Chef Nidhi Nahata Shares Her Favourite Summer Recipes

Summer has arrived, and this season is all about taking refreshing dips in the pool, staying indoors to beat the heat, or diving into delectable summer dishes, starting from refreshing drinks like aam panna, lassi, jal-jeera, and kokum sharbat to yummy and cooling delights like sliced watermelons, lemonades, ice creams, salads, curd rice, and summer vegetables. 

This season also welcomes a variety of yummy fruits such as watermelons, mangoes, lychees, oranges, and muskmelons. These refreshing fruits not only keep you cool during the summer but also hydrate your body. In this season, we often look to incorporate healthy and nutrient-rich ingredients in our meals to stay safe from the heat waves of summer, such as seasonal fruits like watermelons, mangoes, coconuts, seeds, and nuts.

So, if you are also searching for some more creative, cooling, yet healthy summer dishes, here are three recipes shared by chef Nidhi Nahata, Founder, Justbe Resto Café, Bengaluru:

Watermelon And Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:  

  • 2 ½ cups of frozen watermelon
  • 2 cups of frozen fresh coconut cream or banana
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of date paste or jaggery
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon of hemp hearts

Method:  

  • Blend all the ingredients except lime zest and hemp hearts into a paste.
  • Freeze for an hour.
  • Garnish with lemon zest and hemp seeds.
  • Serve chilled.

Super Summer Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 glass of mango and banana (frozen)
  • A handful of sunflower microgreens
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in water
  • 3 to 4 dates
  • Water

Method 

  • Blend mangoes, bananas, dates, and microgreens to smoothie consistency.
  • Pour it into a glass and top it with chia seeds.
  • Serve it with love.

Kesar Pista Kulfi 

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups of tender coconut cream
  • 5 tablespoons of date paste
  • 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped almonds, roasted
  • 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachio roasted
  • A few strands of saffron (kesar)
  • 1 teaspoon elaichi powder (cardamom)

Method: 

  • Blend all ingredients except nuts in a high-speed blender.
  • Mix in the nuts with a spatula.
  • Pour the mixture into an ice tray and set it in the freezer for a few hours.
  • Demold and serve.