Eat More Vegetables This Summer! 10 Delicious Summer Recipes Everyone Should Try & 4 Dietary Changes That are a Must (2021)

Eat More Vegetables This Summer! 10 Delicious Summer Recipes Everyone Should Try & 4 Dietary Changes That are a Must (2021)

Summer is already here in full force. You are probably sweltering under the heat and humidity. Get some respite from the heat with the help of a light and cool diet of veggies this summer. BP Guide brings to you 10 delicious recipes complete with soups, salads and dessert. If you've been looking for new recipes to try, give one of these recipes a shot.

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Why You Need to Change Your Diet in the Summer

The summer heat requires you to change your dietary habits. The spicy food you used to have must give way to lighter fare that is abundant in water content. You must avoid dehydration and have loads of fluids. At the same time, you must avoid street food as it is also the time when bacteria get more active, leading to many diseases. You must have small amounts at regular intervals while rehydrating yourself. Avoid alcoholic and carbonated beverages. Sugary foods are unhealthy and are best avoided as well.

What You Must Include in Your Diet in Summer

Bottle Gourd

The bottle gourd is rich in nutrients and has close to 96% water content. It is known to be an excellent hydrating agent and also helps in the treatment of constipation and diarrhoea. Due to its properties as a cooling agent, it is used as an ingredient in most recipes during summer.

Lauki, as it is commonly called, is also rich in Vitamins A and C along with magnesium, calcium and folate. It also keeps your blood pressure low and a healthy heart. It is also a great agent for weight loss.

Salads

Salads are an ideal way to boost immunity and keep yourself healthy. They are easy to prepare too and could be among the best habits during the gruesome hot months. It can also help in preventing various diseases and provide the required strength and vigour as well. The ingredients provide a natural source of fibre coupled with the benefits of having raw fruits and vegetables. They help in lowering the risk of cancers and eye problems.

Salads also help in maintaining the requirement for raw fats and the various kinds of oils needed by you. The daily intake of salads can also improve the strength of your bones and the muscles. They also act as a protector of your heart.

Juices and Lassi

Summer makes you dehydrated through sweating, requiring you to keep rehydrating through regular intake of liquids. The summer months also see brisk business by roadside vendors of juices and lassi. While these could be unhealthy, you can make these juices at home and make them. The internet is filled with easy to make recipes of various juices and lassis.

Fruits and vegetables like watermelon, apples, mangoes, cucumbers and tomatoes are some of the significant ingredients of juices. Apart from keeping you cool, they also have nutrients that keep you healthy. They also eliminate toxins and aid digestion.

Vegetarian Proteins

Proteins are an ideal source of nutrients to stay healthy during summer. And you thought proteins are only for nonvegetarians. Did you know that many vegetables are a rich source of proteins? Soya sprouts and green peas are quite rich in proteins. And so are sweet corn, spinach, and mushrooms.

During summer, you can have some berries shake including some flaxseeds that will give you the required proteins and keep you cool too. Channa and paneer are other great sources of proteins for you.

Best Summer Recipes in India

Stuffed Lauki

Bottle gourd is not the vegetable to be loved by people. However, this recipe will win your hearts through its unique taste that is a combination of paneer and lauki and is baked.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized bottle gourd (lauki)

For the Filling:
  • 150 gm tomatoes, diced
  • 200 gm paneer, grated
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 spoon coriander, chopped
  • 2 spoons garlic, chopped
  • 3 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 spoon ginger paste
  • ½ spoon cumin seeds
  • 2 spoons oil
  • Pepper, as needed
  • Salt, as needed

For the Marinade:
  • ½ spoon chilli powder
  • 2 spoons garam masala
  • 50 ml of lemon juice

How to Make

  • Blanch the bottle gourd in hot water. Then peel it, deseed and split horizontally.
  • Next, pour the marinade over the bottle gourd and keep it aside for around an hour.
  • Heat some oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds along with the remaining ingredients for the filling and stirfry for five minutes.
  • Once it is done put the filling inside the bottle gourd and secure it using a string.
  • Then wrap in a foil and bake in a very hot oven for almost 20 minutes.
  • After baking, serve hot with mint or coriander chutney.

Mango Kulfi

Kulfi is the locally-made ice cream that we used to crave for as kids. Even adults find it quite tasty, and the mango kulfi is ideal for summer.

Ingredients

  • 400 grams of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1012 almonds, blanched
  • ½ cup cream
  • ½ cup of mango pulp
  • 8 kulfi moulds
  • Vark leaves optional

How to Make

  • First, mix the condensed milk, mango pulp and cream.
  • Beat the mix to blend well. Then add the blanched almonds.
  • Mix the mixture properly and pour into the moulds.
  • Refrigerate at the lowest possible temperature.
  • To serve, take the mould from the freezer and scoop the kulfi out with the help of a knife and transfer to the serving bowl.
  • It can be garnished with vark leaves, if available, and nuts and serve immediately.

Papaya and Soybean Salad

Papaya is ideal for summer, and it keeps your body and mind, cool. It also has a high amount of fibre and water content. Soybeans, on the other hand, is rich in proteins and fat and carbs. Made with an assortment of spices, the papaya and soya bean salad is ideal for keeping your body cool and having nutritious food at the same time.

Ingredients

  • ½ papaya, seeded, peeled, and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup frozen soya beans, thawed
  • 1 cup cooked rice, ideally basmati
  • 1 spoon coriander, ground
  • 1 spoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 spoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ spoon cardamom seeds
  • 1 spoon brown mustard seeds
  • 6 to 8 curry leaves, if available
  • Grapeseed oil, as needed
  • Black pepper, freshly ground
  • Salt, as needed

How to make

  • Place a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the required amount of oil.
  • First, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander, along with some salt and toast for a minute.
  • Add the soya beans, stir and cook for about three minutes. Then, let the mixture cool.
  • Take a salad bowl and put the papaya chunks along with the cooled soya bean mixture and rice.
  • Finally add pepper, lime juice and salt as needed and toss well.

Spicy Watermelon Soup

Watermelons are our favourite during summer. It is used as an ingredient for several juices and smoothies. But watermelon in a soup is unheard! It is the recipe that we put forth now.

Ingredients

  • 6-7 cups watermelon, chopped and deseeded
  • ½ spoon chilli flakes, or as per your taste
  • 2 spoons mint/pudina, chopped
  • 1 spoon garlic-ginger paste
  • Olive oil, as necessary to cook

How to make

  • First, you must sauté the garlic and ginger paste along with the chilli flakes in a little olive oil. Once done, set aside to cool.
  • You must puree the watermelon and the mint by mixing in a blender until thoroughly blended.
  • Put the watermelon puree into a saucepan along with the chilli flakes and ginger-garlic, and simmer, till it thickens.
  • Season it well and then chill for at least 12 hours.
  • Before serving, you can add few ice cubes into the soup along with some olive oil.
  • Serve after garnishing with a sprig of mint.

Prawn and Litchi Salad

Litchi is another ideal fruit for the summer months. Apart from being nutritious, it is also tasty and finds its way into many juices and smoothies too. The delicious prawns only add to the taste. The prawns can also be baked instead of being cooked.

Ingredients

  • 500 grams prawns, cleaned and shelled
  • 2 spoons spring onions, chopped
  • 1 mango, chopped finely
  • 500 grams litchis, deseeded
  • 1 spoon chilli flakes
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 spoon olive oil, or as needed
  • Salt, as needed
  • Peanuts or almonds, for garnishing

How to Make

  • Put the oil along with the lemon juice, chilli flakes and spring onions and mix thoroughly. It can be used as the marinade for the prawns. Marinate the prawns for 15 minutes in this mixture.
  • Toss the marinated prawns on high heat in the pan and stir fry for about two to three minutes. You may also bake the prawns, as per your preference.
  • Set aside the prawns once done.
  • Mix the pieces of mango and litchi. Then add everything together.
  • You can add the nuts for garnishing and season as per your wish.

Indian Potato Salad

Potatoes are almost like a staple food for us and find its way into most recipes. This tangy potato salad is excellent with the added taste of sour cream, tomatoes and some spices.

Ingredients

  • 450 grams red potatoes, cut into medium pieces
  • 1 small red onion, chopped finely
  • 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 spoons dried curry leaves
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ spoon cardamom seeds
  • 1 spoon garlic, crushed
  • 1 spoon turmeric
  • 1 spoon brown mustard seeds
  • Cumin seeds, a pinch
  • Salt, as needed
  • 2 spoons grape seed oil

How to Make

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat while adding the garlic and onion.
  • Cook for three minutes and add the cardamom seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, along with some salt as needed.
  • Stir and cook for another minute.
  • Next, add the tomatoes, sour cream, potatoes, along with some water, and stir well.
  • After some time, turn the heat to low and cook till the potatoes turn soft.

Sliced Watermelon Rind

As watermelons are the ideal source of energy in summer, we are presenting another recipe that includes this tasty fruit. The added spices provide a unique taste to the watermelons.

Ingredients

  • 1.5kilo watermelon, quartered
  • ½ spoon pickling spice
  • ¼ spoon ground allspice
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ spoon ground ginger
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 8 cups of water
  • Coarse salt, as per your taste

How to Make

  • Take the watermelon pulp from the rind while leaving a thin layer of pink on the rind. Then cut the green outer skin from the rind.
  • Next, cut the rind pieces into smaller pieces to measure 4 cups.
  • Take a large pot and combine 2 spoons salt with 8 cups water and boil.
  • Add the rind pieces and boil for about five minutes till it softens. Strain the mixture and keep the rinds in a metal bowl.
  • Next, take two more spoons of salt, some sugar and the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and boil them. Continue stirring till all the sugar dissolves.
  • The mixture is poured over the watermelon rinds in a bowl. You may place a plate atop the rinds to keep them submerged in the pickling liquid.
  • Cover it and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  • Bring it out and strain the liquid from the rinds into a pan and boil.
  • Pour this mixture over the rinds again. Cover it and refrigerate overnight.
  • The straining and boiling of liquid and subsequent pouring over rinds can be repeated.

Kesar Pista Phirni

Phirni is an ideal sweet dish to be taken during summer. Add to it the sugarfree Kesar and crunchy pista, and no one can say no to this one.

Ingredients

  • 3 spoons coarsely ground rice
  • 1 litre skimmed milk
  • ¾ spoons green cardamom powder
  • 10-12 pista, peeled, sliced and blanched
  • A few saffron threads
  • 3 spoons low-calorie sweetener

How to Make

  • Take a nonstick pan and bring the milk to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer while you continuously stir till it reduces by half.
  • Next, add the ground rice and mix it with some water. Stir well to prevent lumps from forming and boil the mixture.
  • Once it starts to thicken, lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously.
  • To it, add the saffron and cardamom powder and mix well.
  • Once the mixture has a thick consistency, remove it from the heat and add the low-calorie sweetener.
  • Pour the mixture into four earthenware bowls while the mixture is still warm.
  • Add some sliced pistas and refrigerate for at least two to three hours.

Turmeric Coconut Rice

Yes, even rice can be flavoured! And it need not be the pulao or biryani. People love this delicious and tasty coloured rice made using coconut with a dash of turmeric that gives a tangy flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups of basmati rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 spoon ground turmeric
  • 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • Salt, as needed
  • Optional: fresh, chopped coriander leaves to garnish

How to Make

  • First, add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and whisk well to make sure they combine well.
  • Boil the ingredients, cover and immediately turn the burner down to the lowest point and keep it for twenty minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, place the lid and allow the rice to steam for ten more minutes.
  • Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
  • Use the chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and serve.

Kesar Mango Lassi

Mango is the king of fruits and one of the most sought after in summer. You can make loads of lassi and juices using mangoes. We will discuss another recipe using mangoes as it is among our favourite.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup low-fat curd
  • 3 spoons milk, lukewarm
  • ¾ cup mangoes, pulp or puree
  • 3 spoons nuts (peanuts, almond), broken
  • Few saffron strands
  • 1 spoon sugar or honey
  • Cold milk, as needed

How to Make

  • Soak some Kesar in 2 spoons of warm milk for some time.
  • Take the mangoes, peel them, and scoop out the pulp.
  • Add the mango pulp, low-fat curd and cold milk to a blender and blend till combined.
  • Next, you must add the broken nuts and ad some honey or sugar.
  • Pour some ice cubes and garnish with the rest of the nuts and saffron.
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Buy Seasonal Veggies!

You might be already eating healthy but you also need to change your eating habits depending on the season. With the summer already in full force, you need to add vegetables and fruits that bring down the heat. Also, consume veggies that are in season. The reason being these veggies are full of nutrients needed to get through summer and also high on flavour than off-season veggies. Off-season veggies are usually loaded with chemicals and pesticides. Consume juice and lassi as they can keep you hydrated.