Summer days are slowly arriving in India with the heat wave threatening to scorch us all. So, it’s time to make a shift in eating habits to overcome the heat and stay healthy. The high temperatures and heat wave makes us averse to eating heavy and greasy food. We end up consuming more of liquids. But that isn’t enough to meet the daily nutritional demands of the body. We should switch to light meals and include cooling ingredients in our cooking. Try these time-tested recipes that involve minimal cooking and are made with ideal summer ingredients to help you beat the heat.
4 Cooling Recipes To Help You Beat The Heat Wave
1. Mango chutney
Ingredients:
1 raw mango, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons grated jaggery
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
Salt
For the tempering:
1 tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
Method:
Combine all the ingredients of the chutney in a mixer jar. Add a little water if required and grind to a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds and when they begin to splutter add the asafoetida. Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
2. Solkadhi
Ingredients:
10-12 kokums, soaked in water for 1 hour
1 cup grated coconut
1 green chilli
½ teaspoon cumin powder
Salt
Method:
Squeeze the kokum pods in the water to make a concentrate. Strain with a thick mesh to remove any fibre. Grind the coconut with enough water to extract coconut milk from it. Crush the chilli, cumin powder and salt in a mortar pestle. Combine the kokum concentrate, coconut milk and chili paste in a mixing bowl. Add salt if required. Serve the solkadhi chilled as the perfect summer refresher.
3. Torani
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice
4 cups water
¾ cup yogurt
1-inch mango ginger (amba haldi)
5-6 lime leaves
2 green chillies, slit
1 lemon, sliced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt
Method:
Soak the cooked rice in water for 1 day to let it ferment. Gently mash some rice with the hand or a masher. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the clear water or torani from the mixture in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently squeeze them to extract their flavours. Stir the torani well and serve chilled on a hot summer day.
4. Savoury Sattu Sherbet
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sattu powder
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
Few sprigs of mint leaves
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Salt
Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a tall glass. Add chilled water and mix well to dissolve the sattu powder. Serve the sattu sherbet chilled.
Dr. Deepali Kampani is a digital content specialist who weaves health and food through her pen.
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