After a winter that dragged unto the ides of March the summer is here, almost bypassing the spring. As the mercury threatens to touch 40 degree Celsius, it is clear that 2019 is headed for a robust monsoon. Heat waves, rising pollution, vector-borne diseases... expect them all. But why make it only about the ill effects of the season. Summer is also about bright days, breezy evenings and a lot of cool seasonal fruits and flowers, which, if you know how to use the right well, can be turned into delectable dishes and sublime sippers. To get you started, we at DTE give you some recipes from our foodbook; they are soothing for the summers, high on nutrition, even medicinal. Here's wishing you a summer to discover food as medicine:
What you need:
What do you do:
Crush the fruits and cook them in a saucepan for a few seconds. Add sugar and stir till it melts. Keep boiling and stirring till the mixture becomes thick. Let it cool down; then put the mixture in sterile jars and refrigerate.
What you need:
What do you do:
Soak the flowers in five glasses of water with sugar for four-six hours or till they lose colour; stir well, strain and serve chilled. To improve the taste, soak fennel seeds along with the petals. Add lemon juice, black salt, cumin powder, pepper powder or fresh mint leaves before serving.
What you need:
What do you do:
Steep a few petals in hot water until it discharges a deep purple colour; after the colour has steeped into the water, filter it. Add sugar to taste and a piping, soothing tea is ready. You can mint, ginger or a couple of drops of lemon to it. It can be made into an iced tea as well.
And to top it, here's a video with three surprise recipes: