LIFESTYLE - Eating more foods that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants can go a long way towards helping your body fight infection. Here's some traditional inspiration.
Rasam
It's time for the King of soups, ideal to help build resistance to cold, flu and sore throats. This traditional home remedy has been used for centuries in South India and among South Indians worldwide. I have included other essential ingredients like turmeric and ginger to amp up the immunity against the cold and flu.
Rasam
Picture: Supplied
Preparation: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125ml) dried tamarind soaked in 1 cup water for 5 minutes (black or brown tamarind) or 1-2 tbsp tamarind concentrate. You may use more tamarind for a tangier output.
3-4 cups water
1 tbs (15ml) oil (add more if you like)
½ small onion finely sliced (optional)
4-5 small cloves garlic
1/2 tbs (7.5ml) chopped ginger
1 small tomato finely chopped
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt
¼ cup (60ml) coriander leaves with the stems
Ingredients for Rasam Powder
Dry roast and pound together coarsely
½ tsp (2.5ml) black pepper corns
1 tsp (5ml) whole coriander seeds
½ tsp (2.5ml) whole cumin seeds
1 pinch fenugreek seeds
3-4 dry red chillies (adjust according to heat tolerance)
½ tbs (7.5ml) thoor dhal
Temper
1 tbs (15ml) vegetable ghee (optional)
½ tbs oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
10 – 12 curry leaves
½ tsp (2.5ml) yellow asafoetida
1-2 red chillies roughly crushed
1-2 green chilles slit lengthwise (remove seeds to reduce heat)
Method
Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 10 minutes. Remove seeds and pulp - keep aside.
Dry Roast and pound all rasam powder ingredients.
Heat oil in a pot. Toss in onions and fry until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
Throw in turmeric powder and tomatoes - cook for a minute. Add salt as required.
Add rasam powder, give it a good stir.
Add tamarind extract and balance of water. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer to 20-25 minutes. Turn off heat.
To temper - In a separate pan, heat oil and ghee, toss in mustard seeds and curry leaves. Seeds should pop and leaves should splatter. Add asafoetida and chilies. Pour into rasam. Add in fresh coriander leaves
*Enjoy on its own or serve with rice and vegetable curries like braised cabbage and pumpkin.
Spicy Butternut Soup with Chilli Cheese Crisps
This charmingly sweet but spicy butternut soup is rich in important vitamins and antioxidants.
Spicy Butternut Soup with Chilli Cheese Crisps
Picture: Supplied
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tsp (5ml) garlic finely chopped
2-3 dry red chilli roughly crushed
550 - 600g butternut chopped into squares (4 cups)
2 tsp (10ml) Coriander powder
1 tsp (5ml) Cumin powder
1 tsp (5ml) mixed herbs
1 ½ tsp salt
1 litre water.
1 ½ cups grated vegan friendly cheddar/gouda cheese
2-3 finely sliced green chilli
Serving options – crushed red chilli. Milled black pepper. Roasted
pumpkin seeds.
Method:
Heat oil in a pot. Toss in onions, garlic and red chilli. Fry for a few seconds. Now add butternut, coriander powder, cumin powder, mixed herds and salt.
Cook for 5-8 minutes on high heat – stirring every now and then making sure it does not burn.
Thereafter add water and boil.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until butternut is soft and mashes easily. Cook for about 30 minutes.
While butternut is cooking down, spoon 2 – 3 tbs of cheese on a baking tray into disks. Add chopped chilli. Make sure you leave significant gaps between them.
Place under a hot grill and toast until bubbly and golden brown. Keep an eye on them as they tend to burn very quick. Remove with spatula.
Blitz butternut in a food processor or hand blender until smooth.
*Serve with crostini or croutons. For an extra creamy texture add a dollop of coconut cream
Turmeric Tea
Turmeric is a bright yellow aromatic powder, which comes from the turmeric root. It is commonly used in curries and savoury rice dishes in Indian cooking. It has a warm and bitter taste and a wealth of health benefits from reducing inflammation, increasing antioxidants and lowering your risk of heart disease. Turmeric tea is one popular form of consuming turmeric. It has a unique but subtle flavour. The tea is also a great way to reap the health benefits
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup (250ml) almond milk (unsweetened)
½ tsp (2.5ml) turmeric
¼ tsp black pepper (optional)
1 tsp (5ml) brown sugar (optional)
Add all the above ingredients to small pot. Bring to a boil and voila! Super healthy tea in a jiffy.
Note: The black pepper is important as it helps with the curcumin absorption.
Option 2
Boil 2 to 3 cups of water on the stove. Add 1 to 1½ teaspoons of turmeric powder, a small piece of cinnamon stick and stir. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the tea into another container. You may add unrefined sugar to sweeten (optional).