Dr Pushpesh Pant presents recipes that take the sting out of summer

Strangely, India's culinary repertoire is weak in 'cold' repasts. The subcontinent is synonymous with summer and the season can be quite scorching, and debilitating, especially for silvers. The appetite is sluggish, and the climate not conducive to physical exercise. The body requires replenishment of nutrients drained by the heat. We have long tried to invent recipes that meet the dual test of being 'cooling and cool to touch'. Barring the odd taeer sadam, a raita, dahi bhalle or pachadi, it is only rarely that a genuine cold delicacy (a main course dish apart from accompaniments) is encountered. This month, I present dahi ke baigan, a 'gift' from Ranjita, a young Oriya housewife, and satranga salad, an improvisation on the Russian theme. Both these have other virtues - they are easy to prepare and digest, and healthy choices in terms of calories. Leftovers, if any, can be put in the fridge and served again without the hassles of reheating.

SATRANGA SALAD

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes: 100 gm; boiled, peeled and quartered
• Apples: 200 gm; in bite size cubes
• Cottage cheese/tofu: 75 gm; small chunks
• Pineapples: 100 gm; canned pieces
• Hardboiled egg whites: 2; quartered
• Carrots: 75 gm; boiled and diced
• Chicken sausage: 100 gm; grilled and sliced
• Beans: 50 gm; boiled, cut in diamonds
• Walnuts (for crunchy garnish): 50 gm
• A leaf of lettuce to make salad bed

DRESSING
Mix 1 tbsp of lemon juice with 1/4 tsp of honey and 1/2 tsp sugar free sweetener. Add 3 tbsp of yogurt mixed with 1/2 tsp of mustard powder, black pepper and salt to taste. If you wish to moisten the salad dressing more, add 1 tbsp olive or refined oil.

METHOD
Assemble all ingredients in a salad bowl and pour dressing. Mix well. You can replace chicken and eggs with stir-fried vegetables of your choice. Before serving, you can add button mushrooms cooked gently in a pan without water, and yellow and red bell peppers char-grilled lightly on the stove.

DAHI KE BAIGAN

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• Eggplant (baigan): 250 gm (round or long, as you like it)
• Curd: 200 ml; whisked and mixed with a spoonful of water
• Ginger-garlic paste; 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder; 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder: A pinch
• Turmeric: A pinch
• Asafoetida: A pinch
• Oil: 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Green chillies: 2-3; slit and deseeded
• Coriander leaves: A large sprig

THE TEMPERING

• A sprig of curry leaves
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies (optional): 1-2

METHOD
Wash, pat dry and slice eggplants round or lengthwise. For smaller ones, you can choose not to separate them at the stem. Coat a non-stick pan with a thin film of oil and preheat it on stove. Put in ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for about a minute.
Add the powdered spices and salt dissolved in a spoonful of water. In this, cook eggplant till tender, turning once or twice with a wooden spatula. Mix curd with water and boil it in a separate pan, stirring continuously to ensure that it does not curdle. When cooked (it stops smelling raw), remove from flame.

Heat leftover oil in a frying pan. Add asafoetida and then put the mustard seeds in. When the mixture begins to crackle, add whole red chillies. As soon as the chillies change colour, add curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the curd mix. Now, combine the cooked eggplant and curd in a large bowl. Garnish with green chillies and coriander.

Dr Pushpesh Pant, our culinary expert, is a documentary producer, author and die-hard foodie

Featured in Harmony Magazine
June 2007