Eating during a heatwave:
Sit tight and buckle up, this is not your average recipe. It did save my husband while he was working long days in hospitality during a heatwave, so we decided to share it here even though it might be an unfamiliar format.
On the Indian subcontinent, extremely hot tempretures that rise above 35 degrees celsius, are not truly considered to be a heatwave, as these high temps visit annually during the midsummer moths. The entire culture of eating and lifestyle has been adapted over millenia to deal with these spiraling temperatures. South asians know how to eat to stay cool.
The majority of these adaptations are based on the wisdom of the Ayurveda and on the Ayurvedic sciences concerning the human system. If I was asked for the kernel, the core principle behind this way of eating, it would be this.
Foods that require a certain duration and intensity of metabolic activity, to be digested and integrated into your body, will increase the internal temperature of your body. Foods that are easily digested, are close to the natural internal temperature of your alimentary canal, and are easily/quickly assimilated into your body, will keep your internal temperature stable and prevent overheating.
That is a 2-sentence distillation of the very sophisticated and vast source of knowledge concerning the human system that is the Ayurvedic sciences.
A few pointers to keep in mind when making diet choices:
eat foods close to body temp (37C/98f) or very slightly warmer. Going colder or hotter means your system has to expend prana (energy) to bring the food to body temp before it can be digested & used by the body.
heatwaves are a time to avoid raw foods, the exception being leafy greens. Raw food also require an additional amount of prana and digestive activity to break down.
Here are some things we either avoid altogether, or keep at a bare minimum, during the hottest weeks of the summer: (the NO list)
no red meat, at all;
no dairy, except cultured buttermilk, which is aids digestion and has the added benefit of cooling the system;
avoid all greasy foods: chicken wings, roasts, sausages et;
fish in very small quantities: choose oily fish like sardines, herring & small portions of salmon, over protein-dense fish like tuna;
choose fish over chicken, whenever possible, keeping protein intake at a minimum during the heatwave as animal protein will always use up the most prana to be assimilated into your body;
keep spices & oils at a minimum when cooking during the heatwave; go for boiled foods, porridges, broth bases and light soups, ways of cooking that involve using liquids vs fats
And here’s the Yes list, things we eat a lot of on the subcontinent during midsummer:
lots of alkaline vegetables & fruits; melons, tomato, cucumber, green leafy veg, beets, carrots, horseradish, radish, summer squashes, sweet potato
smoothies made with cultured buttermilk, maple syrup & green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale
lemons, limes, carrots, tomato juices or tomato soups
keeping your protein intake low on the hottest days, focusing on plant proteins like nuts, legumes & beans ( chickpeas, dhal, cashews, walnuts etc)
lots of coconut water, if you can find it! It has to be the most magical heat buster on the planet!
Sattu porridge, if you can find sattu powder; sattu is made with roasted, ground black gram powder, water, rock salt and roasted cumin, and is often the breakfast of choice in the summer in many parts of India. Full of micronutrients, quickly energizing the body and cooling for the system.
And to finish, my recipe for sago payasam/porridge. Although now my summers here on the peninsula are mild at best, this sago payasam is something I will still start cooking in large quantities whenever I start to feel those sluggish, heavy, dried-out-from-the inside sensations when external temperatures rise unexpectedly.
Recipe for Sago Payasam
Bring 3 cups of water, 1 stick of cinnamon, 3 crushed pods of cardamom (with skin still on) to a fast boil.
Add 1 cup of sago pearls (or small tapioca pearls) into the boiling water, and allow the pot to come back to a boil for about another 1 minute.
Take off the heat, put a lid on, and leave for about 40-50mins until the sago pearls are mostly transparent, plumped up, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Now put the pot back on the stove, add 1 cup of full fat coconut cream & 1/4 cup of maple syrup into the pot, bring to a simmer over a medium heat, cook for about 5 mins stirring continuously so the sago does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Take it off the heat, and leave to cool completely with the lid on.
Store it in the fridge, and gently warm before eating.
