Harshitha

Delicious And Refreshing Summer Drinks To Energise Your Day

Refreshing summer drinks are so very important to stay rejuvenated during this hot season. The heat rises dramatically during the summer, leaving everyone exhausted and sweaty. The most important factor to keep in mind during the summers is to stay hydrated so that you can keep working and stay fit.

Dehydration due to sweating excessively is a common crisis during this particular season and to combat this epidemic, we have compiled some extra delicious and healthy drink recipes. 

1. Virgin Mojito 

Who can ever forget one of the best refreshing summer drinks: the ever so classic Virgin Mojito. With this easy recipe, you can indulge the classic minty taste of a mojito without the alcohol. In Havana, they use aromatic bitters like yellow lemon peel, bright green lime peel, or grapefruit rinds to cut the sweetness of the Mojito and also the added pop colors of natural pigmentation. 

Generally, powdered sugar, instead of just cane sugar is muddled with the mint leaves, and yet many places simply use sugar syrup to regulate sweetness.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1. A bunch of fresh mint leaves
2. 1 tablespoon syrup (equal parts boiling water and sugar, cool before using)
3. 1 lime
4. Ice cubes (preferably 10 or 15 of them)
5. Sparkling water (2 bottles)

First, the lime and mint leaves should be muddled together (if you prefer to, remove the lime skin first). Mix the muddled ingredients with the basic syrup. In a bottle, place ice cubes and pour in the mixture. Stir in a splash of sparkling water. Serve with lemon slices or fresh lime peel on the sides of the glass and a mint leaf as garnishing.

2. Glazed Peach and Strawberry fizz 

Peach and strawberry are your fruits for the summer and they make great refreshing summer drinks. This recipe takes a prep time of about 10 to 15 mins. The cooking and cooling time are separate. So, overall you can achieve this summer drink by investing around 35 mins which is totally worth the results that will blow your mind. It is great for parties and other casual get-togethers where you easily serve six people altogether.  

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1. Peaches (three to five of them)
2. 600 g strawberries
3. 1 1/2 cup apple juice
4. 1 1/2 sparkling water
5. Lots of crushed ice

This fizzy drink recipe will become your new summer favorite if you can’t get enough of the flavors of peach and strawberry. Firstly, preheat your oven to the temperature of 175 °C. Then cut the juicy peaches (don’t forget to remove the inner pit) and strawberries in half. After that, place the fruit on the baking tray lined with some extra baking paper and roast for 25 minutes. 

Take out the tray and leave it outside to cool for around 10 minutes or more. Remove the skins from peaches and mush away the fleshy stuff together with apple juice in a blender to get the texture of a silky smooth pureé. Make sure to blend the strawberries separately. Divide carefully the strawberry pureé into 6 glasses and add ice. 

Slowly pour the peach and apple juice mixture from the pitcher over the ice cubes and add sparkling water. Always serve immediately to enjoy the best taste of such refreshing summer drinks. 

3. Kiwi Lemonade

With just one sip, you will be enthralled by this unusual beverage, which wonderfully mixes the sweet and tarty flavors of kiwi and lemon. This summer drink is also known as a spritzer and is one of the most experimental refreshing summer drinks.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1. 3/4 cubes of sugar
2. 6 semi-ripe kiwis
3. 2 cups of lemon juice
4. 1 cups of water
5. 1 liter of bottled seltzer water
6. lemon and/or kiwi wedges

This recipe takes around 10 mins in total and has a calorie count of 120 per serving. The quantity of the ingredients suffices to around 7 to 8 adults. Purée two sugar cubes and kiwi in a blender until smooth. In a 1-quart container, stir together the freshly squeezed lemon juice and add some amount of water to it. Add the remaining mush of kiwi purée and stir. Chill this concoction in the freezer until very cold. 

So, to serve, pour 1/2 cup of the kiwi mixture into each of 8 tall glasses. Fill them with some ice and add roughly 1/2 cup seltzer water to fill the glass. For presentation points, you can poke or spike a lemon and/or kiwi wedge on the rim of each glass and line them with pink salt too. Don’t forget to add the tiny cute umbrellas to make the drinks look extra pretty. 

4. Melon Sorbet

With a prep time of just 10 minutes, a melon sorbet can add freshness and fruitiness to your life. Add a fruity punch to your daily life with an exotic feel.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1. Assorted melon balls
2. Lemon, or other fruity sorbet
3. Mint leaves
4. Seltzer water
5. Ice cubes

For this recipe, you need to first prepare the assorted melon balls. Then freeze them for at least three hours until they are completely frozen. Next, going on to the drink, take a glass and put the sorbet into the bottom of it. Add some crushed mint leaves and top the drink with some seltzer water.

To chill the drink, add some ice cubes and let the sorbet melt before your refreshing summer drink is ready. Enjoy the drink by serving it to friends and family.

5. Cantaloupe mint agua fresca

Next, coming up is a wonderful refreshing summer drink that tastes like fresh melon water. This fancy drink can also be served at parties to impress guests and other family members. 

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1. Fresh mint leaves
2. Ice cubes
3. Coldwater
4. 1 tbsp lemon juice
5. 1 cantaloupe (or 4 cups chopped fruit)

To prepare this summer drink, cut the cantaloupe by first cutting it into two halves, then into quarters, and finally, peel the flesh away. Next, cut the chunks and place them into your blender. Blend the mixture until a thick puree is prepared. Now, strain the puree with the help of a strainer for fresh juice.

Next, pour the juice into a pitcher and add cold water, lemon juice, and a few mint leaves. Refrigerate the drink for at least one hour before serving. Once chilled, and flavors and blended, serve with ice cubes.

There you have it! Some of the most amazing and refreshing summer drinks that you can get your hands on. If you are looking for colorful, fruity drinks that are refreshing and perfect for summer, then please give them a try. Each drink has its own uniqueness and highlights different sorts of juicy summer fruits. 

Summers are meant to be enjoyed with a cooling drink in hand and a suntan lotion on the other!  

How To Make Jowar Roti And Some Tips

Jowar is considered one of the best for weight loss and a wholesome alternative for wheat roti or rice. The list of nutrients in jowar includes protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, phosphorus, B vitamins, and C. Jowar Roti is one of the easiest jowar recipes to try for inculcating jowar benefits into our day to day diet. Check out some more basic jowar millet recipes and not just jowar there are other millets with numerous health benefits. Check the benefits of millets and recipes for different types of millets.

Roti is a type of flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Typically a roti is made with wheat flour. Roti made with jowar flour is relatively healthy when compared to a roti made with wheat flour. It can substitute the traditional wheat roti for those who are gluten intolerant. Jowar roti in Telugu is Jonna rotti, jowar roti in Kannada is Jolada rotti and jowar roti in Hindi is Jowar Bhakri or a simple Bhakri. 

Jowar Roti calories per roti are around 50. Of which 41 are carbohydrates. The remaining calories account for protein and fat.

Jowar Roti Benefits

Here are the benefits of eating jowar roti:

1. Jowar is a wholesome grain that digests slowly. Consuming jowar roti can help you eat less and stay full for a long time.
2. It is also good for diabetes, as it has a low glycemic index and helps regulate insulin levels, this meal can be a great option for diabetic patients.
3. Jowar can be the replacement for regular rice or wheat if you are looking forward to a healthy and fit lifestyle. Jowar roti can work great for weight loss.
4. If it comes to the question of jowar roti vs wheat roti, the former is definitely better due to its high dietary fiber which is responsible for regulating hormonal and heart health.

How To Make Jowar Roti | Jolada Rotti Recipe

Jolada Rotti is easy to make when made by following the right procedure of making it. There are different methods with slight variations to make perfect jolada rotti. These methods can help you make jowar rotis without breaking and keep them soft for a long time.

Let us check out the methods to perfect jowar roti.

Method – 1: Super Soft Jolada Rotti / Jowar Roti

Use this method of making jolada rotti to keep them super soft for a long time. 

1. Take a thick bottomed pan. Heat around ¾ cup water and bring it to a boil. 
2. Switch off the stove and immediately add 1 cup of jowar flour to it.
3. Mix it well and cover it with a lid for about 10 minutes. 
4. Now take a wide plate and put the mixture of flour and water into it. Knead it for 15 minutes while it is warm.
5. Take another wide plate and place it upside down on your kitchen platform. 
6. Take a white cloth, dip it fully in water, squeeze out the excess water, and spread it evenly onto the plate. 
7. Make lemon-sized balls of the dough, place it on the cloth and roll it into a flat bread using your hands. 
8. Heat a Tawa, safely remove the roti from the cloth and fry it on both sides. Serve hot with curry. 

Method – 2: Jowar Roti Using A Rolling Pin

This is a method that shows how to make jowar roti using a rolling pin. Let us check out the procedure.

1. Take a bowl. Add 1 cup jowar flour and a pinch of salt into the bowl.
2. Boil 1 cup water and add it into the bowl.
3. Mix and knead the dough for around 15 mins. 
4. Take a lemon sized portion of the dough, dust it with jowar flour and roll it into a roti using a rolling pin.
5. Heat a tawa and place the roti on it. 
6. Wait for 20 seconds and spread a few drops of water on the roti. 
7. Wait for 10 more seconds and flip it to the other side and fry it evenly. 
8. Remove and serve hot.

Method – 3: Make Soft Jowar Rotis Without Breaking

This method is an easy and simple way to make jowar roti. Use this procedure to make soft jowar rotis without breaking.

1. Take 1 cup jowar flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. 
2. Add around 2 cups of water (room temperature) into it and mix it well. Now a thin batter is ready. 
3. Heat a nonstick tawa. Pour the batter as you do it for rava dosa or neer dosa.
4. Simmer the stove and cover it with a lid. Cook it for about 20 seconds and flip it to the other side. 
5. Cook it well on both sides and serve hot. 

Tips To Keep In Mind:

1. Jowar or sorghum is naturally gluten-free. Make sure you knead the dough for 15 minutes to keep it tight or else the rotis keeps breaking while you try to make them.
2. Make sure you wait for 10 seconds after sprinkling the water and only then flip it. Or else the roti might stick to the Tawa. 
3. Make sure to dust the dough ball with enough jowar flour to avoid breakage.
4. Cover the dough with a wet cloth to keep the dough soft.
5. Keep the fried Rotis in a vessel and cover to keep the rotis soft and moist.

Jowar or sorghum is a grain that is important to consume on a daily basis due to its high fiber content and energy. Jowar roti or jonna rotte is one of the easiest recipes to include jowar or sorghum in our day-to-day diet. Try these methods to make soft and perfect jolada rotti. Hope you find the above-mentioned tips useful.

Pranayama And Yoga To Beat The Heat This Summer:

Summers make us sluggish and fitness or working out take a back seat during summer. Maintaining a gyming and workout routine every day is just hard. For people who are interested in workouts, some Summer Workout Plan does the work. Nonetheless, yoga is a simple and effective way of keeping fit, I strongly recommend you give it a try. The following summer yoga and pranayama helps you keep your cool.

Seetkari Pranayama / Sheetali Pranayama | Cooling Summer Yoga:

Seetkari pranayama or sheetali pranayama induces a very cooling effect on the body and naturally lowers the body temperature and is ideal for the summer season, the cooling summer yoga. Since this breathing technique in this pranayama can lower the body’s temperature, the pranayama to reduce body heat, one should not be practice sheetali pranayama in the winter season.

Seetkari Pranayama Steps:

1. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, with the spine straight. Soften the facial muscles and relax the shoulders.
2. Gently clench the lower and upper teeth together and separate the lips as much as you can and it feels comfortable, keeping the jaw relaxed and the teeth exposed to air.
3. Inhale; the breath from the gaps of the teeth and focus on the hissing sound of the breathe as it moves in. Close the mouth and exhale; from both the nostrils.
4. Repeat breathing the same way for 10 20 breaths and then relax and breathe naturally.

Repeat the same for two to three rounds. Then relax.

Balasana / Child Pose:

This summer yoga pose is a very healing pose for the body and mind. It calms the mind and the focus shift into the breath. It releases tension from the spine and the hips. This pose releases all the tension and fatigue the heat of the summer season brings.

Balasana Steps:

1. Come on the knees and join the big toes, thighs, and knees together.
2. Place the palms on the floor and separate the knees as wide as you can making sure that it is comfortable for you. (Place a bolster between the knees, if your hips don’t touch the ankle and a blanket under the feet if you feel uncomfortable.)
3. Inhale; raise the arms up extending the spine.
4. Exhale; come forward and rest the torso on the floor between the knees, make a pillow with the palms and rest the forehead on the palms. (If the torso does not rest on the floor take a bolster and place it in the middle and rest the torso on it.)
5. Breathing deeply for 1 to 2 minutes. Remember to stay in still and avoid movement while you hold the pose.
6. Inhale; raise the arms up and as you exhale lower the arms and release the pose.

This is very important as there is no force, striving or pushing while you are in the pose as we working on just being present to just where you are in the moment.

Simhasana (Lion Pose):

This pose relieves tension from the face and the chest. It works on releasing the entire stress out of the body and relaxes the mind.

Simhasana Steps:

1. Sit in a cross-legged comfortable position and focus on the breath. Relax the shoulders and the facial muscles.
2. Keep the palms on the thighs facing the ceiling and the index finger gently touching the thumb ie chin mudra.
3. Focus on the breathe and relax.
4. Inhale; deeply through the nostrils, open the mouth as wide you can and stretch the tongue out and exhale from the mouth making a loud sound of HA or roar like a lion.
5. Close the mouth and shift the gaze or focus the eyes between the eyebrows.

Repeat the same for two more times and then relax in child pose.