The heat wave becomes unbearable after a point of time. During the hot summer months, it is advisable to drink water and stay hydrated. Since the sun’s rays are directly overhead, we tend to sweat out all our energy and water from the body. One important thing to keep in mind is to avoid consuming fried and oily food. Another thing which most of us don’t realise is that the aerated soft drinks provide us with only a temporary relief. The thick shakes, the sugar-loaded mocktails are nothing but a sweet treat that will satiate you for the moment.
A classic summer drink that comes to the rescue is jaljeera at this time. Jaljeera comes from two Hindi words, jal meaning water and jeera meaning cumin. Did you know that jaljeera was pound into a powder on stone slabs, found along the Ganges river? Yes, this ancient ingredient has been in our culture for decades. It was later that the drink jaljeera came to light. The light and breezy concoction is prepared with jaljeera powder and water. This magical ingredient aids digestion and helps in keeping the stomach cool.
This season, if you wish to give jaljeera a try then Chef Kunal Kapur has flavoured it up with two yummy recipes, a classic jaljeera and a mint cucumber jaljeera. To prepare the first drink, he starts with the jaljeera masala comprising of roasted cumin, dry pomegranate seeds, black pepper and cloves. The roasted spices are ground into a powder and mixed with asafetida, raw mango powder, black salt, coriander powder. Add the masala to a glass full of water and a dash of lime juice. Top it with boondi and gulp it down.
For the second jaljeera version, he slices some cucumbers with the peel. He then separates the mint leaves. He blends the jaljeera masala with mint leaves, cucumbers and lime juice. The cold water blend is then poured in a glass and garnished with boondi.
Chef Kunal Kapur also adds that this masala can be stored in an airtight container for upto 3 months. Once you have the jaljeera powder handy, you can make the concoction any time you feel like consuming a refreshing drink.
Do you like the two ways of making jaljeera? Here are the detailed recipes shared by the chef on his YouTube channel.
Source: Chef Kunal Kapur/YouTube