Summers are up, and we are ready with our sunscreens, hats, cooler fans and cold drinks to get some relief from the scorching heat. Dry hot air makes one feel dehydrated and exhausted. In this unbearable heat you can feel fatigued and dehydrated leading to dizzy, sleepy and less energetic days due to loss of water, minerals and salts.
We can find a way out of this sweat and heat by consuming some tasty and cooling foods.
Eating simple and easily digestible foods should be one of our armaments in these summers. So here we are presenting 5 simple recipes that you can enjoy in the sunny weather.
1. Curd Rice
Curd rice is a traditional South Indian dish now famous over many parts of India made with rice, fresh curd, flavourful tempering with curry leaves and spices.
This creamy and tasty curd rice is gut healthy, has high calcium, proteins and vitamins. Here's the recipe for this summer comfort food.
INGREDIENTS :
- Cooked rice - 1 cup
- Hung curd - ½ cup
- Milk ( optional ) - ½ cup
- Chopped ginger - 1 tp
- Ghee / Oil
- Mustard seeds - 1 tp
- Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 tp
- Chana dal - 1 tp
- 1 Dried red chili / Green chili
- Hing ( asafoetida ) - 1 pinch
- Curry leaves - 6 to 8
- Coriander ( garnishing )
- Pomegranate seeds
COOKING METHOD :
- Take 1 cup cooked rice in a bowl and mix ½ cup of milk in a bowl. Mash it a little to make it light but not mushy.
- Add ½ cup fresh curd and mix.
- Now add 1 tp finely chopped ginger.
- Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of ghee or oil for tempering in a tadka ladle.
- Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and dried red chili.
- Now add a pinch or two of hing and curry leaves to the tempering.
- Let all the spices and condiments temper and put off the flame. After 2 to 3 mins add this to the rice and curd mixture.
- Now the authentic curd rice is ready. You can garnish it with some pomegranate seeds and roasted cashews.
You can serve the curd rice with papad and pickle or cucumber onion vegetable salad.
2. Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS :
- Curd - 1 cup
- Chopped cucumber - ¼ th cup
- Black pepper powder - ½ teaspoon
- Chopped spring onion - ¼ th cup
- Grated garlic - 2 cloves
- Lemon juice - 2 teaspoon
- Black salt - ¼ to teaspoon
- Powdered sugar - ¼ th teaspoon
- Olive oil - 2 teaspoon
- Coriander leaves - 1 teaspoon
- Mustard powder -
- Finely chopped chilli
- Salt as per taste
COOKING METHOD :
- Take 1 cup of hung curd in a bowl and whisk it properly.
- Now add chopped cucumber and spring onion and mix.
- Now add grated garlic, black pepper powder and black salt.
- Now add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, sugar and olive oil, and then add mustard powder and finely chopped chilli.
- Give this sauce a good mix, and add some salt if needed.
- Now plate the sauce and garnish with some coriander leaves.
Now our tasty dipping sauce made from curd is ready to be enjoyed with friends and French fries, pakode, some papad or chips of your choice.
3. Solkadhi
Solkadhi is a tasty and delicious digestive beverage specifically made in Maharashtra. This drink is made from a fruit called kokum ( Garcinia indica ) and it has the base of coconut milk. Kokum curry is a cooling drink in the blistering summers. You can use it as an appetizer before meals or with meals as a side beverage and even after meals.
It can cool the digestive system working as an antacid, is antioxidant rich and refreshing for your system. Serve this Konkani style Solkadhi with your everyday meals.
INGREDIENTS :
- Semi dried or dried kokum - 8 to 10
- Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup
- Cumin seeds - ½ tp
- Chopped ginger - ½ tp
- Chopped garlic - 4 cloves
- Chopped beetroot - 1 tp
- Chopped chillies - 1 tp
- Sugar - ½ tp
- Salt - 1 tp
- Chopped coriander
- Water - 1 cup
COOKING METHOD :
- Soak kokum in 1 cup of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Now add grated coconut, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, beetroot, chillies, sugar and salt and grind all this to a paste.
- With the use of muslin cloth or strainer, squeeze and strain the extracts from the mixture.
- Again put the coconut mixture to a grinder, add a cup of water so as to extract all the coconut milk and grind.
- Again repeat step no. 4.
- Now take the soaked kokum, mash and squeeze the kokum and discard the peels. Now you have the kokum juice extracts.
- Mix the kokum extracts and the coconut milk. Add some salt as per your taste and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Solkadhi is ready to be served after refrigerating for an hour.
4. Ragi Malt
Ragi malt java is made by using ragi ( Finger millet ) which is a popular food in South India. It is a fiber rich whole grain packed with calcium, vitamins and minerals and is gluten free too. This flavorful ragi recipe is so wholesome that it can be consumed as breakfast or any meal of the day.
Ragi Kanji or Ragi Ambali can be made both as sweet and savory. And now we are presenting the savory version of this semi-liquid fermented dish.
INGREDIENTS :
- Ragi flour - ¾ th cup
- Water - 5 cups
- Curd - 1 cup or 1 glass buttermilk
- Jeera powder - 1 tp
- Salt
- Chopped onion - ½ cup
- Chopped chilli - 2
- Curry leaves
- Coriander leaves
COOKING METHOD :
- Add 5 cups of water to a pan and put the flame on.
- Add ragi flour little by little so that no lumps will be formed.
- Stir and cook the ragi nicely till mixture thickens and turns glossy. Then put off the flame.
- Now cool the ragi mixture and add salt as per taste.
- Add buttermilk or curd to the thick ragi mixture and mix properly and put chopped onions.
- The final step is to temper the ragi malt java or kanji with oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chili, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
- Serve the ragi kanji in glasses, top it with some onions and coriander and enjoy the flavors of this filling and nutritious drink.
5. Curd Fruit Custard
Fruit custard is everyone's favorite when it comes to fresh and creamy desserts and what is better than adding a twist of little tangy and sweet taste of curd to our summer favorite dessert. Lets see how to prepare this sweet delish.
INGREDIENTS :
- Curd - 2 cups whisk to creamy
- Black salt - 1/4th tp
- Condensed milk - 2 to 3 big spoons
- Kesar - ( optional )
- Chia seeds
- Fruits - 1.5 full cups
- Dry fruits of your choice
- Tutti frutti and glazed cherries.
- Rose water
COOKING METHOD :
- Take the curd in a bowl and whisk it until it gets creamy.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of black salt and condensed milk and give it a good mix.
- Now add all fruits like mango, apple, banana, black and green grapes, pomegranate seeds, papaya, pine apple.
- Add chopped dry, 4 to 5 teaspoons of soaked chia seeds, 1 teaspoon of rose water.
- Put this mixture in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Now the Curd Fruit Salad is ready to be served. Top it with some soaked chia seeds, tutti frutti and glazed cherries and serve chilled.
Including fresh fruits, salads, cooling and curd based foods is the mantra for thriving through the scorching summer months.
By prioritizing these summer friendly recipes, you not only consume a nourishing diet but also ensure a delicious culinary experience even in the hottest of the days.
So let's appreciate the flavors of summer while staying hydrated, cool and healthy.