7 Indian Traditional summer foods to beat the heat Leave a comment

1.Barley or Jau:

Your dadi nanis favorite summer whole grain with its immense nutrition benefits is a boon for summer cooling benefits too. Barley’s soluble fibre , micronutrients and minerals take good care of your overall wellness.

1. Regulates Blood Pressure
2. Improves Bone Health
3. Lowers Cholesterol keeping the heart healthy.
4. Weight Management
5. Treats UTIs to which you are more prone in summers.
6. Prevents gall bladder stone formation.
7. Controls Diabetes
8. Improve Digestion

Barley water cools your body perfectly in summer giving you all the above added benefits. An ancient remedy or an elixir to good health, barley water is an incredible beverage that our ancestors included in their daily diet since the dawn of civilization. The power grain barley, which our generation commonly associates with beer is much more to give us.

Barley Water Recipe : Soak whole grain (barley (1/2 cup) in water for 4 hours. Boil barley in 3 cups of water. Cool it. Add lemon juice and salt to enhance the taste.

Drink 1 to 3 cups of barley water daily for good health and weight loss. It should be taken before meals.

2. Chana Sattu

You must have heard people from various parts of India talking about Sattu being there summer favourite. Sattu is a high protein source. Its often called poor mans protein for its low pocket draining market value.
With its almost instant cooling effect on the body it nourishes your body

1. High Fibre content keeps your gut healthy.
2. Keeps blood sugar in control
3. Detoxifies system of greasy food.
4. Enhance muscle mass.

Sattu ka Sharbat: Mix sattu and jaggery powder and blend to make a smooth paste. Add earthen pot water and stir well. Strain it avoid the grains.

You can make a salty also. Substitute jaggery with rock salt.

3. Rose Petals:

Rose petals are very useful for removing excess heat from the body. Aids in weight loss and treatment of piles. Consume in moderate quantity of Gulkand(rose petal jam) or Rose Sherbet in summers to beat the heat. Gulkand is mild laxative also due to this it removes excess pitta from body. Diabetics need to avoid Gulkand & Sharbet due to its sugar content.

Rose kulfi, chilled rose kheer, rose lassi are the other famous summer dishes to keep the body cool. You can simply infuse fresh rose petals in fresh water along with mint. Fresh rose petals + Mint : Let it stay for some time, your fragrant cooling refreshing. Drink is ready to take summer challenge.

Rose water is created by distilling rose petals with steam. Rose water is fragrant and its sometime used as a mild natural fragrance as an alternative to chemical filled perfumes.

Rose water has been used for thousands of years, including in the middle Ages. It’s been used traditionally in both beauty products and food and drink products.
Rose tea helps people who have excess heat in body but want to lose weight. While rose tea can be uplifting for your senses, it will also help to relieve a sore throat thanks to antioxidants. Create your own infusion using dried rose petals. Rose also tastes lovely so that’s another benefit! Try combining with a few peppermint leaves and honey to taste for a warming cup (or leave it to cool and add ice for an iced infusion perfect for hot weather).

4. Khus

Khus(vetiver- Chrysopogon zizanioides,) is often confused with khus khus (poppy seeds – Papaver somniferum).Vetiver is a grass whereas khus khus is flowering plant. Both have different families and properties. Khus is a grass root which has extremely cooling properties, used to make a drink, also used in cosmetics.
Khas sharbat is very popular summer drink with following benefits-

1. The unique flavor of Khus acts as thirst quencher.
2. Nutritious & Healthy Drink, known for its cooling properties.
3. Gives relief from acidity & scorching heat.
4. Purifier Blood & Improve skin tone.
5. Relieves from stress & dehydration.
6. Helps in improving urine output.

5. Sabja (Basil) seeds(Ocimum basilicum):

Sabja seeds are often referred to as a “Superfood” or functional food. Sabja seeds are an excellent source of fibre and omegas which has cooling properties. Traditionally they were being used in Falooda. They are also used in Indian Lemonade, Rooh Afza, milkshakes and sherbets Today also we can see road side lemonade sellers are adding Sabja seeds to the drink during summer season.
Health benefits:

1. Basil seeds contain soluble fibre, which may promote gut health, blood sugar control, healthy cholesterol levels and appetite control. However more research in these areas is needed.
2. Just 1 tbsp (13 grams or 0.5 ounces) of basil seeds could supply most of all of your daily need to ALA ome-3 fat.
3. Rich in Antioxidants with fewer calories, excellent weight loss agent.

Basil seeds and chia seeds both form a gel when soaked and are nutritionally similar. .
Ways to Use Them-You can find recipes online that include basil seeds. Their bland flavour blends easily in dishes.
For example, you can use basil seeds in:

1. Smoothies
2. Milkshakes, chhach
3. Lemonade & Fruit juices
4. Soups
5. Salad dressings
6. Yogurt
7. Pudding
8. Custard

6. Gond Katira (Tragacanth Gum Herb)

Gond Katira (Tragacanth Gum) has a cooling effect on the body. It is a solid gum in white or light yellow colour which becomes soft after absorbing water once soaked in it.
Health benefits:
1. Prevent Heat strokes: Gond katira has amazing cooling properties and thus it is often used to prepare a drink which helps to cool the body in the summer season. It works as a cooling agent and reduces the temperature of the body. This is turn helps in preventing a heat stroke. Gond katira is very useful in controlling nose bleeding(epistaxis) that frequently occurs in children in the extreme summer season.

Our signature drink for summers which is my favourite also is cooling milk shake which has cold milk, gond kateera , gulkand and chia seeds and magaj (melon seeds). Its highly nutritious , filling and super cooling breakfast . Throughout the day you are ready to beat the summer heat.

2. Helps in constipation: Gond katira possesses purgative properties and so it is very helpful in treating constipation. It works as a laxative and provides a lot of relief.
3. Breast enhancer in women: A daily dosage of gond can help to increase the size of the breasts of women who have small breasts and want to increase their size.
4. Good For Glowing Skin: Katira Gond is wonderful for the skin as it contains soluble fiber that detoxifies the system & helps to improve the complexion & glow of the skin.
Gondh katira should not be confused with gondh used in winters for making ladoos in north India.

7. Bael Fruit or Wood apple:

This is an ultimate medicinal summer fruit. Bael fruit has been known for its medicinal values since the ages of Rishi Munis & regarded as holy to Shiva.

1. The bael has tannin which helps cure diseases like Diarrhoea & Cholera.
2. Bael is very good to treat your IBS.
3. It also has antioxidants that help fight gastric ulcers & prevent acidity in the stomach.
4. It is the perfect fruit for hot climates.

It takes me back to childhood lanes when we were forced to take bael ka sherbet. little did I know it guarded me against the summer heat.

Ways to consume:
You can consume bael either ripe or in juice form.

Check out our youtube video to prepare bael juice at home.

Caution: Over consumption of this fruit or its juice during pregnancy and lactation need to be avoided. Also it may lead to gastric troubles when consumed frequently in large amount.

Diabetics & Weight watchers need to avoid adding sugar or sugar substitute will do.

To sum up: Discover and explore our culture and traditions. you can find other hidden gems in your store of knowledge. write to me in comment section if you are finding other cooling foods and recipes. Enjoy the freedom of summers !

Discover how to incorporate heart-healthy foods into your diet with our Healthy Heart Program.