Stay Chilled and Healthy
Whether it’s about losing weight or eating healthy, salads are the best option in summer,

says RADHIKA SANGAM

Salad days are here again! Ask anyone who’s recently lost oodles of weight, and they’ll probably tell you how they’ve taken to eating salad. Salad is the new ‘it’ food, edging its way out of the ubiquitous onion rings-with-lime ould to become the new favourite on everyone’s plate. “With the growing awareness about health, salad counters and fruit counters have become a big part of wedding buffets,” says Krishna Akundi, GM of the ethnic resort Aalankrita.

And if you’re still hesitating over those raw veggies and fruit, consider this: Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, reports that a review of 206 studies showed raw vegetable consumption to be our strongest defense against cancer. What’s more, Ayurveda recommends Satvik or vegetarian food as the best kind of food for a balanced diet and a calm mind - the perfect solution for the enervating Indian summer heat. “An excess of Rajas guna, which makes a person anxious, fearful, angry and excitable, or Tama guna, which induces lethargy, lack of concentration

 

and sleepiness, cause an imbalance in the body and in behaviour. If you get worked up easily, have raw food for breakfast. Having very little rice and plenty of vegetables balances the composition of the body, and over a period of time, behaviour slowly changes correspondingly,” says Dr K. Raghunath, chief medical officer at Ayurcare, Hyderabad.

Crisp, refreshing and light, a salad is certainly what the doctor ordered. The high content of body-friendly fibre, and multiple vitamins ensure that you’ll be fighting off colds and shedding those extra pounds with every mouthful. Can’t wait to get started? Here are some ideas to get you going!

CUCUMBER AND WATERMELON SALAD

Ingredients:
Half a large watermelon, de-seeded and roughlychopped
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 cup fresh watermelon juice
salt and pepper to taste
A few sprigs of mint leaves

Method
• Mix the watermelon and cucumber thoroughly in a bowl. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours.

• Place the watermelon juice in a separate container. Chop the mint finely and stir it into the watermelon juice. Allow the juice to marinate for a few minutes, until delicately flavoured with mint. Transfer to the fridge and chill until cold but not frozen.

• Remove the chilled salad from the fridge and pour the watermelon juice over it, and season with salt and pepper to taste, mixing well with a spoon. Serve immediately.

EASY SPROUTS SALAD

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized carrot, diced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 small green pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded
and finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled de-seeded and chopped
50 gms green grapes, halved
100 gms moong sprouts
1 tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Method
• Cook sprouts with water in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, and leave to cool.
• In a large bowl, mix together the onions, carrots, tomatoes, capsicum, apple and green grapes and sprouts. Season with lemon and salt and serve.
CARROT SALAD

Ingredients:
4 large red carrots, grated
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons groundnut
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped green coriander leaves

Method
• Roast the groundnuts till done. Peel and grind to a coarse powder.
• In a large bowl, add the carrots, chillies, groundnut powder, lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with coriander leaves to serve.

     GREEK SALAD

Ingredients:
6 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber, diced
1 small onion, sliced
1 small green pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded
and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
175 gms feta cheese or firm paneer, cut into cubes
125 gms black olives (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano

Method
• Place the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green pepper in a bowl and mix well. Pour over the oil and vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste and toss thoroughly.
• Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and cover with the feta cheese or paneer and olives, if using. Sprinkle lightly with oregano and serve.
POLYNESIAN PAPAYA SALAD

Ingredients:
1 papaya
the juice of ? lime
2 large mousambis
limes slices to decorate

Method
• Peel and cut the papaya into quarters and remove the seeds. Slice into thin slices and place in a glass bowl. Pour over the lime juice.
• Peel the mousambis, removing all the pith, and cut into segments. Add to the bowl and chill until required.
• Decorate with lime slices to serve.

CALIFORNIAN COLESLAW SALAD

Ingredients:
For the Salad
1 dessert apple, cored
2 oranges
125 gms green grapes, halved
125 gms seedless black grapes, halved
250 gms cabbage, finely shredded
2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds
Honey and lemon dressing
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons clear honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
• Put the lemon juice, honey and olive oil into a screw-topped jar, adding salt and pepper to taste. Shake well to blend. Set aside.
• Take 4 tablespoons of honey and lemon dressing and pour into a large mixing bowl. Slice the apple thinly into the dressing and toss until thoroughly coated.
• Remove the peel, pith and seeds from the oranges. Break into segments and add the oranges to the bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Transfer to a salad bowl to serve. Just ensure however, that the stuff you buy is fresh and washed properly. Almost all the ingredients are readily available at the local store . Quick and easy to prepare, salads are virtually foolproof. It’s kind of hard to goof up when all you have to do is chop and drop! Whether you’re a culinary veteran or a firsttimer, salads are a wonderful way to explore your creativity in the kitchen. So, what’s your favourite salad?