With the surge in the coronavirus second wave across the nation, consuming responsibly and opting for immunity boosting foods has come to be as required as observing security protocols such as masking, social distancing and hand hygiene, amongst other individuals. With summer time setting in and higher temperatures soaring, it is also crucial to be more mindful of what you park on your plate.
Of course, your kitchen, your guidelines, but how about applying the energy of the Indian kitchen’s unspoken secrets for preparing fantastic meals? More importantly, what are the blunders to prevent so that we do not mess up! Ayurveda, it appears, has lots of suggestions when it comes to preparation of fantastic meals particularly for scorching summers.
In southern India, for instance, when scorching summers set in, individuals prepare curd rice, lemon rice and tamarind rice in their houses. Breakfast is usually ready early and served light. Grandmothers would generously use coconut oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds, fresh coriander leaves and spices even though preparing dishes. Buttermilk laced with ginger and green chillies is traditionally served to guests, and rasam is critical along with meals. At each meal, jeera-roasted water is served along with meals or kept in a jug to help digestion. In their personal way, grandmothers had a uncommon sense of ‘food wisdom’ ingrained with out the aid of any culinary cookbooks or Google.
Summer meals preparation: How about South Indian ‘Tiffin’?
Rukmini Srinivas, in her bestselling cookbook ‘Tiffin’ evokes nostalgia of a bygone era, as she expertly delves into the memories of South Indian ‘tiffin’ that is perfect for summer time. A range of lip smacking dishes are listed but one that stands tall and regular is the mango seekarane, which requires an elaborate course of action of peeling, slicing, crushing prior to it becomes a juicy pulp and then it is ready with saffron and cardamom flavoured milk, then garnished with raisins and toasted cashew nuts fried in ghee.
Another intriguing item Rukmini Srinivas refers to is ‘Pidi kozhukattai’, a Tamil dish , which requires a complicated portion of ground rice and lentils that are flavoured with spices and fresh herbs. The flavour of this regular Tamil dumplings is enhanced by the freshness of house grown herbs.
While each and every locality has its personal exceptional preparations, there are some meals things that are loved by all Indians. Pickles, for instance, are a component of all meals and even the regular feasts for festivals, marriages and so on.
Summer Special: Preparing Pickles
Dr. Manjari Chandra shares her insights with TheSpuzz Online, “Preparing pickles is one of the most ancient applications of fermentation and has been a part of indigenous cultures across the globe. A couple of small to moderate slices of pickle every day would not harm anyone. They are a rich source of vitamins, serve as probiotics, improve digestive health, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. What we need to avoid is having excess pickles or consuming bottled pickles with every meal. It is because pickles contain concentrated sodium that can elevate your blood pressure, make your kidneys and liver work harder, and cause digestive discomfort, working exactly opposite to what it is intended to.”
The largest error several of us have a tendency to make pertains to mixing up meals combinations that clash or do not work effectively with each other. So, what do you do when you are not certain of the right meals mixture?
Beware of mixing up incorrect meals combinations
The effectively-identified author of ‘Eat up, Clean up’ recommends,”I would recommend that individuals, in common, have to be mindful of the combinations of meals that do not work for them. It is anything that is incredibly individual. And most individuals can figure out if they spend just a tiny focus to how their body responds right away or an hour soon after they have had particular meals. Ayurveda, in specific, does not address meals combinations that can be dangerous or valuable in the context of weight loss. But consuming starchy vegetables with foods containing higher-protein content can trigger some metabolic disturbance and digestive concerns, top to weight acquire. For instance, one ought to Prevent consuming vegetables like corn, potatoes, and red beans with guava, spinach, and broccoli. On the other hand, consuming unpolished rice with ghee can prove to be valuable. Ayurveda merely focuses on consuming wholesome meals in balanced amounts with mindfulness rituals. All the advantages automatically stick to.”
Undoubtedly, our taste buds inform us when meals is not tasting proper and a bit of clever tweaking can repair several of these unintended errors in the kitchen. No doubt, the ordinary Indian kitchen has more treasures in many types – spices, herbs, and so on, which we can bank on for immunity boosting and secure consuming.