5 Must Have Cooling Summer Ingredients in your Home

Posted by The Gourmet Box on

Summer season has started in full swing. With rising temperatures, we are looking to cool off with cooling foods and drinks. Stock up on fresh summer fruits and veggies like Watermelon, Mango, Pineapple, Cucumber, Spinach, Bottle gourd, etc. Meals are primarily salads, cold noodles, gazpachos and such light and refreshing dishes. 

Apart from the seasonal fruits and veggies, did you know that there are some ingredients in your kitchen that help keep your body cool. They help lower the body temperature and aid in reduction of bloating and easy digestion. 

Here are 5 ingredients that are a must have in your kitchen during Summer:

Summer Spices

These 5 Indian spices - Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Turmeric, Cardamon, and Fenugreek Seeds are essential during summer. You can add them to your food or soak them in water overnight and have it as a drink. They help in keeping your body cool, keeps the body hydrated and aids in digestion.

Summer Millets

Swap your regular wheat roti to Millet rotis with Jowar or Barley rotis. Little Millets has been traditionally used in extremely hot states like Rajasthan during Summers. It's the most cooling out of all millets and is great for digestive health, because it contains high amounts of soluble fibre.

Chia Seeds

Basil (Sabja) and Chia Seeds are great way to cool your body. Traditionally we have been adding them in Falooda. This superfood has now come to be used in drinks or make chia pudding that can be eaten for breakfast. You can add them in your smoothies as thickening agents, in salad dressing, ice creams and lemonade. They are good sources of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which have great anti-inflammatory properties

Gulkand

Gulkand has been traditionally used during summers as a natural coolant. It is said to reduce all heat related issues like acidity, stomach heat, nosebleeds, ulcers and reduces inflamation. This magic superfood can be eaten as it is or can be added in water with a dash of lemon, or in milk.  

  • Fermented Foods

Fermented Foods

Summer kills your appetite so it is essential that we eat foods that have high nutritional value. Fermented foods enables the production of good bacteria and enzymes which further help absorb the nutrients and improves gut health which aids in digestion. Foods like Idli, Dosa, Yoghurt, Mango / lemon Pickles, Indian cheese can be a part of your everyday Summer meals.  

We'd love to know what is a staple ingredient that you have to cool off during the Summers in the comments.


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