Kitchen hacks to beat the heat wave

Mercury levels are refusing to come down and in some parts of India the humidity is making it worse The India Meteorological Department called this a 122year high and with offices just having reopened after the pandemic not everyone is fortunate to work from home Ayurveda wellness practitioner and yoga doctorate Dr Amit Mishra points out how the sun is known to sap our strength in the heat between April and JuneldquoThe pitta dosha increases weakening appetite and leads to higher consumption of liquids further dampening it thatrsquos why it is best to eat sweet light liquid food with some ghee at the height of summerrdquo He advises against drinking refrigerated water and suggests drinking water stored in earthenware as it cools the water naturally Coolants and sherbets made with the fresh extract of mango grape pomegranate and sugarcane with a dash of pepper and cardamom can be beneficial Gulkand made from fresh rose petals is recommended for its powerful antioxidants which induce cooling and help cure burning palms feet eyes and soles He insists that you avoid alcohol and strenuous exercise and recommends a small afternoon nap since summer nights are shorter in duration ldquoPranayama routines like shitali and sitkari cooling breath for the mind and body help manage summer heatrdquoPakhalo bhaatOdishaPakhalo bhaat is light and best suited for summersBorivali resident economics professor and Odissi exponent Mitali Varadkar was sceptical when she was first offered this special summer dish in Odisha ldquoMy guru Shubhada Varadkar told me it is an offering to Lord Jagannath at the Puri templerdquo she remembers ldquoI fell in love with it from the first morsel The crunch of the onion the bite of the chillies and the sourness of curd with the salt made the dish feel wholesome Light and best suited for summers it is a great way to take care of dehydration and loss of electrolytes due to heavy sweatingrdquo she says Since rice is soaked overnight the calorific content is reduced by 60 per cent making it ideal for weight watchers ldquoThe sound sleep it induces is its best benefitrdquo says the danseuse who vouches for its help in making the skin glowChichon or tamarind pannaVidarbha in MaharashtraNagpurresident Vaishali Deshpande calls the tangy sweet and sour drink chinchon Vidarbharsquos greatest summer refugeThey say there are summers and then therersquos the Vidarbha summer Nagpurresident Vaishali Deshpande a popular home chef says ldquoWhen it comes to beating the heat no cold drink ice cream or even aam panna comes close to the traditional tamarind pannaChinchon is made with tamarind pulp jaggery betel leaf soaked vetiver grass strands few grains of rice charoli cloves and dry coconutThis tangy sweet and sour drink has been Vidarbharsquos summer refuge for centuries It has tamarind pulp jaggery betel leaf soaked vetiver grass strands a few grains of rice charoli calumpang nuts cloves and some desiccated dry coconut All this is ground fine and mixed into a litre of water and strainedrdquoShe points out how the addition of cumin and jaggery makes this the perfect coolant and that tamarind is rich in magnesium potassium iron Vitamin B and C and several antioxidants multiplying the benefits of this drink manifoldrdquoKhus sherbetUttar PradeshLucknow experiences severe heat waves every summer locally called loo Both Unani and Ayurveda have found great benefits in the extract of the fragrant vetiver grass or khus ldquoWhat started as a popular drink of the royals soon became the drink of choice for the masses toordquo says academic and communications professional Dr Shirin Abbas who says it is her goto drink all yearlongLucknow resident Shirin Abbas enjoys the fragrance of khus Made from vetiver grass extract it is both cooling and refreshingldquoThis sherbet relieves thirst and a burning sensation due to the summer heat It is known to purify and invigorate blood circulation and keep bladder problems at bay It is recommended to treat boils fever and skin rashes due to heat The fragrant essential oil in khus is therapeutic It cools the mind and calms nervesrdquo she addsBael sherbetMadhya PradeshJuhuresident Vidhushi Solankyrsquos maternal grandparents are from Mhow Madhya Pradesh where it can get really hot ldquoSummer across central India is the worst To avoid heat strokes everyone there has bael or wood apple sherbetTo avoid heat strokes Juhu resident Vidhushi Solanky stocks up on bael or wood apple sherbet Pic CourtesyRakesh SolankyWe used to have it during our vacations there but now they are an integral part of our summers in the city too Itrsquos a digestive drink and is a rich source of vitamins and beta carotene Apart from being a heatbuster it also helps reduce cholesterol toordquo says SolankiPanakam and Neer MorTamil Nadu and KeralaPanakam and Neer Mor are rich in antioxidants and the spices aid digestionPanakam or Panagam is a traditional jaggerybased coolant popular in Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh all with minor variations says Sionresident Sarada Vishawanathan ldquoThe essential ingredients are jaggery freshly crushed pepper and cardamom Some regions add their souring agents like pureed boiled raw mango lemon or tamarind extract to give it additional tangrdquo says the nonagenarian matriarch fondly called Sarada Amma whose family hails from Tiruchirapalli She swears by the benefits of this summer essential and shared that it is offered to the lord on Ram Navami a date that marks the intensification of summer in India It has an immediate cooling effect says Vishwanathan Her son Professor K Praveish V Aiyar points out how jaggery is rich in iron magnesium and other antioxidants while the spices aid digestion Sarada Amma also speaks of the benefits of Neer Mor in which a small bowl of beaten curd is diluted with nearly a litre of water and stored in an earthen pot ldquoThis enhances its taste and benefits It keeps you hydrated improves metabolism and keeps you feeling refreshedrdquoChane ka sattuBiharThough Andheribased filmmaker Prashant Singh was raised in Mumbai his parents still have a deep connection with their Bihari roots ldquoThis is the drink my parents make when they come back home from a hot day outrdquoNirmal Kumar Singh insists that nothing comes quite close to sattu made from ground roasted gram rock salt cumin and chilli to beat the summer heatHis father Nirmal Singh a former Navy man extolls the health benefits of the humble North Indian summer drink ldquoIt is prepared with roasted black chana lemon juice chillies and cumin powder and is rich in protein fibre carbs iron calcium and several vitamins and mineralsrdquo Prashant points out how some make a sweet version with jaggery but at the Singh household they prefer the savoury oneRice beerAssamGender equality activist Nelson Deb is welcomed in every home with rice beer Seen here with Monahar Pegu a Mising tribalThere are many Assamese folk songs and dances that convey the importance of brewing rice beer in the region Gender equality activist Nelson Deb who has been working closely with local Assamese communities says ldquoBihu or any other occasion in Assam is not complete without rice beerBrewed by local communities at home this natural yellowwhite coolant is preferred in the oppressive heat and humidity It is seen as a natural elixir enriched with probiotics nutrients and antioxidants which boost strength removes fatigue relieves pain prevent stomach disorders and more Some locals even feed a few drops such rice beer to newbornsrdquo