BW Communities

Summer SuperFoods

BW Online Bureau Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Yoghurt is the best known summer food in our midst, going into cooling raitas, tempered and diluted to give us butter milk, that perfect 4 o'clock snack, and mixed with all manner of rice for a light meal. It helps, of course, that Ayurveda recognises its cooling property and that it is such an intrinsic part of our cuisines, but there are other superfoods to stock up on this season, to keep you hydrated and fit. The best ones to rely on are the seasonal and locally grown foods. There's little point in importing blueberries or cloudberries from the Arctic because however rich they may be in antioxidants and minerals, they lose freshness and benefits by the time they burn up all those carbon miles. Worse, if they are preserved. If you have to eat fruit, eat it fresh and whole — you get the fibre and save on sugar. And the calorie-saving fruit for this season is watermelon. More than just water, this luscious fruit has lycopene, which is an antioxidant, plus Vitamin A and C that help the immune system. So go ahead and gorge on those slices, with perhaps a little rock salt sprinkled on (sweating also makes you lose the vital salts). I came across this gorgeous salad recently that combined scoops of watermelon with more filling (and fattening) musk melon in a summery dressing of honey, lemon juice and freshly-crushed black pepper. All of this was presented in a watermelon shell. Serve this at your party. Mango is the other fruit of summer. More so, if you can afford to indulge in hapus or langda or dussehris. But raw mango is an infinitely lighter way to partake of those pleasures sans calories. Add it to chutneys, to dal and occasional veggie for Vitamin C benefits. Make panna by boiling it, adding sugar, salt, mint and roasted cumin powder to prevent dehydration. You can also eat it in a Thai-style salad (julienne the mango, add a dressing of sweet chilly sauce, perhaps Thai basil), topped with a few pieces of (batter-fried, if you like) fish. Or, blend the plethora of local mountain berries that you get — including strawberries—with yoghurt for a filling, non-creamy dessert. Of course, to ensure all its probiotic properties, the yoghurt must be set fresh at home. Summer veggies like zucchini (torai) and pumpkin are stars of Italian cuisine. So you don't have to wrinkle up your nose at them. They are light, low-cal and nutritious and can go into all manner of pasta.   Indians are not into cold soups at all. Yet, these can be trendy and nutritious. I've seen beetroot soup (beet lowers blood pressure, and contains potassium and Vitamin A) served in shot glasses, cold, blended with lemon juice. It looks pretty too. Vichyssoise is the best known chilled potato and leek soup. But I love the cold Med gazpacho, with tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, cumin and coriander leaves and a dash of Tabasco. Else, lay your hands on a bottle of bel (wood apple) sherbet, good for the stomach, incorporating the pulp, rock salt, sugar and cumin powder. The last is a summer spice, to be used liberally, whether it is soaked in water and had first thing in the morning (a natural diuretic, it flushes the system and helps avoid water retention) or sprinkled on chaats and in yoghurt-based dips that you can have as part of a mezze. Enjoy! (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 07-05-2012)