Here are handy recipes to avoid losing your cool this summer

Thanda matlab...

Beat-the-heat recipes that will overcome the 34°Celsius.

Thandai (Badaam Sharbat)

Ingredients: Sugar - 1 kg, water - 750ml, badaam - 200 grams, khus khus (poppy seeds) - 2 tbsp, whole black pepper - 1 tsp, jeera - 1 tbsp, cardamoms - 15-20, saffron - 1/4 tsp.

Method: Boil sugar and water together. Add a few drops of lime to remove the dirt. Soak badaam and peel the skin. Grind all the ingredients together in a mixie until it becomes an absolutely smooth paste. Add the paste to the sugar syrup and allow it to boil for some time till it reaches one thread consistency. Allow it to cool overnight. Strain through a muslin cloth. Store it in a bottle and refrigerate. When required, pour about 60 ml of the sharbat in a glass and top up with cold milk and water in equal proportions.

Nimbu Sharbat

Ingredients: Sugar - 750 gms, large limes - 1 dozen (juice to be removed and kept in a glass container), water - 1/2 litre.

Method: Boil sugar and water till one thread consistency. Allow it to cool. Add lime juice to the syrup and store the sharbat in a bottle in the refrigerator. When required pour about 60 ml of the sharbat in a glass and top up with soda or water.

Khus Sharbat

Ingredients: Sugar - 750 gms, water - 1/2 litre, green color - 1 tbsp, lime salt - 1/4 tsp, ice-cream essence - 1/2 tsp.

Method: Boil sugar and water together. Add a few drops of lime to remove the dirt. Thicken till one thread consistency. When done, remove from the fire and add the lime salt. When cooled, add color and essence and store in a bottle. When required pour about 60 ml of the sharbat in a glass and top up with cold milk or soda.
 
Rose Sherbet

Ingredients: Sugar - 750 gms, water - 1/2 litre, raspberry colour - 1 tbsp, lime salt - 1/4 tsp, rose essence - 1/2 tsp.

Method: Boil sugar and water together. Add a few drops of lime to remove the dirt. Thicken till one thread consistency. When done, remove from the fire and add the lime salt. When cold add colour and essence and store in a bottle. When required pour about 60 ml of the sharbat in a glass and top up with cold milk or soda or water.

Fenugreek (methi) Porridge

Ingredients: Fenugreek seeds - 100 gms, rice - 200 gms, grated coconut - half part, jaggery - 250 gms, salt to taste.

Method: Take rice and fenugreek seeds in a utensil, wash it well and let it soak in fresh water for two hours. Extract water and grind it to a paste, add jaggery and a bit of water and grind again. Pour the concoction in to a sauce pan and heat on low flame. Keep stirring and adding little amount of water to ensure it does not stick to the bottom. Add salt to taste. It takes about 90 minutes to cook well and will resemble cake mix. Take it off the fire and pour it in to a flat container and let it cool over night. It is best to be had cold, in the morning as breakfast and works as a coolant during summer. Serves four.

Cucumber Dosa

Ingredients: Cucumber - 250 gms, Rava (barik) - 250 gms, grated coconut - half part, sugar - 2 tbs, salt to taste.

Method: Peel off cucumber skin and grate. Mix all the ingredients in a utensil and put enough water to get dosa/idli consistency. Heat dosa-tava and make dosas of the dough. You can apply clarified butter on the tava before making dosa. It gives nice aroma. Quick to make and helps keep your body cool. Serves six.

Jackfruit Kadubu

Ingredients: Rice - 500 gms, jackfruit cloves (seedless) - 500 gms, grated coconut - half part, jaggery - 250 gms, black pepper 10, salt to taste, banana leaves (6X6 inches) - 6 pieces.

Method: Wash and soak rice for 2 hours, grind jackfruit, rice, grated coconut and black pepper to a thick paste. Pour it in to a utensil and spread it on the half the side of banana leaves and fold the leaf to cover the entire dough.  Steam cook it like idli for 30 minutes. It's a tasty seasonal delicacy and helps fight summer heat. Serves six.

— Asha Bajaj/Sharada Anand