Known as a natural coolant and antioxidant, mint helps beat the heat as a perfect summer cooler. It can give a soothing effect to your irritated stomach and has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Nutritionists advise adding a dash of mint to your juices, smoothies, salad and chutney. Here are a few quick drinks and dishes you can make using mint.
Iced Mint Tea
Ingredients
1 teabag
300 ml boiling water
2 tablespoon mint leaves
1 lime pared, rind
2 teaspoon lime juice
Method
Place teabag in a heatproof jug.
Pour over boiling water, mint leaves, and lime rind.
Cover and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid, chill well.
Then add lime juice, strips of mint to taste and serve over ice.
(Recipe credit: food.ndtv.com)
Mint Pannacota
Ingredients
250 ml skimmed milk
250 ml fresh cream
25 gm honey
8 gm gelatine
3 drops vanilla
essence
10 gm fresh mint
Method
Warm the milk and fresh cream together. Add honey and soaked gelatine and stir.
Add vanilla essence and chopped fresh mint. Put the mixture into the desired mould and freeze it.
Serve chilled.
(Recipe credit: food.ndtv.com)
Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
4 tbsp curd
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp amchur
1.5 cups mint leaves
1 cup coriander powder
2 green chillies
1 onion
4 medium-sized garlic
1-inch chopped ginger
Salt, to taste
Method
Take 3 to 4 tablespoon fresh curd in a bowl and whisk it till it’s smooth. Then add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) and salt as per taste to the beaten curd. Mix very well.
In a blender or wet grinder take 1.5 cups freshly rinsed mint leaves (pudina), 1 cup rinsed coriander leaves, 1 to 2 green chillies (chopped), 1 small chopped onion, 3 to 4 medium-sized garlic cloves and 1-inch chopped ginger. Grind with a little water to a smooth paste. Then mix the green chutney paste with the curd. with a spoon start to mix both the green chutney and curd. continue to mix and blend till the whole Pudina chutney Becomes uniform and in one colour.
Check the chutney for salt and taste and add more salt and spice powders if needed.
(Recipe credit: vegrecipesofindia.com)
Mint Gelato
Ingredients
Heavy cream
Milk
Mint leaves
Method
Blend heavy cream, whole milk, and a cautious amount of freshly chopped mint leaves. Pop it in the ice-cream churner and allow it to chill for a few hours.If you want, you can add some chocolate chunks into it too.
(Recipe credit: hungryforever.com)