremony was attended by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and António Luís Santos da Costa, President of the European Council, who are the chief guests for this year’s celebrations.
This year, 30 tableaux – 17 of the States/ Union Territories and nine from various Ministries/Departments/Services are marching down the Rajpath with a general theme ‘Swatantrata ka Mantra: Vande Mataram’ and ‘Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Here, we take a look at 5 countries that celebrate their Republic Day:

Mopping floors is a task that not many people can avoid, but what if it could actually be quite invigorating and have that freshly clean smell attached to it? It is sad to say that it is not uncommon for people to thoroughly wash and mop their floors, only to find that they can still detect a stinky and dull finish lurking in the corner or in every corner that they turn to look. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. It is always possible to turn and tune up that basic mop water into a floor-cleaning superhero sensation by just adding a few key ingredients that have nothing but completely natural properties and are even found or derived from common household items that you may have lying around!

7 Things to add to your mop water to make the floors cleaner

A simple change to your mop water can make a big difference in how clean and fresh your floors feel. Here are seven things that you can mix into mop water:White vinegar has been a cleaning legend due to its versatile uses extending far beyond its ability to cut through grime. Its slightly acidic pH ensures it can effectively dissolve dirt and residue left behind by foot traffic. Mix it into your water when mopping, and it can effectively dissolve sticky residue for cleaner floors without lingering chemical odours. If you have concerns over its strong smell, blending it with essential oils should correct any odours.

Lemon juice naturally freshens and aromatises any room with its invigorating scent. The acidity of lemon juice has been shown to have the same effects on grease and smells as vinegar. Simply mix some lemon juice with water in your mop bucket to freshen your floors to a clean, fresh smell. Another benefit of this natural cleaning ingredient is its ability to give a shining appearance to hard surfaces.

If you want a quick, fresher fragrance in your home, you can resort to essential oils. Some of the best ones you can try include lavender oils, tea tree oils, eucalyptus oils, and orange oils. Not only do they dispense a great fragrance to your mopping liquid, but they also impart a mild antiseptic quality to it. All you need to do is mix a few drops of your desired oils in a gallon of mopping liquid and get mopping!Baking soda is most recognised for its deodorising properties. By incorporating it with the water used for mopping, it is effective at eliminating various smells because it doesn’t merely disguise odour but eliminates it too. Another great property of baking soda is that it is mildly abrasive and thus useful for lifting dirt, too, and it is safe on most types of floors.Use a little mild dish soap. This is quite helpful if mixed properly with water for mopping. It ensures the removal of grease and other dirt that may not be completely removed by water. Just add a little water and make it sudsy but not foamy. If it becomes too slippery, it may not be clean. This will be very helpful before cleaning thoroughly.

Ready-to-use, rinse-free floor cleaners can be purchased off the shelf to dissolve away dirt without any need for scrubbing or rinsing. In your mopping bucket, these cleaner additives can enhance your water’s cleaning ability and also leave a fresh, scented finish. Simply follow usage directions for dilution, opting for fragrance-free chemicals for sensitive noses or households where pets and kids are present.

This may sound strange, but brewed green tea can be a pleasant addition to your mop water. The scent of the brewed green tea is not overwhelming but quite refreshing. It also has abilities that help break down light dust and eliminate unpleasant odours. Adding steeped tea to your mop water will be a great, eco-friendly alternative. This is not just a great way to revive your floors, but also makes your home smell light and calm.

Can you use vinegar and baking soda together in mop water

Some people may be wondering whether mixing two household favourites that are always used to clean floors, vinegar and baking soda, together could give their floors a boost in cleanliness. The thing is, vinegar and baking soda are great cleaners on their own, but if they are properly mixed, they may as well be poured down the drain because they won’t be that effective anymore, since they can create a harmless chemical reaction that eliminates their ability to clean properly. For instance, baking soda should be applied to floor areas that are hard to clean, and then vinegar can be used to clean it up properly by mixing it with water.

She lives with him, laughs with him, goes through the motions of life together. Friends think they’re happy. Family thinks they’re happy.And yet, some nights, when the lights are out, she feels it. The quiet distance. The emptiness that no conversation, no dinner, no weekend trip can fill. He feels it too, though neither knows how to fix it.It’s a silent epidemic. Millions of people in long-term relationships or marriages look fine on the outside but still feel unseen, incomplete, or quietly lonely.

We are raised to believe a simple story: find someone, and your life will feel complete. Love will heal you. But what happens when it doesn’t?We talked to Dr. Chandni Tugnait, a psychotherapist, life coach, and relationship expert, about why this happens. She explains, “There is a quiet belief many people carry into relationships. Once you are with someone, especially in a committed or long-term way, a certain emotional emptiness will finally disappear. Loneliness will soften. Insecurity will calm down. Life will feel fuller.”

“When that does not happen, confusion sets in. People start wondering what is wrong with them or with the relationship. The truth is that being in a relationship does not mean you will start feeling emotionally fulfilled,” she adds.

Why love can’t fill what you haven’t healed

It’s human to hope that love will soothe insecurities, calm restlessness, and fill voids. But as Dr. Tugnait explains:“A partner can offer love, care, and support, but they cannot regulate your emotions for you or heal wounds that were formed long before they entered your life. When a relationship is expected to constantly reassure, stabilize, or complete someone, it slowly becomes heavy rather than nourishing.”This pressure can make love feel like a burden. Reassurance may help briefly, but the emptiness persists if the work is not done internally. Emotional gaps quietly travel from one relationship to the next unless addressed.

Unspoken needs silently erode connection

Another reason fulfillment is missing is that many emotional needs are never expressed. People assume love comes with mind-reading, that partners will know what hurts, what helps, and what’s needed.

“Emotional needs often remain unspoken,” says Dr. Tugnait. “When this does not happen, disappointment builds quietly. Over time, people feel unseen even though they never clearly expressed what they needed to feel seen.”The result is distance. Not because love isn’t there, but because communication is incomplete and desires go unheard.

Old patterns replayed

Some emotional discomfort isn’t new. Many adults unconsciously recreate patterns from childhood. Emotional distance, unpredictability, or even chaos can feel normal or exciting while blocking fulfillment.“Many relationships repeat familiar emotional patterns,” Dr. Tugnait notes. “What feels intense or magnetic is not always healthy. When relationships mirror early emotional experiences, they can feel powerful but still deeply unfulfilling.”

Intensity can mask the absence of emotional safety. Without safety, closeness remains surface-level, leaving partners empty even when they’re together.

Together but still alone

Being physically close, sharing routines, or even loving deeply doesn’t guarantee emotional fulfillment. What matters is safety: the ability to be honest, vulnerable, and emotionally real.“You can be with someone every day and still feel emotionally alone,” Dr. Tugnait says. “Fulfillment depends on safety, not just presence. Without safety, people stay guarded. The connection stays surface-level.”In today’s world, love comes with social media gloss, Instagram-perfect couples, and a constant pressure to appear connected. But intimacy isn’t about appearances. It’s about being seen – really seen – and feeling safe in that truth.

The modern love dilemma

Urban love is often painted as effortless, yet it is not. We scroll through feeds of happy couples and assume that if love exists, fulfillment will automatically follow. But many couples, even after years together, struggle with the quiet ache of unmet needs, unspoken expectations, and emotional disconnection.The paradox is stark: you can be fully immersed in someone else’s world and still feel like a stranger in your own.

Fulfilment starts from within

Here’s the empowering truth: recognizing that love can’t complete you doesn’t make relationships less meaningful. In fact, it opens the door to extraordinary love – the kind that enhances your life rather than being your lifeline.

Being emotionally whole alone allows a relationship to magnify joy, growth, and connection, instead of masking pain or filling emptiness.“When two people are willing to show up with awareness, honesty, and responsibility for their own inner worlds… togetherness can feel deeply nourishing rather than empty,” says Dr. Tugnait.This is not just theory. Consider a couple who has learned to communicate openly, manage their expectations, and respect each other’s emotional space. They laugh harder, fight less destructively, and feel safer being themselves. Love amplifies the life they already built individually.

The hard truth

Love is deeply human. It can be grounding, transformative, and healing. But it is not a cure-all. Expecting a partner to fill inner emptiness only leads to quiet disappointment.Togetherness alone does not create fulfillment. Emotional wholeness starts within, through reflection, honesty, and responsibility.Love does not complete us. It reflects us. When partners look inward as well as at each other, relationships stop feeling empty and start feeling real.Images: Canva/Canva AI (for representative purposes only)

A Bengaluru woman claims a beauty clinic, advertised on Instagram, ruined her skin after she purchased products for ₹17,000. She experienced severe itching and burning, and alleges the clinic staff refused to help or offer a refund. The police have registered an FIR and are investigating the clinic for misleading practices.

A Bengaluru woman says a beauty clinic she found on Instagram ruined her skin, and now she’s taken the matter to the police.The 27-year-old, who teaches at a private college, told officers that she first stumbled upon a series of Instagram reels promising “guaranteed” fixes for acne, pigmentation and tanning. The videos came from an account called charming_chaithanya, which markets itself as a professional skincare page and has around 70,000 followers.Curious and hopeful, she decided to give it a try.On October 7, 2025, she visited Glow Up Beauty Care Clinic in Nagarabhavi. There, a woman named Chaitanya checked her skin, did a quick patch test and confidently told her that all her skin issues could be treated.She was handed four products – a moisturiser, sunscreen, night cream and face wash, and billed ₹17,000. The payment went through UPI to a bank account in the name of someone called Akash.At first, everything seemed fine.Then, within days, her face began to react badly.She says she started experiencing severe itching, swelling and a painful burning sensation. Alarmed, she contacted the clinic. Their advice? Stop using two of the products and continue with the other two.She followed the instructions.Things only got worse.With her skin in even worse shape, she went back to the clinic on November 21, looking for answers. That visit, she says, turned ugly. In her complaint, she claims Chaitanya’s husband, Shiva, shouted at her, threatened her and flatly refused to help. She alleges the couple humiliated her and asked her to leave without offering any treatment or refund.The woman has now accused the clinic of making misleading promises on social media, selling steroid-based cosmetic products without proper medical training, putting her health at risk and taking her money under false pretences.Following her complaint, the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police have registered an FIR and started investigating the case.And once again, it’s a reminder that not everything glowing on Instagram is as safe as it looks.

Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal was recently spotted in Mumbai with Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shefali Bagga, sparking curiosity after he unfollowed RJ Mahvash on Instagram. The duo avoided posing for photographers, fueling speculation about their relationship status. Chahal’s personal life has been under scrutiny since his divorce from Dhanashree Verma.

Yuzvendra Chahal is back in the spotlight, and this time it’s not because of cricket. After days of chatter about his sudden Instagram unfollow with RJ Mahvash, the leg-spinner was seen out in Mumbai with a familiar reality-TV face – Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shefali Bagga. The two were spotted together on Saturday evening, January 24, and it didn’t take long for the clip to travel all over social media.

In the video, Chahal keeps it casual in a black shirt and jeans, while Shefali looks striking in a black dress. What really caught people’s attention, though, was what didn’t happen. When photographers tried to get them to pose together, Chahal quietly stepped away. No joint pictures, no smiles for the camera. And of course, that only made people more curious.

So, who is Shefali Bagga?

If you watched Bigg Boss 13, you probably remember her. Shefali entered the house as a confident anchor with a sharp tongue and quickly made her presence felt. She shared a close bond with Shehnaaz Gill during the show and earned a fan base of her own. Since then, she’s been working as a TV host, actor and content creator, slowly building her space in the entertainment world.Right now, there’s no clarity on why she and Chahal were together – whether it was a friendly meeting, work-related, or something more. But the timing has definitely raised eyebrows, especially because of Chahal’s recent online silence with RJ Mahvash.Only a few days ago, fans noticed that Chahal and Mahvash were no longer following each other on Instagram. Screenshots of their profiles began doing the rounds, and suddenly the dating rumours were back in full swing. The two had been linked for months, even though they kept saying they were just friends.

Neither of them has spoken about the unfollow yet. But Mahvash’s recent Instagram story – “90% of the time you’ll see me fixing my hair. The rest of the time, fixing my life” – felt a little too well-timed to ignore.Chahal’s personal life has been closely watched ever since his divorce from choreographer Dhanashree Verma was finalised in 2025. After that, he was often seen with Mahvash at events and during IPL matches, which only kept the rumours alive.He later tried to shut them down on Raj Shamani’s podcast, saying, “No, there’s nothing like that. People can think whatever they want.”For now, the Chahal–Shefali moment remains just that – a moment. No statements. No explanations. Just one video, a quiet exit, and a lot of curiosity.And sometimes, that’s all it takes to set the internet talking.

Photo: dasha.takisho / Instagram

Have you lately come across weird images on social media that claim to reveal your hidden traits based on what you notice first? These are called optical illusion personality tests, and rightly so! These tricky images have one or more elements in them, and they are based on psychological principles. So what pops up first to youreveals your subconscious wiring – your fears, strengths, emotions, even hormonal vibes. They are generally rooted in psychology, like Gestalt principles and pareidolia (your brain spotting faces in chaos), and they tap into how past experiences shape what you notice first.This particular test, for instance, was shared by dasha.takisho on social media and she claims that it can reveal your true personality, specifically if you are independent or resilient in nature. Upon first glance at the image, you can either see a bird or a goat. Notice what you saw first, and now read what it reveals about you below:1. If you noticed the bird first, it means…“You are someone who strives for freedom. Personal boundaries, inner space, and the feeling that you can breathe deeply are very important to you. You know how to “take flight” – in ideas, dreams, and emotions. At the same time, you may sometimes fear being misunderstood. Occasionally there’s a desire to fly far away – not from others, but to reconnect with yourself,” Dasha shared in the post.2. If you noticed the goat first, it means…“You are resilient and persistent, especially when others give up. You carry a lot of inner strength and intuitive wisdom, even if you don’t always acknowledge it.You can go against the current if you believe it’s right. This strength, however, can also make you vulnerable – being strong doesn’t mean you don’t need warmth and support. Sometimes fatigue comes suddenly, reminding you that even the strongest need rest and care,” she further wrote.Was this test result accurate? Tell us about it in the comment section below.If it was, then do checkout similar tests on our website and share them with your loved ones too to know them better. If not, then worry not as these tests are not proven to be scientifically true always. However, they are fun to take and are great conversation starters too with friends and family!

Your couch likely sees more action than you think, from cosy movie nights and pet cuddles to spilt snacks and everyday lounging. With time, your fabric couch becomes a receptacle for all kinds of smells which your vacuum cleaner can’t quite get rid of. Perhaps you’ve tried smell-masking agents that turn your couch into a sticky mess afterwards. Well, you have other options that are easier on your couch and your environment. For example, you can use baking soda on your couch. Baking soda is a highly effective deodoriser that not only masks smells but also absorbs them. With a little prep, a generous sprinkling, and some patience, you can say goodbye to stale smells and hello to a couch that feels clean and inviting again. Here’s how you can use it effectively on your couch.

Why baking soda works so well on couches

Baking soda does much more than it ever could in a little box in the pantry; it is a natural deodoriser with loads of power. It doesn’t just cover up unwanted smells; it neutralises them. Its fine powder absorbs moisture and lingering smells trapped deep in fabric fibres. Because it’s a powder, baking soda won’t soak through the upholstery like liquid-based cleaners would, which can prevent mould or bacteria from taking hold when there is a lot of moisture present. Baking soda is a very effective product to use when you want a quick refresh between a full cleaning cycle, especially for households containing pets, children, and/or guests.

Step-by-step: Clean your couch with baking soda

Before anything else, remove all pillows, blankets, and removable covers. Vacuum thoroughly with an upholstery attachment to lift loose crumbs, pet hair, and dust. A clean surface allows the baking soda to work more effectively on odours. It’s always important that you first test a hidden area before applying baking soda all over. A very tiny bit should be applied in an inconspicuous area, and a 10 to 15-minute wait will follow. This makes sure that baking soda does not affect the colour or texture of your fabric in any way.