Top 5 Traditional Coolants for This Summer

it’s the peak of summers across India and temperatures are soaring. What effect does the rising temperature have on our body? Every organ in our body- heart, brain, liver, kidney is temperature sensitive and our body does a really good job of regulating the right temperature. But sometimes the heat gets a bit too much and conditions like heat stroke is real and can cause a lot of damage.

Here are top 5 summer coolers for you to explore this summer season :

Kokum Coolant

Ingredients: 

• Dried kokum (unsalted) – 6-8 pieces
• Pink salt – to taste
• Hing (asafoetida) – a pinch.
• Green chilies (crushed) – 1/2 tsp – optional
• Curry leaves – 3-4 leaves
• Thin coconut milk – 1 cup
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Grated ginger – 1/2 tsp
• Crushed garlic (optional)

Directions: 

1. Soak kokum in warm water or normal water for few minutes and later extract the kokum water (just like extracting tamarind juice).
2. Transfer the kokum water in a bowl and add coconut milk, pink salt, hing and mix it well.
3. Take freshly crushed green chilies, ginger and garlic in a strainer and dip it in kokum water so as to extract its flavours.
4. Now add little coconut oil in a pan for tempering. When the oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and mix it in the kokum mixture.
5. Sol Kadhi/kokum coolant is ready to serve!

Tips:

• Adjust the consistency so that it’s not too sour.
• Avoid reheating it. Just refrigerate if you want to store and remove and hour prior consumption.
• You can garnish it with freshly powdered flaxseeds and cilantro for extra taste and flavour.

Jal-Jeera

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups water
• 2 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp fennel seed (saunf)
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tbsp dry ginger powder or grated fresh ginger
• 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (kalimirch)
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Organic jaggery/honey
• Black salt or rock salt as required
• 1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango for garnish

Related Video: Try this Healthy Natural Summer Drink

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients (except water) into a processor.
2. Grind until all blend well.
3. Strain with the strainer
4. Finally add 3-4 cups of water or as required.
5. Place in earthen pots
6. Serve your jaljeera chilled with some finely chopped raw mango, lime wedges and mint leaves.

If you like it sweet, then add organic raw honey or jaggery.

Notes:

• Cumin boosts the digestion process relives intestinal gas, acidity and bloating.
• The black salt /rock salt /Hing acts as a good digestive.
• The fresh mint/coriander helps to regulate our body and keep it cool.
• The grated ginger or ginger powder is a great remedy for nausea and treats abdominal cramps too.

Spiced Sattu Buttermilk/Mattha

Ingredients:    

• 2 tbsp sattu powder
• 3 tbsp fresh A2 organic curd
• 2 cups water
• black pepper a pinch.
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin/jeera powder
• pink salt to taste
• 1 tsp Lemon juice

Method:

1. Whisk the curd till smooth.
2. Add all the ingredients to the yoghurt.
3. Dilute with water. Some prefer my buttermilk thin, so add water accordingly.
4. Serve immediately. You could also refrigerate and serve later.

For garnish:                

• Finely chopped coriander and mint leaves
• You can also add 1/2 tsp. finely grated ginger if it suits you
• You can also make simple version with just cumin powder and pink salt added to curd and water.
• Some people like to add a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil to their buttermilk.

 Aam Panna (raw mango drink)

Ingredients

• 3 medium size raw mangoes/green mangoes.
• 1 -2 tbsp jaggery powder
• 1tsp pink salt.
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 5-6 mint leaves crushed/paste
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder

Method

1. Take a pressure cooker, add the mangoes, jaggery add enough water and pressure cook them for 4 to 5 whistles.
2. Remove the steam and cool down the cooked mangoes completely.
3. Peel the mangoes and extract the soft pulp out of it.
4. Add the pulp into a jar.
5. Add salt into it and stir well.
6. Add black pepper powder and roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well.
7. Now put crushed mint leaves or mint leaves paste into it.
8. At the time of drinking, add 2 tablespoons of this concentrate to water and relish.

Sabja Refresher

Ingredients:

• Lemon: 2 (Juiced)
• Sabja seeds: ½ tsp
• Jaggery powder: 1 tsp or to taste or Honey as per availability
• Ginger: an inch grated
• Mint leaves: 8
• Water: 2 glasses

Method:

1. Soak sabja seeds with little water for 10 min.
2. Juice the lemons.
3. Grate or crush the ginger & mint.
4. Crush in a pestle; or grate it with a grater.
5. Add all ingredients into water with jaggery powder/honey.
6. Mix well.
7. Serve it and serve with ½ tsp of the sabja seeds.

Watch this video to learn more about this tiny wonder seed. Click here.