Sharbats -Cold cuts are hot options

Source:Metro plus,vijayawada,24 th April,2010

HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

 

The simmering heat getting the better of you? Harjeet Kaur Allagh offers a smorgasbord of options on a platter

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar 
 
Cool preference Sharbats are wonderful substitutes to quench thirst in summer 

The weatherman has confirmed our worst fears. Summer will be more blistering, sweltering and scorching this year. In our eagerness to discover brand new ways to beat the heat and cool down the body, most of us tend to miss the age-old recipes that are sure-fire means of beating the heat.

Try a glass of cold lime juice with a bit of sugar, salt and a dash of cumin powder or grab a tumbler of buttermilk. If neither is accessible, stop over at a coconut vendor and help yourself to tender coconut.

These quick-fix solutions work rapidly to recharge our energy-sapped system. “ Panna is a juice made from boiled or roasted raw mango pulp. Instead of relying on carbonated beverages that make me feel bloated, I prefer mom's recipe for raw Panna – a blend of pudina leaves, coriander leaves, cumin seed powder and a dash of black salt, make a tasty and refreshing drink,” says Pavithra, a professor.

Many homemakers like Rukmini depend on traditional Indian cuisine that contains restorative supplements in preparations like chutneys, sherbets and the vast variety of raitas that we relish. “The key summer advisory for food is to eat light and include ingredients that have cooling properties,” says Rukmini.

Curd, cumin, khus, sandal, rose water, tamarind and anaardana (pomegranate seeds) are naturally cooling. Go heavy on homemade salads and squash vegetables like bottle gourd, snake gourd, pumpkins, which have high water content. If you don't like these vegetables and prefer foreign cuisines, there are interesting alternatives. Go for soups like gazpacho and smoked chicken cuts, Mediterranean dips and Thai salads instead of heavy spicy food. Tofu, green Thai curries, hummus and the Lebanese version of bhartha are very good alternatives to the hot Indian food. “Cold cuts are fairly foreign to the Indian food habit but the ones like tandoori or dum make great fillings for pita bread sandwiches and wraps, “says Tina, a gourmet cook.

“Steamed dhoklas and idlis and chaat items like dahi bhalla can be substituted for a main course,” opines Asmita, an expert cook.

The right kind of food and drink can help keep the body cool and healthy during hot summer. Here's a list of items that ought to be stocked in your fridge to survive the searing temperatures. Fruit with yoghurt is an ideal combination for breakfast in really hot weather. Fruits have high water content and so they help maintain the body fluid.

Intake of fruits is important in hot weather to bump up your fluid intake. Melons contain more than 90 per cent water and the good news is that they are ubiquitous during summer. Papayas too are available in abundance besides being affordable. For a more exotic drink try the Kiwi-Cooler.

The delicious light green colour of this mocktail is enough to entice you to have the drink. In a tall glass place cup of crushed ice. Pour 1 tsp of sugar syrup, 2 tbsp kiwi crush, 1 tbsp lemon juice over it and stir using a stirrer. Top each glass with a bottle of chilled soda water and serve immediately, garnished with a slice of kiwi.What you experience is simply divine.