Season’s best friends are yours to savour

In happier times, it was possible to step out of the house any time of the day — from daybreak till late in the night — to fortify one’s arsenal against the scorching summer sun. Succulent cucumbers and sweet smelling melons could be stocked, with melons getting sweeter and cheaper as the mercury soared. And when the season’s first mangoes appeared, there was greater respite in the shape of the ice-cube laden mango shakes, lassi, kulfi, ice cream, etc. Everything cool brought such exquisite relief; rasgullas and rasamalai tempted one to step out of the house even on sultry nights. Cold drinks exerted a powerful multi-hued seduction.

However, all this seems recollection of a distant past, fragments of fast-fading memories. Heatwave is once again knocking at our closed doors and we must keep our cool. And in times of pandemic, we will have to manage with whatever we have at hand. However, this cloud comes with a silver lining. This is the time to kick away the addiction to carbonated, sugar-laden, artificially flavoured, synthetic-tinted bottled drinks.

Ancient ayurvedic texts tell us that the best way to cope with heat is to include ingredients with time-tested cooling properties to our diet. These thirst quenchers are spices and herbs supercharged by a little assistance from a pinch of sugar and salt. The traditional shikanji and jal-jeera prepared from spice mix pounded at home perform much better to protect you from heatstroke.

One can make a single tea bag go a long way if making iced tea at home. A teaspoon of lemon juice and a few leaves of mint contribute to the bliss. If you are not running short of milk, you can treat yourself to a frothy cold coffee.

Another beverage that deserves to be accorded one of the top slots is sattu ka sherbet. Ground parched gram or barley has, for generations, been the staple of the poorest of the poor in rural Bihar and eastern UP. Diluted with cold water and flavoured with salt, mint, fresh coriander and a little black rock salt, it makes a fantastic revitaliser. Thicken it a little and it gives you a light, nutritious breakfast.

All of us are familiar with the ubiquitous garam masala, but how many have ever wondered about a thanda masala mixture? Well, there are spices that exude a cool aura and these must be utilised in summers: coriander powder, fresh coriander, green cardamom, mint — both fresh and dry, melon seeds and, yes, black peppercorns. These, along with soaked almonds and rose petals, power the thandai and beat the heat.

It is not necessary to indulge in beverages alone. Try out new chutneys, many of which can be used as a main course dish at a pinch. The well-tempered coconut chutney in South Indian eateries is one such accompaniment. Hyderabadi tamatar ka kut or tonk from Bengal can easily save you the trouble of toiling in the blazing kitchen to rustle up a vegetable.

Then there are scores of ‘cold’ dishes from the regional repertoire that can become integral parts of our summer menu necessarily constrained by limited supplies and restraints on going out. Aloo ka chokha, cold baigan ka bharta, aloo ki chaat, khilwan urad dal and so on. So conditioned we have become to eating our food hot even at the height of summer that we have almost forgotten delicacies that were served cold or at room temperature, like dahi ma bheenda, the Parsi classic, or doi begun from Orissa and Bengal…

As a matter of fact, most seasonal squash vegetables with high water content, namely parwal, tori, tinda and lauki, can be enjoyed in a similar manner, particularly when slow cooked on dum. Just sprinkle a little thanda masala and experience the magic they work.

Lest you get the impression that the summer delights are confined to the vegetable kingdom, just recall the range of cold cuts that make a meal in many European countries. A slice of salami plus a bit of cheese and sliced tomato can make an irresistible sandwich. A well-made shami kebab doesn’t require re-heating and who has heard of a hot-to-touch chicken chaat?

Thayir sadam (curd rice), lemon and tomato rice are all presented not hot but at room temperature.

There are countless raitas, pachadis and kachumbars that have long been neglected. All of these recipes can be prepared before the sun rises high in the sky and can be relished at leisure at lunch or dinner. We find a cold soup like gazpacho as filling as a more kojhambu with vegetables added to it.

For those who have an incurable sweet tooth, we suggest try your hand at a cheesecake that doesn’t require baking and can be prepared with Marie biscuits and homemade curd cheese. If you can lay you hands on a forgotten bottle of vanilla essence and an egg or two, caramel custard is a good option too. Both are delightful when served chilled.

Before we conclude, here is another suggestion: keep as far as possible the chromatic range of foods and beverages you consume and serve when the days feel like a furnace toward the cold blue end of the spectrum. Emerald or moss green, light pink and yellow all are known to douse the flames fast!