Summer has not officially arrived but the heat is already unbearable. Home chefs and caterers suggest these refreshments to cool down.
Watermelon feta salad
Nidhi Mehta, the founder of Nidhi’s Kitchen, a catering service, shares a low-carb recipe. For the dressing, whisk 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp lime juice, ¼ tsp pink salt and half a garlic clove (minced) together. Toss 5 cups of cubed watermelon and a heaped cup of diced cucumber on a large platter and drizzle them with half the dressing. Top them with 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/3 cup torn mint or basil leaves and half of thinly sliced jalapeno or serrano pepper. Drizzle more dressing and serve.
Cucumber sharbat
This cooler is popular among the Nawayath community of Karnataka. Their food is a mix of Konkan and Middle-Eastern influences. “It is good for the skin and keeps your body cool,” says Saaqib Bhatkal, founder of the home catering service, Big Daddy’s Kitchen. Here’s how you can make one.
Remove the core (seeds) of the cucumber and grate the rest. Juice it along with 2 drops of lemon juice and rosewater each. Mix a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt, give it a stir, and serve with ice cubes.
Semolina dahi vada with pomegranate
Home chef Roopa Singh shares a quintessential summer snack to beat the heat. She uses semolina instead of urad dal which is traditionally used to make vada. Semolina is high in protein and fibre and is light on the stomach, she says.
To make the batter, mix 1 cup semolina with ½ cup curd, ½ cup water and ¼ tsp baking soda. Add salt, black pepper and ground ginger to taste and set aside for 15 minutes. Heat 1 cup of oil in a wok on medium-heat and drop batter with a ladle.
Fry the vadas in batches until golden brown and set aside to cool. Serve with sweet curd and pomegranate.
Pina colada kombucha
If you want a naturally frizzy drink, kombucha is an alternative. It is made by fermenting tea and a live culture called Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts (SCOBY). Honey Islam, founder of Mountain Bee Kombucha, shares a recipe.
Blend 220 ml of pineapple kombucha with 84 gm of cream of coconut, 37 gm of coconut milk, 2 big scoops of crushed ice and 15 ml of lime juice.
To make pineapple kombucha, ferment sweet tea for 10-15 days. Then, add pineapple juice and let it infuse for 2-3 days before straining.
You can prepare the cream of coconut by stirring equal parts coconut milk and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.