Mangoes: Don’t we all love the juicy king of fruits? Mangoes are enriched with vitamin A that is good for eyesight and also improves formation of healthy epithelium to keep away common infections. The unripe mango also protects from the adverse effects of hot scorching winds.
Lemons: Lemons are precious commodity in the summer. They are treasure troves of vitamin C and a must in every home. Either have lemonade or use the juice in your dal and veggies. But lemons are something that take the brunt of the summer heat.
Milk: With every mango you eat, drink a glassful of milk. Mango has sugars but no protein. Milk has the latter but not the former. So why not combine them? A mango milkshake is the best because it will give your body the best nourishment for the summer.
Ghee: Ghee is fattening. Period. So have a little, a few drops, just a wee bit on your chapatis. It provides a cooling effect to the stomach and believe me, we need to be cool.
Curd: Make a fresh bowlful everyday at home. Drink it in the form of lassi or buttermilk. Have it as raita or have it plain. Your grandma’s right when she says it is good for you. Eat it the way you like it.
Cumin: You need not use just the roasted cumin powder for your panna, raitas and buttermilk. You can also use cumin seeds in the tempering of summer veggies.
Mint: Mint or pudina definitely adds a new dimension to chutneys. And pudina chutney adds a perk to your sandwiches and snacks. A few leaves of pudina crushed and added to buttermilk leave a lingering tasty coolness on the palate.
Gourds: It’s the time to bring home the pethas, laukis and tindas. They are fresh produce with high water content and if made the right way, with curd and chapatis they make a substantial lunch.
Watermelon and muskmelon: These sometimes take the back seat as mangoes dominate the fruit basket. But if you make it a point to bring home the melons, rest assured, they will get polished off in no time. Watermelons and muskmelons are moisture rich fruits that are a boon in the summer when someone wants to keep the diet light. A good addition to salads both sweet and savoury and also as juice and of course, just plain fruit instead of dessert.
A word of advice to wind up: meat and heat don’t go well together. Go slow on the rich gravies and red meats. Have chicken and fish either grilled or in soups. Deep fried stuff like samosas, kachoris and bhajias are best left for the monsoons and cold winters. All that grease will do your stomach (and your skin) no good.
Cucumbers: Having a cucumber is like sipping a glass of chilled water. It is refreshing and cooling. Rich in potassium and sodium, cucumbers are a boon when the weather gets dehydrating.
Gulkand: Some people don’t like the taste of gulkand. But you need to have just a teaspoonful of gulkand a day to enjoy its benefits. These candied rose petals can be used to good advantage in recipes too. It is cooling in spite of its sweetness and a topper in my shopping list.
