BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI- CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.
Summer is one of the four Earth’s seasons, that goes after spring and foreshadows autumn. In this time of the year, days become warm, hot and really long, while nights in this season are the shortest.Sunshines so bright and everything around is whispering to go outdoors!
Summer is the hottest season of the year. The temperature can stay warm, even after the sun has gone down at night. There are plenty of leaves on the trees and lots of plants are in flower. Many trees and other plants produce fruit during summer.
Summer is prime time for festivals and events because the weather instantly creates a much better and vibrant experience. There are a multitude of different festivals and events in the summer from the Download festival to Forest Live.
There is something for everyone to get involved in. “Summer” came from the Old English name for the season “sumor”, which in turn came from the Proto-Germanic *sumur-, which itself came from the Proto-Indo-European root sam-, meaning summer.
sam- seems to be a variant of the Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning “together / one”. While sunny skies and warm temperatures do more than make our environment a pleasant place. They also provide some very significant benefits to our health and wellbeing.
Research indicates that you are less likely to die of a heart attack in the summer than in the winter. Apart from the staple diet during summer people generally eat more curd/ yogurt, butter milk, coconut water, mint/lemon water, juicy fruits like water melon, cucumber and more of beverages.”
Water in spite of being ignored due to sedentary lifestyle and work pressures, is an essential nutrient required for life. If you wish to keep yourself cool and hydrated in the scorching summer heat, avoid or reduce the consumption of hot beverages like tea or coffee. That’s because they tend to increase the overall temperature of the body, and disturb the digestive system.
Instead, consume nimbu pani, aam panna, chaas, etc. Jaggery is a great addition to your summer diet, because this is a season that brings with it flu-like symptoms like cold and cough. Just add a little to your morning and evening cup of tea, instead of sugar. You’ll be able to tackle infections in a delicious way!
Green leafy vegetables (the darker, the better) are an excellent source of minerals such as iron and calcium. They are excellent for the summers also because they have a high water content, rich in folates and are very light on the stomach. Summer bearings include a
lot of green vegetables, melons, peaches, corn, mangoes and other fresh and fragrant herbs.
Local markets are at their best during summer, when fruits are abundant, and vegetables are as fresh as can be. Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but low in calories. Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.
A leafy vegetable cooked and consumed as spinach. There are many varieties with tender leaves, green or red in color. This hardy vegetable is easy to grow throughout the year including hot summers. The healthiest leafy greens to include in your diet include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, microgreens, spinach, cabbage, arugula, beet greens, and romaine lettuce.
Here are a few of my recipes using greens this summer to try out:
Recipe-1] HARA BHARA PULAO
Ingredients:
- Basmati rice- 1 and a half cup, washed and soaked for 15 mins.
- Oil-2 tsp
- Ghee-1 tsp
- Bayleaf- 2 no
- Peppercorns- 4-5 no
- Cinnamon stick- 1 piece
- Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp
- Onions -1 cup sliced
- Tomatoes-1/2 cup chopped
- Green chilies-2 tsp chopped
- Salt to taste
- Fresh spinach-2 cups, blanched and chopped
- Fresh methi leaves- 1 cup, cut
- Fresh coriander leaves- 2-3 tbsp. chopped
- Green peas-1 cup boiled
- Cashews-2-3 tbsp. fried
- Raisins- 2-3 tsp
- Coriander powder-1 tsp
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder1/2 tsp
- Water- as needed
- Green capsicum- ½ cup cut
- Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
To serve with:
- Papad/pickle/raita/ chaas- as desired
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed.
- Clean, wash and soak the rice.
- Meantime start with the cutting chopping of veggies, greens and then start with the recipe.
- To start cooking, heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the whole spices and then the sliced onions, saute them well until lightly browned and add little water gradually as needed.
- Now add in the ginger-garlic, chilies and add in the rice and saute it for a minute, add in all the greens and salt, powdered spices and give it all a nice mix, add tomatoes, double the amount of water as compared to the rice.
- Bring to a boil, simmer and cook until the rice is done and liquid is well absorbed, rice is moist and well risen. Turn off the flame, add fried nuts on top and serve the pulao with curd, raita, chaas, papad etc.
Recipe-2] HARIYALI EGG MASALA
Ingredients:
- oil-2 tsp
- ghee-1 tsp
- hing-1/4 tsp
- cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
- ginger-1 tsp chopped
- garlic-1 tsp chopped
- red chilies-1-2 slit
- onion-1/2 cup chopped
- tomato-1/2 cup chopped
- fresh mint-1/2 cup
- fresh coriander-1/2 cup
- fresh methi-1/2 cup
- fresh spinach-1 cup blanched and chopped
- salt to taste
- red chili powder-1/2 tsp
- coriander powder-2 tsp
- turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- water as needed
- boiled eggs- 4-5 no cut 1 x 2
- curd-2-3 tsp
- fresh cream-2-3 tsp
method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed.
- Boil the eggs, shell them, cut 1 x 2 and keep aside.
- To start cooking, heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in hing, cumin seeds, red chilies, ginger-garlic- chilies and saute for a few seconds, add in the onions, saute for a few seconds, add in tomato, salt and all powdered spices, little water and bhunao.
- Once the masala cooks, little oil leaves from the sides, add in the greens, curd, cream and mix well, simmer and cook for 3-4 mins add little water as needed and finally get the masala cooking in around 5-6 mins.
- Turn off the flame and add in the boiled cut egg pieces, dish it out and garnish as desired with ginger juliennes or so and serve hot, enjoy with phulkas, buttered pao etc.
Recipe-3] MACHLI KHUSHNUMA
Ingredients:
For the green masala:
- Fresh coriander- 3-4 cups cleaned
- Garlic-4-5 cloves, cut
- Tomatoes- 3-4 no cut
- Water-1/2 cup
- Ginger-1-inch piece cut
- Green chilies- 2-3 tsp cut
- To cook the masala:
- Oil-2 tsp
- Ghee-1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Water-1/2 cup
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder-1 tsp
- Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Options for fish/ other varieties:
- Boneless chunky fillets of fish can be used here as per choice.
- Paneer cubes can be added too
- Chicken cuts can also be used
To serve it with:
- Hot phulkas /rotis/ parathas etc.
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the green masala made with coriander in this case for the fish recipe.
- Choose the fish and clean, wash, cut into thick chunky fillets or pieces so they don’t break a lot during cooking.
- To start the recipe, heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the green masala paste, all powdered spices, salt to taste and little water and bring to a little boil.
- Simmer and cook the masala for 2-3 mins, now add in the fish pieces into the masala and simmer, cover and cook the fish for 3-4 mins on each side and then check for done ness and garnish with fresh ginger juliennes etc
Recipe-4] METHI AUR PALAK WALE ALOO
Ingredients:
- Oil- 2 tsp
- Ghee-1 tsp
For the spice mix:
- Black cardamom-2 no
- Peppercorns- 4-5 no
- Cinnamon-1/2-inch piece
- Green cardamom-2-3 no
- Mace-1 small piece
- Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
- Red chilies- 2-3 no
- Dry roast for 2-3 min, cool and grind to powder
To cook the masala:
- Fresh methi-1 cup roughly cut
- Fresh coriander- 1 cup cut
- Spinach- 1 cup blanched, chopped
- Water-1/2 cup
- Salt to taste
- Hing-1/4 tsp
- Dry red chilies-1-2
- Tomatoes-1/2 cup chopped,
- Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder-1 tsp
- Red chilli powder-1/2 tsp
- Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
For the choice of veggies:
- Peeled and Cubed Potatoes/ mushrooms/ Babycorn/ sweet potato/ carrots etc.
To garnish:
- Fresh ginger juliennes
- Fried red chili
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed
- All the choice of greens to be kept ready, cleaning and washing to be kept an eye on to ensure proper hygiene.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the hing, red chilies, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, chilies and saute all of it well.
- Add in the greens, tomato and salt to taste, powdered spices and bhunao for a couple of minutes, add a little water and add in potatoes, cover and simmer for 20 mins until done. Serve hot with rotis/ phulkas/ naans etc.
Recipe-5] SAAGWALA SAUNFIYA MURGH
Ingredients:
- Chicken curry cuts- 750 gms
- Oil- 2 tsp
- Ghee- 2 tsp
- Bay leaf- 2 no
- Peppercorns- 5-6 no
- Onions- 1 cup paste
- Garlic -1 tsp chopped
- Ginger- 1 tsp chopped
- Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped
- Salt to taste
- Coriander powder-1 and a half tsp
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
- Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
- Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
- Tomato chopped-1/2 cup
- Potatoes- ½ cup cubes
- Fresh methi-1 cup
- Fresh coriander leaves- 1 cup
- Fresh spinach leaves- 1 cup
- Water as needed
- Ginger juliennes-2 tsp for garnish
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the chicken in green masala gravy.
- Clean and wash the chicken pieces, apply little oil, salt and turmeric powder and mix, keep in the fridge for 20 mins.
- To start with the cooking process, heat oil and ghee in a pan and add in the ginger- garlic- chilies, some whole spices as well like bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Add in the onion paste, saute it for a few minutes, add in salt and little water as needed, cook it until a light brown shade is achieved.
- Add in tomatoes, all powdered spices and bhunao the masala for a few minutes, add in the chicken pieces and saute for 2-3 mins. add in the potatoes, paste of all the three greens and little water and simmer, cook until chicken is well cooked.
- Serve the curry as desired with jeera rice or with rotis, garnish with fresh ginger juliennes and enjoy the chicken recipe.
Recipe- 6] CHHOLE KI CHAHAT
Ingredients:
- Oil-2 tsp
- Ghee-2 tsp
- Boiled kabuli chana- 1 and a half cup
- Boiled potato cubes-1 cup
To grind all to a paste:
- Ginger-1 tbsp.
- Garlic- 4-5 cloves
- Bay leaves- 2 no
- Pepper corns- 4-5 no
- Cinnamon stick- 1 small piece
- Green chilies- 2-3 no
- Onions-1 cup sliced
- Water-1/2 cup to grind all the above
For the cooking:
- Spinach-1 cup blanched, puree
- Fresh mint-1/2 cup
- Fresh coriander- 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Chhole masala-1 tsp
- Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder-1 tsp
- Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
- Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
- Curd- ½ cup thick, beaten up
- Tomato puree-1/2 cup
- Water-1/2 cup
- Kasuri methi-1 tsp
- Fried red chili- 2 no for garnish
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed above.
- Boil the chana and the potatoes, keep them all ready.
- Refer to the list of things to be combined into a mixer jar and ground to a paste using a little water.
- To start cooking, heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the prepared paste of spices and onions, saute it to a nice light brown shade, add a little water gradually.
- Add in the tomato puree, salt and all the powdered spices, cook for a few minutes, add in little beaten up curds and then add the kasuri methi, the spinach puree, mint, coriander as well.
- Now add in the boiled chana and potatoes and mix well. add little water as per gravy requirements and simmer, cover and cook for 10- 12 mins and serve hot garnished with fried red chili.
